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"For no other foundation can any one lay
than that which is laid down, which is Jesus Christ."
1Corinthians 3:11

The Old Testament has a verse which complements that one:
"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain...."
Psalms 127:1

The Lord's house is defined in 1Timothy 3:15;
"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
1Timothy 3:15

Now the Lord speaks of actually building the house;
"And I say to thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church."
Matthew 16:18 

Did you notice the singular nature of those verses, the house, not houses, and the church, or My Church, not churches?

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: He who believes will not be in haste"."
Isaiah 28:16

"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."
Matthew 7:24-27

Notice that Jesus said the wise man built his house upon the rock. He did not say his houses upon the rock.
"And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
Ephesians 2:17-22

Note!
In order to be "built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets", you must be able to prove that your sect has Apostolic Succession.
In order to show that your sect belongs "in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord", you must again be able to prove that your sect has Apostolic Succession.

"But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity"."
2Timothy 2:19

IN ABOUT THE YEAR:

30 A.D., The foundation of the Catholic Church was laid down by Jesus Christ.
See Matthew 16:18,18:15-18,28:20, and Ephesians 5:23, and of course revisit Psalms 127:1, since it was now fulfilled at that time.

Martin Luther, the first Protestant, had this to say regarding the Church founded by Jesus Christ:
A sermon by Martin Luther:
"Accordingly, we concede to the papacy that they sit in the true Church, possessing the office instituted by Christ and inherited from the apostles, to teach, baptize, administer the sacrament, absolve, ordain, etc.,"
Sermon for the Sunday after Christ�s Ascension; John 15:26-16:4 (2nd sermon), page 265, paragraph 28. (1522)

Luther remarked several years later:
"We concede -- as we must -- that so much of what they [the Catholic Church] say is true: that the papacy has God's word and the office of the apostles, and that we have received Holy Scriptures, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the pulpit from them. What would we know of these if it were not for them?"
Sermon on the gospel of St. John, chaps. 14 - 16 (1537), in vol. 24 of LUTHER'S WORKS,
St. Louis, Mo., Concordia, 1961, 304


"For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid down, which is Jesus Christ."
1Corinthians 3:11

However, almost 1500 years after  Jesus Christ founded His Church, chaos and confusion entered the picture.
1Corinthians 3:11 and several other verses were ignored by many, as mere human men and women had other ideas.
How can any verses of Holy Scripture be ignored by those who claim they believe in Sola  Scriptura?
Not GOD, but mere human creatures would begin to lay their own foundations. However, they could not lay them on rock, since the rock supports only the one Church which Jesus Christ founded.

"For GOD is not the author of confusion, but of peace..."
1Corinthians 14:33

"But Peter and the Apostles answered and said, "We must obey GOD rather than men."
Acts 5:29

IN THE YEAR:

1521. The foundation of the Lutherans, the beginning of Protestantism, was laid down by Martin Luther.
1522. The foundation of the Anabaptists was laid down by Conrad Grebel, Menno Simons, Thomas Munzer and others.
1525. The foundation of the Mennonites was laid down by Menno Simons in a split from Anabaptists.
1534. The foundation of the Anglican Church of England, was laid down by King Henry VIII.
1536. The foundation of the Calvinists was laid down by John Calvin, as he taught predestination.
1560. The foundation of the Presbyterians was laid down by John Knox, who studied under Luther.
1582. The foundation of the Congregationalists was laid down by Robert Brown, a branch from Puritanism.
1609. The foundation of the Baptists in Holland was laid down by John Smyth.
1639. The foundation of the Baptists in America was laid down by Roger Williams.
1647. The foundation of the Quakers was laid down by George Fox in England.

"Obey your superiors and be subject to them, for they keep watch as having to render an account of your souls; so that they may do this with joy, and not with grief, for that would not be expedient for you."
Hebrews 13:17
How many of the above "foundation layers" obeyed the clear command of Hebrews 13:17?
How many simply ignored yet another Bible verse?

1693. The foundation of the Amish was laid down by men in a split from the Mennonites.
1708. The foundation of the Church of the Brethren was laid down by five men and three women.
1739. The foundation of the Methodists was laid down by John and Charles Wesley.
1770. The foundation of the Universalists was laid down by John Murray in New Jersey.
1774. The foundation of the Unitarians was laid down by Theophilus Lindley.
1789. The foundation of the Episcopalians was laid down by Samuel Seabury. It is the American branch of Anglicans.
1792. The foundation of the Reformed Church in America was laid down by many who broke from the Dutch Reformed Church.
1802. The foundation of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference was laid down by Stephen and Ann Mumford.
1803. The foundation of the Evangelicals was laid down by Jacob Albright.
1820. The foundation of the Fundamentalist-Bible was laid down by John Darby, Cyrus Scofield, and others.


