"WHY I BELIEVE"
In Undenominational Christianity
INTRODUCTION
- In our previous study, we talked about the church...
- Of which Jesus spoke in Mt 16:18
- That grand company of people made up of those who are saved
- Loved by Christ, and highly esteemed in the Scriptures
- Most professing Christians would agree with what was described in
that study...
- That the church "universal" is the body of Christ, made up of the
saved
- That the church "local" refers to saved people in a geographical
area who work and worship together as a local congregation
- Yet many today see no harm in presenting an altered picture of the
church to the world...
- A picture in which local churches are divided into various
denominations
- Where people are not simply Christians, but Catholics, Baptists,
Methodists, etc.
[I am persuaded that such is wrong, and firmly believe in
undenominational Christianity. What is that, you ask? And why is
denominationalism wrong? First allow me to define our terms...]
- DENOMINATIONALISM DEFINED
- 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
- "A religious organization uniting in a single legal and
administrative body a number of local congregations."
- Webster's Dictionary
- Simply put, a denomination is a group of congregations joined
together under some governing body
- The number of congregations can be as few as two or more
- The governing body might be a synod, presbytery, convention,
another church, or even an individual
- Through their tie to a governing body above the local
congregation, by definition they are "denominated" from all
other 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 Cantebury
- The Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) is made up of those
churches that submit to the synod in Missouri
- These are just a few of the thousands of different
denominations that now exist!
- WHAT IS DENOMINATIONALISM...?
- According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language, it is:
- "The tendency to separate into religious denominations"
- "Advocacy of separation into religious denominations"
- "Strict adherence to a denomination; sectarianism"
- Again, Webster's Dictionary defines it as:
- "Devotion to denominational principles or interests"
- "Narrow emphasizing of denominational differences:
SECTARIANISM"
- For the purpose in this study, I also apply the term to any
approval of the denominational division which exists today
- I concede that many people in denominations today are not
all that devoted to their denominational principles or
interests
- But by membership in a denomination they are by implication
advocating separation into religious denominations
[Is denominationalism really that bad? Am I suggesting that one cannot
serve Jesus faithfully while participating in such religious division?
Yes! Here is why I believe denominationalism is wrong...]
- DENOMINATIONALISM DECRIED
- IT IS UNSCRIPTURAL...
- 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, 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 was Christ and His
apostles...
- Once the church began, apostles were not replaced after they
died
- 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 congregations 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 sinning works against the efforts of Christ on the
cross (for He also died to put away sin), so it is with
denominational division!
- IT IS HARMFUL TO THE CAUSE OF CHRIST...
- Jesus knew that unity among His disciples would be "the final
apologetic" (Shaeffer)
- 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 often use religious division as an
excuse not to believe in God
- Non-Christian religions (such as Islam, Judaism, etc.) often
use denominationalism as a reason not to believe in Christ
- Denominationalism has also given support and encouragement to
the rise of cults
- Mormonism started in reaction to the denominationalism of
Joseph Smith's day
- "Jehovah's Witnesses" use religious division to encourage
people to follow their strictly-controlled organization (a
denomination itself)
- OTHERS WHO VIEWED DENOMINATIONALISM AS WRONG...
- Martin Luther, the 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 great 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." - 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
CONCLUSION
- Again, denominationalism is wrong because it is...
- Unscriptural
- Anti-scriptural
- Harmful to the cause of Christ
- That is why I and many others profess undenominational
Christianity...
- Throwing aside the shackles of denominationalism
- Following Jesus Christ in the freedom of gospel liberty that comes
from being simply Christians!
- And what may surprise some, doing so while "being like-minded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" - cf. Php
2:2
- How is this possible? It begins with two things...
- A strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and His prayer for unity
- cf. Jn 17:20-23
- An understanding of the carnal nature of division, and why
denominationalism is wrong - cf. 1Co 3:3-4
If you believe in Jesus and His church, then simply be a Christian, a
disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and put away any hint of
denominationalism. Find or start a local church that is determined to
be nothing more than a church of Christ...! - cf. Ro 16:16