[an error occurred while processing this directive] TheBible.net: Is Denominationalism Scriptural?
Is Denominationalism Scriptural?
by Dave Miller
    What is a denomination? Does God approve of denominations? We are going to explore that question in just a moment.

    Hello. Welcome to the Truth In Love television program. Let me urge you to get your Bible. Get some paper and pencil or pen. Let's go to the Word of God and explore an extremely significant and critical question in the religious world today. Is denominationalism scriptural?

    When we go to the New Testament and examine God's Word with a view toward ascertaining what his will is with regard to religion, we find that there is a clearly defined system of religion, God's religion, in the New Testament. It is called Christianity. And we also find that Satan does everything he can to blur the distinctions that God wants observed. Now we should not be surprised at that. Think about the great hoaxes that have been perpetrated upon mankind. For instance, I am thinking of the doctrine of evolution, which is almost universally believed by all of the scientific echelon of various societies. I think about such political and philosophical systems of thought like Communism or religious thinking like Buddhism and other "isms." For those who have examined objective truth on these matters, we know that those systems of thought are simply not true. Yet large numbers of people adhere to those views. Large numbers of people believe the tenets of those systems.

    Let's go to scripture and notice II Corinthians chapter 2 verse 11, where Paul talks about the fact that Satan is endeavoring to take advantage of people and he says that we should not let Satan get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices. That word "devices" could easily have been translated "schemes." The deceitful, deceptive ploys that Satan uses in an effort to trick people to get them to believe and practice various things that are simply not true. In a similar statement in Ephesians chapter 6, Paul uses the term "wiles of the devil." Most people are just oblivious to this fact. I suppose that many people do not even believe that Satan exists, anymore than that they believe that God exists. Yet for a believer in New Testament teaching, it is clear there is a Satan and it is clear that he will do all he can to fool people, to trick people, to deceive people. He wants to blur distinctions that God wants observed--distinctions that are scriptural and Biblical.

    It is clear to me that this is the case with denominationalism. Let me take a dictionary or two that I brought with me today and define for you the terms, "denomination," "denominate," and "denomina-tional." The term denominate, in the Webster's dictionary means "to designate, to name." Denomination is "a group having a name; a sect; one of a series of units separately named." For the word denominator, Mr. Webster says, "the part of a simple fraction that shows into how many parts a thing is divided." Here is the Oxford American Dictionary. The definition for denominator is "the number written below the line in a fraction. For example, the number 4 in 3/4 showing how many parts the whole is divided into." In an Encyclopedic Dictionary, denomination is "the act of naming or calling by name." Denomina-tionalism is "a disposition to divide into or form denominations." Now think about that for just a moment. The very word denomina-tion means a named or designated division. It is religious people and religious groups forming themselves, clustering themselves on the basis of different designations, differing doctrines, and different church affiliations.

    My friends, have you gone to the New Testament and read Jesus' prayer for unity in John chapter 17, where he prays against such a thing and prays to God that believers in Christ will be unified? What about Paul's statement to the church of Christ in Corinth in the 50's A.D. in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 10: "I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing. And that there be no divisions among you." Here is a passage that says denominations are not even to exist. Let there be no divisions among you. If a denomination is a designated division, then it is unscriptural. It is against the will of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:10 proceeds to say, "but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

    I have nothing against any particular religious group. I have no biases, no prejudices against any particular religious group. I simply want us to go to scripture and be objective in our appraisal of New Testament truth. It is clear when we go to passages like these we have examined, denominationalism, though viewed innocently by thousands and millions of people world-wide, is clearly an approach to religion that is out of harmony with New Testament teaching. God does not want denominations. He wants us to go to the New Testament and examine the truths that are contained therein and then to bring our lives into conformity, bring our spirits into submissiveness to the will of God and his son Jesus Christ.

    Let's do that in the brief time that we have in this program. Let's just do a quick summary of New Testament teaching on a variety of subjects that are by and large ignored, repudiated, and rejected in the denominational world at large.

    We begin by going to the New Testament teaching on the subject of the one church. If you will notice the chart, we can call your attention to a number of passages very quickly. If you will go to the Old Testament and study passages like Isaiah, chapter 2 and Daniel, chapter 2, verse 44, you will find that God predicted that one day he would set up a kingdom, a church, a house. He calls it the Lord's house in Isaiah, chapter 2. In the New Testament, Matthew 3:2 is where John the Baptist preached that people should repent and get ready because the kingdom of heaven was at hand. In Matthew 16:18, "Upon this rock I will build my church," Jesus said. Jesus said that he would build his church and then we go to passages like Mark 9:1, where Jesus said, "There are some standing here who will not taste of death until they see the kingdom come with power." All of these passages are talking about the same institution. We move to Acts 2, and here we find the actual establishment of Christ's church on earth for the first time. Jesus Christ himself built His church in the city of Jerusalem in the year 30 A.D. on the day of Pentecost. It is described in Acts chapter 2.