"For the time has come for the judgment to begin with the household of GOD;
but if it begin first with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of GOD?"
1Peter 4:17


1827. The foundation of the Christian Church (Stone-Campbell) was laid down by Alexander Campbell.
1827. The foundation of the Primitive Baptist was laid down by men. It is considered the strictest of all Baptists.
1830. The foundation of the Mormons was laid down by Joseph Smith in Palmyra New York. (Galatians 1:6-10)
1832. The foundation of the Disciples of Christ was laid down by a presbyterian schism called "The Stone-Campbell Movement".
1840. The foundation of the Primitive Methodist Church was laid down by Hugh Borne and William Clowes.
1843. The foundation of the Wesleyan Church was laid down by Orange Scott.
1844. The foundation of the Christadelphians was laid down by John Thomas from Stone-Campbell movement.
1845. The foundation of the American Baptist Churches was laid down by several men.
1845. The foundation of the Religious Society of Friends was laid down by Joseph Gurney, and John Wilbur.
1845. The foundation of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest non-Catholic denomination, was laid down by several men.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, he who enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up by another way, is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is shepherd of the sheep."
John 10:1-2

1847. The foundation of the Apostolic Christian Church of America was laid down by Benedict Weyeneth.
1852. The foundation of the Baptist General Conference was laid down by Gustaf Palmquist.
1858. The foundation of the Bible Fellowship Church was laid down by Mennonite leaders.
1860. The foundation of the Adventists was laid down by William Miller.
1860. The foundation of the Advent Christian Church was laid down by George Storrs and Charles Hudsen.
1863. The foundation of the Seventh-Day Adventists was laid down by Ellen Gould White.
1863. The foundation of the Church of GOD (7th Day) was laid down by Gilbert Cranner.
1865. The foundation of the Salvation Army was laid down by William Booth.
1865. The foundation of the North American Baptist Conference, was laid down by German immigrants.
1867. The foundation of the Church of Christ Temple was laid down by Granville Hedrick in a split from Mormonism.


"Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son."
2John 1:9


1870. The foundation of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was laid down by many members.
1873. The foundation of the Reformed Episcopal Church was laid down by George Cummins.
1874. The foundation of the Jehovah's Witnesses was laid down by Charles Taze Russell.
1875. The foundation of the New Age movement was laid down by Helena Blavatsky. (Colossians 2:8)
1879. The foundation of the Christian Scientists was laid down by Mary Baker Eddy.
1882. The foundation of the Brethren Church was laid down by expelled Church of the Brethren members.
1886. The foundation of the Church of GOD was laid down by former Methodists.
1894. The foundation of the Church of Christ Holiness was laid down by C.P. Jones.
1895. The foundation of the Modernism movement was laid down by Alfred Loisy, and George Tyrrell.
1895. The foundation of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., was laid down by many black Baptists.


"For GOD is not the author of confusion, but of peace..."
1Corinthians 14:33


1896. The foundation of the Christian Catholic Church was laid down by Alexander Dowie.
1897. The foundation of the Church of GOD in Christ was laid down by Charles Mason and Charles Jones.
1901. The foundation of the Pentecostalism was laid down by Charles Fox Parham and William Seymour.
1903. The foundation of the Church of GOD was laid down by AJ Tomlinson.
1903. The foundation of the House of GOD was laid down by Mary Magdalena Tate.
1906. The foundation of the Church of Christ was laid down by men out of the Stone-Campbell movement of 1832.
1907. The foundation of the Apostolic Faith Church was laid down by Florence Crawford.
1908. The foundation of the Church of the Nazarine was laid down by Phineas F. Bresee.
1909. The foundation of the Church of Christ in Christian Union was laid down by several union members.
1914. The foundation of the Iglesia ni Cristo was laid down by Felix Manalo.


"For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid down, which is Jesus Christ."
1Corinthians 3:11


1914. The foundation of the General Council of the Assemblies of GOD was laid down by former pastors.
1917. The foundation of the Four Square Gospel was laid down by Aimee Semple McPherson.
1918. The foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod was laid down by immigrants.
1920. The foundation of the Churches of Christ was laid down as one of several split from Church of Christ.
1923. The foundation of the Church of GOD of Prophecy was laid down by AJ Tomlinson.
1926. The foundation of the Protestant Reformed Churches was laid down by Herman Hoeksema and others.
1930. The foundation of the Branch Davidians was laid down by Victor Houteff in a split from Seventh-Day Adventists.
1930. The foundation of the Independent Churches of America (IFCA), was laid down by a consortium of churches.
1932. The foundation of the General Association of General Baptists was laid down by Benoni Stinson, when he broke from the American Baptist Convention.

