Why are there so many different denominations, groups, cliques, and movements, with each one claiming the title “Christian”? It is because they all have “pet verses” to which they give favored preference over other verses from scripture. Allow me to offer five examples from a list that could surely provide many more.
Example #1: The Church of Christ denomination as well as The Christian Church (The Disciples of Christ) denomination both believe that water baptism is an essential requirement for salvation. Their pet verse is Acts 2:38, which says:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (K.J.V.)
Of course, one verse these two denominations don’t say much about is 1 Corinthians 1:17, where Paul says to the Christians of Corinth:
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (K.J.V.)
It certainly seems strange that Paul, who desperately wanted to lead people to salvation in Christ, would say, “Christ sent me not to baptize” if baptism is a requirement for salvation.
Example #2: While Calvinism is not itself a denomination, it is a doctrinal system that pervades various denominations such as Presbyterians, Primitive Baptists, and Reformed Baptists. Also, various congregations that are aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention are Calvinistic in nature. One of Calvinism’s pet verses is Ephesians 2:1, which says:
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,… (N.K.J.V.)
In reference to an individual making a decision to believe in Christ as Savior, Calvinists use this verse to teach that salvation is wholly and completely an act of God, an act in which the individual essentially has no free will. To the Calvinist, if God has chosen an individual for salvation from eternity past, He will do a work inside that person to make sure the person places saving belief in Jesus. As the Calvinists say concerning an individual making a freewill decision to believe in Christ, “A dead man — one dead in trespasses and sins — can’t make any decision, even one to believe in Christ as Savior.”
There are, however, many verses that flatly contradict Calvinism. One of them is John 5:40, where Jesus says to a group of lost Jews:
“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (N.K.J.V.)
Notice that Jesus didn’t say to those Jews, “You can’t come to Me because God the Father didn’t chose you for salvation from eternity past.” No, what He said was, “You aren’t willing to come to Me.” If, as Calvinism contends, those Jews had absolutely no possibility of coming to Jesus for salvation because they were all dead in trespasses and sins and dead men can’t make decisions, Jesus’ words would have amounted to Him taunting them concerning their eternally lost state and powerlessness to do anything about it.
Example #3: Like Calvinism, the teaching that a Christian can potentially lose his or her salvation is one that is prominently featured in various Christian denominations and groups such as Catholics, Freewill Baptists, and Pentecostals. One of the pet verses used to support this teaching is John 15:2, where Jesus says:
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (N.K.J.V.)
On the flip side, however, besides the fact that the Bible doesn’t offer even one example of anyone getting saved twice, there are numerous verses and passages that can be used to teach the eternal security of the Christian. One of those verses is John 10:28, which is another quote from Jesus:
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (N.K.J.V.)
Example #4: Many denominations (Southern Baptists, Independent Baptists, Freewill Baptists, Pentecostals, etc.) teach that any and all consumption of alcohol is a sin. One of their pet verses to authenticate this teaching is Proverbs 20:1, which says:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is no wise. (K.J.V.)
Is drunkenness always a sin? Absolutely. But before we start outlawing any and all drinking, regardless of the amount and the setting, we might want to remember that Jesus turned the water into wine, not grape juice. And then there is 1 Timothy 5:23, where Paul says to Timothy:
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. (K.J.V.)
Example #5: The Seventh Day Adventists teach that Christians should meet together for weekly worship on Saturday rather than Sunday. This teaching stems from the fact that the Jewish Sabbath officially lasted from sundown Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening. As might be expected, one of the pet verses the Seventh Day Adventists use to promote this teaching is Exodus 20:8:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (K.J.V.)
Okay, so is there a verse that can be used to contradict the teaching that Christians should meet for worship on the Sabbath (Saturday)? Yes, there is. That verse is Colossians 2:16, which says:
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (K.J.V.)
Can you see how, if we couple that verse up with other verses such as 1 Corinthians 16:2 — which indicates that the early Christians met for worship on Sunday — we can understand why the vast majority of Christians meet for worship on Sunday rather than Saturday?
In conclusion, what I’m trying to get you to realize by way of these five examples is that it is unwise to build your doctrine around a handful of your pet verses. The Bible is a highly complex book that can wrongly be used to teach just about anything, and a ton of time and effort are required to do the studying necessary to get at what the book actually teaches. That’s why cherry-picking a verse here and there to back up what you already believe just won’t get the job done. Instead, you must embrace the totality of scripture, from Genesis to The Revelation, and compare your pet verses with other verses that might be used to contradict them.