    We proceed through the New Testament. We come to Colossians 1:13 where Paul talks to Christians, the church of Christ in Colosse. These people had been translated out of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son. I urge you to read Ephesians 1:22-23 where the body, Christ's body, is referred to as the church and you go to Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 4, and that one body is the one church. Now my friends those two passages alone should cause us to recognize that the existence of denominations is out of harmony with God's will. Ephesians 4:4 says there is one body. That body is the church of our Lord. He established it; He built it; He purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20: 28). If there is only one church, God is not pleased with the division, the named designations of competing churches with various names and doctrines and practices. One other passage in the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul wrote to Timothy that he might know how to conduct himself in the house of God which is the church of the living God. Most people just do not realize that New Testament truth is that simple, that plain and that uncomplicated. The denominationalism that has gripped western civilization is so entrenched and so entangled in the minds of people that they seem to be unable to just come out of that and go back to the New Testament and get a clear perception of the New Testament church and then to conform themselves to that and to repudiate all denominationalism.

    Let's go to another concept that we find clearly depicted on the pages of the New Testament. In our next chart, we have described or designated this particular subject as scriptural names, that is, names for both the church itself and names for individual members of that church. We do not have time to go through a lot of passages but we will give you a handful, seven or eight. In Romans 16:16, the church described in the New Testament is called "the churches of Christ." In 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 2, we have a reference to "the church of God." In 1 Corinthians 3:16 we have a reference to "the temple of God" and in Ephesians 4, verse 12 we have a reference to "the body of Christ."

    Now these are not intended to be technical nor formal names for the church. They are descriptions; they are labels that describe Christ's church. You will find many other allusions to the church. Most of the time in the New Testament, Christ's church is just referred to as "the church." But here is the point I want you to see. Ninety-nine per cent of the names that people are giving to their churches today are not in the New Testament. They are therefore formulating names and constructing and originating churches that cannot be found in the New Testament.

    Let's go back to our chart and see the same thing is true regarding the names that individuals wear. In Isaiah 62:2, the prophet foretold that God with his own mouth would give a name to His people. We find the fulfillment of that prophecy in Acts 11:26. Do you know what the name is? Do you know the number one most prominent name that God wants individual members of his church to wear? It is the name "Christian." We go to other passages like Romans, chapter 1, verse 7 and we find the term "saints" and in Acts 5:14, we find the term "believer" and in other passages the word "disciple" and family names like "brothers" and the "family of God."

    My point is: how simple New Testament truth is and how contrary to that New Testament pattern are the churches and the religious individuals that have taken the names of men and applied them to themselves and churches. Or names that have been formulated out of one particular practice or doctrine and they will take that name and call themselves by that name. I am simply urging you to go to the New Testament and see that that does not please God. That is departure from God's will. And God will not favor, God will not extend his grace to groups and to individuals who choose to stray from His will, His pattern for religion and living, and formulate for themselves their own religions and their own churches and their own names. God will not tolerate that. He will not accept it.

    Let's consider some other things that the New Testament teaches. In the New Testament we have specific instruction concerning worship. In the denominational world you will find all sorts of worship practices being engaged in. Yet we find that worship in the New Testament consisted of certain specific things that people were to conform to. For instance, worship took place for Christians on Sunday. Now there were other days that they worshipped, but Sunday is designated under New Testament Christianity to be the special day in which Christians gather together and worship God (Acts 20:7). They are to attend services. There are people who never attend worship services and they figure, "Hey, I can be a Christian at home, there is nothing that says that I have to go attend worship with other Christians." Most people haven't read their New Testaments. The Bible teaches assembling in Hebrews 10:25. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." What is the kingdom in the New Testament? It's the church. So if I am going to put the church first and seek it first in my life, obviously I am going to meet with Christians for worship on Sunday.

    Notice the other things that the New Testament teaches. What about singing? If I go to the New Testament and say "God, what would you have me to do in the realm of music in the church?" In Ephesians 5:19, He says, "I want you to sing songs, spiritual songs." There is no authority in the New Testament for playing musical instruments in worship to God. There is no authority in the New Testament for performing choir groups and solos. The music in the New Testament is very clearly, if a person is unbiased and will just go to the New Testament and look at what is there, congregational, vocal singing. It's that simple.

    Also, we find that communion, the Lord's supper, was served in the New Testament to Christians on the first day of the week. You read about that in 1 Corinthians 11 and Acts 20:7 and in other passages. The Lord's Supper in the New Testament church is observed every first day of the week. All Christians partake of it, they partake of both the fruit of the vine and the bread.

    Other teachings that we find include giving. Every first day of the week Christians are to lay by in store, pool their funds and out of that treasury, the church can carry on its work. In Acts chapter 2, verse 42 we have a reference to prayer and there are many other passages in the New Testament on several of these subjects. Praying is a part of Christian worship. So is teaching and preaching, and examining doctrinal truth.