"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."
Psalms 127:1



1934. The foundation of the Evangelical Reformed was laid down by a union at a General Assembly.
1935. The foundation of the National Association of Free Will Baptists was laid down by those united from former splits.
1935. The foundation of the Open Bible Standard Churches was laid down by Fred Hornshuh and John Richey.
1938. The foundation of the Bible Presbyterian Church was laid down by Gresham Machen.
1939. The foundation of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches was laid down by many split from the Brethren Church.
1939. The foundation of the Southern Methodist Church was laid down by those who split from Methodist Episcopal.
1946. The foundation of the Evangelical Methodist Conference was laid down by W.W. Breckbill.
1947. The foundation of the Berean Fundamental Church was laid down by Dr. Ivan E. Olsen.
1952. The foundation of the Church of Scientology was laid down by L. Ron Hubbard.
1957. The foundation of the United Church of Christ was laid down by an ecumenical union of Congregationalists, Evangelicals, Reformed, Calvinists, and Lutherans.


"For the time has come for the judgment to begin with the household of GOD;
but if it begin first with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of GOD?"
1Peter 4:17


1961. The foundation of the Progressive National Baptist Convention was laid down by Martin Luther King Jr.
1962. The foundation of the Southern Episcopal Church was laid down by B. H. Webster in a split from Episcopalians.
1964. The foundation of the Lutheran Churches of Reformation was laid down by many in a split from the Lutheran Missouri synod.
1965. The foundation of the Calvary Chapel was laid down by Chuck Smith.
1966. The foundation of the Assemblies of Yahweh was laid down by Jacob Meyer.
1968. The foundation of the Disciples of Christ was laid down by those who separated from Churches of Christ.
1968. The foundation of the United Methodist Church was laid down by a merger of parts of other sects.
1970. The foundation of the Church of GOD International was laid down by Garner Armstrond.
1972. The foundation of the Harvest Christian was laid down by Greg Laurie.
1973. The foundation of the Presbyterian Church in America was laid down in a split from Presbyterian liberals.

"But there were also false prophets among the people,
even as there shall be among you lying teachers who shall bring in sects of perdition
and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction."
2Peter 2:1



1974. The foundation of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship was laid down by Ken Gullickson.
1977. The foundation of the Anglican Catholic was laid down by several persons who broke away from Episcopalians.
1978. The foundation of the Association of Vineyard Churches was laid down by John Wimber.
1981. The foundation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church was laid down by Presbyterian Elders.
1982. The foundation of the Full Gospel Evangelistic Association was laid down by Clarence Robinson.
1982. The foundation of the Saddleback Church was laid down by Risk Warren.
1987. The foundation of the Alliance of Baptist Churches was laid down by many, separated from Southern Baptists.
1991. The foundation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was laid down by a group that broke from Southern Baptists.
1992. The foundation of the Charismatic Episcopal Church was laid down by the Chicago Hall.
1992. The foundation of the Traditional Episcopal was laid down by Richard Melli who split from Episcopalians.
2000. The foundation of the Lords Witnesses was laid down by Gordon Ritchie as he split off from Jehovah Witnesses.


"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Luke 11:23
Isn't it obvious that those who founded all those sects are violating Holy Scripture by scattering instead of gathering?
In that verse, Jesus did say "gather with me", did He not?
Also, since He gathers, those who scatter are against Him, are they not?

I have listed only 100 or so of the 39,000* non-Catholic sects which existed as of 2007. At the present rate of growth there will be 63,000* sects by 2025, an increase of 26,000 from the 39,000 of 2007. That amounts to 1238 new foundations projected to be laid down by mere human men and women every year, or slightly more than an average of 3 each and every day.
That means in 100 years there will be at least 123,800 additional sects at the present rate of growth. There will no doubt be many more than that figure since the rate of growth of the sects has been accelerating every year.

*World Christian Database, a Protestant publication.

