"CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE CHURCH"
Denominationalism
INTRODUCTION
- A great challenge confronting the church is denominationalism...
- According to one account, there are more than 38,000 different
denominations!
- Different religious organizations, bearing many different
religious names
- Hindering the spread of the gospel ("Why, you Christians can't
even agree!")
- Denominationalism confronted the church early on...
- Many think that it started with the Protestant reformation (ca.
1517 AD)
- Properly understood, its origins can be traced to the second
century AD
[What is denominationalism? Why is it wrong? Such questions this study
will address...]
- DEFINING DENOMINATION AND DENOMINATIONALISM
- WHAT IS A DENOMINATION...?
- "A large group of religious congregations united under a common
faith and name and organized under a single administrative and
legal hierarchy." - The American Heritage Dictionary of the
English Language
- By their common name and tie to a governing body above the
local congregation, they are "denominated" from all
congregations that do not submit to the same authority
- Some examples:
- The Roman Catholic Church is a denomination made up of those
churches that submit to the pope in Rome
- The Eastern Orthodox Church is a denomination made up of
those churches that submit to the patriarch of
Constantinople
- The Anglican Church of England is a denomination made up of
those churches that submit to the archbishop of Canterbury
- The Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) is made up of those
churches that submit to the synod in Missouri
-- A denomination is a group of congregations that are joined
together under some governing body, all wearing the same
distinctive name
- WHAT IS DENOMINATIONALISM...?
- According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language:
- "The tendency to separate into religious denominations"
- "Advocacy of separation into religious denominations"
- "Strict adherence to a denomination; sectarianism"
- For the purpose in this series, I will be applying the term to
any approval of the denominational division which exists today
- Many in denominations today are not all that devoted to
their denominational principles or interests
- But by membership in a denomination they implicitly advocate
separation into religious denominations
[Is denominationalism really a challenge confronting the church? Some
consider it a blessing: e.g., "Join the church of your choice!" But
from a Biblical perspective, consider...]
- WHY DENOMINATIONALISM IS WRONG
- IT IS UN-SCRIPTURAL...
- That is, it is without Scriptural support
- There is no basis in the Bible for local churches being
divided up into various denominational bodies
- There is no denomination that can go to the Bible and say,
"See that passage? There is our church (denomination)!"
- In the New Testament...
- Local congregations were independent, autonomous
(self-governing)
- Church organization was limited to within the local
congregation
- With elders (also known as pastors, bishops, overseers,
presbyters) appointed to oversee only the congregation of
which they were members - cf. Ac 20:17,28; 1Pe 5:1-2
- The only authority above the local church in the NT was Christ
and His apostles
- Once the church began, apostles were not replaced after they
died - e.g., Ac 12:1-2
- But through the Word of God, the authority of Christ and His
apostles continues
-- Individuals, synods, conferences, etc., that presume to usurp
authority over local churches today do so without Scriptural
authority
- IT IS ANTI-SCRIPTURAL...
- Not only is it without scriptural support, it is contrary to
what the Bible teaches
- It is contrary to the prayer of Jesus for unity among His
believers - Jn 17:20-23
- It is condemned by Paul in his epistle to the church at Corinth
- There are to be no divisions among believers - 1Co 1:10-13
- Sectarianism is a sign of carnality - 1Co 3:3-4
- It opposes the efforts of Christ on the cross! - Ep 2:14-16
- Jesus died to break down the wall of division
- Jesus died to reconcile man to God in ONE body
-- Just as our sin works against the efforts of Christ on the
cross (for He died to put away sin), so does denominational
division!
- IT IS HARMFUL TO THE CAUSE OF CHRIST...
- Jesus knew that unity among His disciples would be "the final
apologetic"
- Cf. "that the world may believe" - Jn 17:21
- In view of Jesus' words, we should not be surprised when
unbelievers are slow to accept the gospel coming from a
divided church
- Many point to the divided condition of those professing to
follow Christ...
- Atheists and agnostics use religious division as an excuse
not to believe in God
- Muslims, Jews, etc. often use denominationalism reasons not
to believe in Christ
- Denominationalism has also given support and encouragement to
the cults
- Mormonism started in reaction to the denominationalism of
Joseph Smith's day
- Those who call themselves "Jehovah's Witnesses" use
religious division to encourage people to follow their own
strictly-controlled organization
-- How can any true disciple of Christ support such a harmful
concept?
- OTHERS WHO VIEWED DENOMINATIONALISM AS WRONG...
- Martin Luther, a leader of the Reformation Movement:
"I ask that men make no reference to my name, and call
themselves not Lutherans, but Christians. What is Luther? My
doctrine, I am sure, is not mine, nor have I been crucified
for any one. St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 3, would not allow Christians
to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then
should I, poor, foul carcass that I am, come to have men give
to the children of Christ a name derived from my worthless
name? No, no, my dear friends; let us abolish all party names,
and call ourselves Christians after Him Whose doctrine we have."
- Hugh Thomason Kerr, A Compend of Luther's Theology
(Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1943, p. 135)
- John Wesley, another reformation leader, among whose followers
are Methodists, Wesleyans, etc.:
"Would to God that all party names, and unscriptural phrases
and forms which have divided the Christian world, were forgot
and that the very name [Methodist] might never be mentioned
more, but be buried in eternal oblivion." - John Wesley,
Universal Knowledge, A Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Arts,
Science, History, Biography, Law, Literature, Religions,
Nations, Races, Customs, and Institutions, Vol. 9, Edward A.
Pace, Editor (New York: Universal Knowledge Foundation, 1927, p. 540)
- Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest Baptist preachers who
ever lived:
"I look forward with pleasure to the day when there will not be
a Baptist living! I hope that the Baptist name will soon
perish, but let Christ's name last forever." - Spurgeon
Memorial Library, Vol. I., p. 168
-- Note well: these individuals were bemoaning the use of
denominational titles, not organizational ties per se
CONCLUSION
- But it is organizational ties above the local church that leads to
denominationalism...
- Once local churches are "organized under a single administrative
and legal hierarchy", denominational names soon follow!
- And so it is that denominationalism with its religious division
continues to grow!
- If local churches are to successfully confront the challenge of
denominationalism, they must...
- Remain independent, autonomous (self-governing) congregations
- Refuse organizational associations with other churches
- Refrain from using denominational names for their churches
- Churches that succeed in avoiding denominationalism are more likely
to be...
- Nothing more than local churches of Christ
- Christians who simply seek to follow Jesus as His disciples
- The answer to the prayer of our Lord for unity among believers
- cf. Jn 17:20-21
But there is another challenge, one that is closely related to
denominationalism, which we shall consider in our next study:
Sectarianism!