    All of this is part and parcel of church life. Public worship assemblies engage in these things. No more, no less. Yet, again, you can go into churches all over the land that have different names for their church. You can go in and they will be called by different names. You will sit through a worship service and see many things practiced that are not taught in the New Testament. They are mere inventions and doctrines of men (Matthew 15:9). Do we want to be exactly what Jesus wants us to be according to the New Testament?

    Let's go to another chart, the plan of salvation. What is it that the New Testament teaches with reference to how to become a Christian? I am amazed that so much diversity and such widespread misconception exists. Most religious groups believe the Bible teaches all you have to do is accept Jesus as your savior, which consists of simply saying, "I believe in Jesus Christ, I accept him into my heart as my savior" and at that moment the person is believed to be forgiven of sin and he becomes a Christian. But look at what the New Testament actually teaches. We are taught that a Christian must believe (Mark 16:16)--but that is not all. He or she must repent of sins (Acts 2:38), confess Christ with the mouth (Romans 10:10), and then be immersed in water. Acts 22:16 says that it is at the moment that you are immersed in water that your sins are washed away. Most people in the religious world believe that a person is forgiven of sins before they are immersed. But once again that is a departure from New Testament teaching.

    Let's take a quick look at what the New Testament teaches on the subject of Christian living. It is frightening, it is literally startling and shocking that American civilization as we have known it is deteriorating and moving away from simple fundamental, human behaviors that were common to our way of life from our inception as a nation. But that is clearly the case. It is happening all over the place and I suggest to you the reason why is ultimately because people do not know and respect the Bible. Our society is getting further away from the Bible. Many don't even believe the Bible is real. They think it is just a collection of Jewish myths, a bunch of fairy tales, writings of men, not the inspired, God-breathed word of God.

    We have reason for alarm, then, because any civilization that does not structure itself around the mind of God as revealed on the pages of the Bible, cannot last for long. All you need to do is look back over the pages of human history, thousands of years, and you will see that that is the truth. Every nation that rejected God and his principles for living eventually deteriorated from the inside out and fell to pieces and crumbled into the dust of human history. And I am fearful that American civilization is rushing headlong down that same course.

    What does the Bible teach? Again, we could be here for hours discussing New Testament teaching concerning Christian living and Christian morality. Let's look at four or five items.

    What about marriage? If all you had were Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:9, you would see how far our society has deviated from God's will. Here is God's will: One man (never married before) marries one woman, (never married before). Those two individuals in God's sight are to remain married for the rest of their lives. Only death should separate them. Now there is one exception to that rule. If one of those mates is sexually unfaithful, God permits the other mate, the innocent partner, to divorce that guilty mate for fornication, for sexual unfaithfulness, and marry a legitimate partner. That very distinctly and very simply is New Testament teaching. Yet our society as a whole is so far from that simple teaching that it is frightening to consider whether or not we could ever recover our spiritual and moral senses.

    What about the use in our society of alcohol? People all over our society consume alcoholic beverages in restaurants, in homes, at ball games. You cannot go to a football game without people drinking alcoholic beverages freely all around you. As if the Bible doesn't speak definitively and decisively against such things. I wish we had time to discuss that. If you are honest and love God and his truths, you will examine what the New Testament teaches on this matter.

    What else do we see in our society? Bad language, people using God's name in vain. I constantly hear people say, "O my God." It has permeated our society. It is on TV constantly. But the Bible condemns that. That is vain use of God's name. That is sin. That is wrong. That offends God.

    What about gambling? The lottery has now come into Texas and horse racing. People just flock to these activities as if they are perfectly acceptable and perfectly moral. My friend, I don't mean to offend you in any way, but I am telling you that the Bible speaks decisively and clearly against these practices. They are immoral, they are unchristian, they are ungodly.

    Let me conclude by noting that our society says, "People ought to be free to believe what they want. Don't be judgmental. You don't have any right to say they are wrong." Now wait just a minute. God has a right. He is the creator and He said in these passages that we must know God's truth and we must be right about that truth and we must obey that truth. Read Hebrews 5:9. In John 14:15 Jesus said, "if you love me you will keep my commandments." What about John 8:32? "You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free." In 2 Timothy chapter 4, where Paul talks about the time will come when the people will not want to hear sound teaching, sound doctrine. They will reject it. 1 Timothy 2:4--God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

    The New Testament teaches that we've got to stay with those words. We are not free to just deviate and believe and practice whatever we choose. We cannot do it. Jot these passages down quickly. 2 John 9; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 1:8; and we will conclude with Solomon's words in Proverbs chapter 30, verses 5 and 6. Listen to them closely, please. "Every word of God is pure. He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not to his words least he reprove thee and you be found a liar."

This item originally appeared in Truth In Love Television Program


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