"For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid down, which is Jesus Christ."
1Corinthians 3:11

For a very good listing of many hundreds more of existing Christian sects than I have included in this writing, take a look here:
The Conglomination

The 100 or so foundations laid down by men or women which I have listed here can be printed on just 2 pages.
However, if I were to list all 39,000 of them it would require a rather hefty book of more than 750 pages.
Every time another new foundation is laid down by mere men and women, the Body of Christ is split yet again.
Apparently, none of those other 'foundation layers' had even read Psalms 127:1, or 1Corinthians 3:11, or 1Peter 4:17, or if they did, they certainly ignored them.
Isn't ignoring those verses tantamount to raising their egocentric opinions to be above the word of GOD?
"For the time has come for the judgment to begin with the household of GOD;
but if it begin first with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of GOD?"
1Peter 4:17

"Is Christ divided?" 1Corinthians 1:13

"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand."
Mark 3:25

Divide and conquer, it is Satan's plan.

The plan put forth by Jesus Christ is just the opposite, for He called for unity:
"And there shall be one fold and one shepherd."
John 10:16

The House of GOD is mentioned 78 times in all of Holy Scripture (RSV).
The houses of GOD are not mentioned even once.
GOD's House is mention 5 times in all of Holy Scripture. (RSV)
GOD's houses are not mentioned even once.
The House of the Lord is mentioned 222 times in all of Holy Scripture (RSV).
The houses of the Lord are not mentioned even once.
The Lord's House is mentioned 10 times in all of Holy Scripture (RSV).
The Lord's houses are not mentioned even once.

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all."
Ephesians 4:1-6
How many 'one(s)' did you count in those few verses?

Elucidation:
Saint Paul admonished us to have only one faith.
Having one faith means being of one mind as we are admonished to be by St. Paul in Philippians 1:27, and 2:2. 
Having one mind requires that there be only one authority.
Doesn't it stand to reason that by having only one faith, everyone would be teaching and hearing the same truth and therefore there could not be any other but the one Church which Jesus Christ founded? Also, by having only the one Church, would not the commands of Psalms 127:1, 1Corinthians 3:11, and 1Peter 4:17 be obeyed?

Saint Paul continued in his letter to the Ephesians:

"And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles."
Ephesians 4:11-15



Even in the Old Testament it was GOD's will that we may all be one.

"The word of the Lord came to me: �Son of man, take a stick and write on it, �For Judah, and the children of Israel associated with him�; then take another stick and write upon it, �For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him�; and join them together into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. And when your people say to you, �Will you not show us what you mean by these?� say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him; and I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms."
Ezekiel 37:15-22

There is only one GOD, one Father, one Jesus Christ, one Savior, one Shepherd, one Lord, one High Priest, one Holy Spirit to guide the one Church that Jesus Christ founded, which is the one Body of Christ. There is only one cornerstone and one foundation. There is only one visible head of Christ's Church on earth, and there is only one authority which was given to that one Church. There is only one Word, one truth, one Scripture, one infallible interpretation of that one Scripture, one hope, one faith, and one Baptism. We are to be of one mind, be one in spirit, and speak with one mouth in unity. We are all to say the same things, have one intent, are to have no dissensions between us, and are to render only one judgment.
How many 'one(s)' did you count in that paragraph?

I sometimes wonder, what part of 'one' is simply not understood by so many?

"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."
Psalms 127:1

"For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid down, which is Jesus Christ."
1Corinthians 3:11

"Obey your superiors and be subject to them, for they keep watch as having to render an account of your souls;
so that they may do this with joy, and not with grief, for that would not be expedient for you."
Hebrews 13:17

"Amen, amen, I say to you, he who enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up by another way,
is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is shepherd of the sheep."
John 10:1-2

"And there shall be one fold and one shepherd."
John 10:16

"For the time has come for the judgment to begin with the household of GOD;
but if it begin first with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of GOD?"
1Peter 4:17

"But there were also false prophets among the people,
even as there shall be among you lying teachers who shall bring in sects of perdition
and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction."
2Peter 2:1

"Neither does any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was."
Hebrews 5:4 

Compiled by Bob Stanley
September 11, 2004
Updated January 17, 2008

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"For GOD is not the author of confusion, but of peace..."
1Corinthians 14:33

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Luke 11:23

"But Peter and the Apostles answered and said, "We must obey GOD rather than men."
Acts 5:29

"Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God;
he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son."
2John 1:9

"How shall they preach unless they be sent"?
Romans 10:15.

Sent? Who sent all of those listed above who founded their own multitude of ecclesial communities?
Would GOD, who is truth personified (John 14:6), send out persons with opposing opinions of what truth is?
It certainly was not GOD who sent them. Jesus Christ gave His authority only to His Apostles when He said,
"As the Father has sent me, I also send you."
John 20:21

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