This, then, is my challenge to you: Whatever you believe, give the teachings of other denominations, groups, cliques, and movements a fair investigation. Hear them out concerning their pet verses and their comebacks to your pet verses, and keep an open mind about things. After all, everybody thinks they have “the truth.” (I’ve never once heard a preacher stand in a pulpit and say, “Today, I’m going to teach you a pack of lies.”)
The fact is that everybody uses certain portions of scripture in their attempts to back up what they believe. Obviously, though, everybody isn’t right. How can they be when there is so much blatant disagreement? Someone has to be wrong, and you don’t want that someone to be you. As for God, He doesn’t do pet verses. He considers each and every word of the Bible to be inspired by Him and, as such, equally important. Therefore, that’s the attitude that we must have as well if we want to stand a chance of being right in our beliefs.
The Disciple's Road 
Example #5: “Seventh Day Adventists teach that Christians should meet together for weekly worship on Saturday rather than Sunday”
SDA’s are deceived liars, which is anti-Jesus, antichrist!
Exodus 20 says exactly nothing about driving your car to a building to fellowship with others who promote a false she-prophet and worship a false christ every week!
Because SDA’s do not listen to or obey Jesus, He says of them:
John 14:24 Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words.
SDA’s are idolators whose destiny is the same as those who receive the mark of the beast
Plus SDA’s fail bigly at denying self, beware false prophets, and being deceived, more commands of Jesus’ that they just give the middle finger.
When you realize how detestable their teachings and religion are, you know they are caught in subtle satan worship. Satan worshippers keep zero days holy!
Russell: what He said was, “You aren’t willing to come to Me.”
That’s right. He has authority over all things, even unbelievers wills if He so chooses to change such. He does not owe them a miracle to their wills! He gives life to whom He pleases! Try camping on His authority statements in Matt 28:18 and John 13:3. To fail to camp on these is to fail to deny self, another of His commands. Anything less is subtle idolatry, which He is not fooled by. Praying that you will stop ignoring His teachings. Ignoring His teachings equals failing to deny self, another broken command.
“You aren’t willing to come to Me” only addresses why the wicked, of their OWN will, do not believe, not how the righteous of their own will come to Him. Try staying with exactly what Jesus said, not what you think you can extrapolate, calculate, philosophize = failure to deny self and stay in His words.
Jesus believes “You are not your own” (1Cor 6:19), but free will enthusiasts wave their middle finger in His face when they claim to own something (free will) that He does not. This is merely more worshipping a false jesus, more rebellious, satanic idolatry stemming from free will promotors never receiving the gifted ability to DENY SELF as Jesus commanded. Maybe they need to rewrite a special bible so that it reads “You are mostly/somewhat not your own”. But then they inflict Proverbs 30:5-6 against themselves for adding to scripture, proving they are liars and self-deceived idolators.
As soon as the free will lie leaves the speakers mouth, they defile and deceive themselves, see Mark 7:20-23 and James 1:21-22. Jesus never commanded either activities!
2 Peter 2:19 They promise them free will, while they themselves are slaves to failing to deny self. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him, including disobedience to Jesus’ command to deny SELF.
Russell: “Jesus’ words would have amounted to Him taunting them concerning their eternally lost state and powerlessness to do anything about it.”
Doesn’t Psalms have God laughing derisively at the wicked? Psalm 37:13. Why question God? Can’t God the Son who speaks for God the Father taunt the wicked in holiness? Or does He owe them some kind of respect? (He owes people nothing). Has He no holy authority to do such? Holy laughing, holy derision, holy authority. Everything He does is just and holy. Camp on it.
You could strike “taunting” and just say teaching or informing, not that they actually cared or understood anyway! 2Peter 2 compares them to vermin born only to be destroyed. When do Jesus-hater care about anybody but their own wicked selves? He teaches that without Him men can do nothing, John 15:5. Not a sin to camp on that verse! Or His authority over ALL things.Those words were spoken not only to those unbelievers 2000 years ago, but to me, right now, for my edification and belief. He has given me the ability to camp on His words, stone-cold sane. Praise Him for all good gifts.
“any and all consumption of alcohol is a sin”
They ALWAYS carefully avoid mentioning the command in Deuteronomy 14:26 to rejoice in the Lord as one consumes wine or strong drink! Was God commanding them to sin? Or are the anti alcoholers found undone with unclean lips and a righteousness concocted by themselves? It is what they leave out that make them preachers of a pack of lies.
These liars are also dispicable subtle idolators who almost uniformly have fallen for the false teacher JN Darby et al., failing Jesus’ warning in Matt 7:15-23. Ends in tragedy.
Why not be a free-willer when they are failing to deny self at most or all of Jesus’ teachings?
Harsh words, and Jesus was pretty harsh on the fakers of His day.
russellmckinney: “There are, however, many verses that flatly contradict Calvinism. One of them is John 5:40, where Jesus says to a group of lost Jews:
“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (N.K.J.V.)”
An idolator, worshipping a jesus of his own creation/imagination refuses to abide in Jesus’ words in John 15:5: without Me you can do nothing. This is the reason men do not come to Jesus, aside from failing to deny their evil, selfish wills.
An idolator, worshipping a jesus of his own creation/imagination refuses to abide in Jesus’ words in John 5:21: the Son gives life to whom He pleases. This is the reason men come to Him. You would have to prove that Jesus owes things to His creation. Being God, He owes man exactly nothing. Failing to abide in John 5:21 is also failing to deny ones evil self.
An idolator, worshipping a jesus of his own creation/imagination refuses to abide in Jesus’ words in John 6:65: no man comes to the Son unless Father does something first. The Father does not owe men anything.
An idolator, worshipping a jesus of his own creation/imagination refuses to abide in Jesus’ words in Matt 28:18 John 13:3: All authority over all things is His. Jesus has authority and control over every man’s willpower, and everything in the universe. Nowhere does scripture support the idea that Jesus owes His creation anything, even the will to believe in Him. He owes no man the ability to behave/believe righteously. All good things come from Him, see James 1:16-18 (PLEASE LOOK THIS UP: of His own will He brings men forth…). Another instance of free willers failing to obey His command to deny self and abide in His teachings.
Here is the reason Jesus gives for free willers who refuse to abide in His teachings, preaching unbelieving, wicked men’s free will, essentially flipping Him the double-barrel middle finger: John 14:24 he who does not love Me does not keep my words. Another failure to deny self as He commanded.
Free willers worship a jesus of their own creation (idolators) that doesn’t know how to apply these verses to those who say Lord, Lord, but do NOT what He says, see Luke 6:46-49. Notice the tragic outcome for the disobedient. The vehicle is listening to false teachers, as in Matt 7:15-23. Notice the failure to obey verse 15 results in being told He never knew you, get away from Him. This describes false Christ-followers, aka false christians. Again, Jesus owes nobody discernment or ability to obey His words. It is a gift that free will idolators do not possess and merely deceive themselves more and more with every passing second, see James 1:21-22. They are sent <> that they might be damned, 2 Thess 2:10-12. Those that fail to believe Jesus’ teachings are condemned already and remain under God’s wrath, John 3:18, 36.
Calvinism has it’s own failure to abide in Jesus’ teachings in their limited atonement doctrine. They are liars, and all liars go to the lake of fire for rebelling against Jesus’ teachings. They are accounted as witchcrafters and idolators, see 1 Samuel 15:23. Might as well say satan worshippers. Free willers vs Calvinists, pffffttt who cares, they are both satanic, Jesus-disobeying liars. In logic and debate one would say whoever offers only the 2 alternatives of free-willers vs Calvinism commits the fallacy of False Dilemma, and God hates every false way.
Dispensationalist worship a false jesus who gives them permission to add 7 years of tribulation (illicitly derived from them lying about Daniel 9, adding the idea of the Antichrist) to 1Thess 4:16,17 through chapter 5. Again, liars and idolators, really false prophets, who teach others error. They care not to obey Jesus’ warning in Matt 7:15-23. Look at the horrible outcome in verse 23 because they loved to do their own wicked, proud wills and teach a pre-trib rapture. Another tobogan race to eternal hell, and they are too proud to admit they teach error.
The underlying reason for every single false cult, big or small is this: SELF. Right pastor Russell?
Church of not-so-Christ are huge phoney’s. They worship a false jesus who smiles on their lack of instruments and frowns on the church down the street that rocks an organ or piano! They say it is not permitted by scripture. I called their whole congregation of deceived idolators out on that one Sunday, and the pastors wife tried to physically throw me out the door. Later that afternoon I got a phone call from the city police that they had complained to.
When exposing evil is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by devils.
A few questions for Church of not-so-Christ: