Denominations abound in the religious world today. Some have estimated there are as many as 33,000 denominations presently in existence. Whether this is even close I am unsure, but one can readily see around us many different “churches” teaching and practicing many different doctrines. Some have claimed that this is a good thing and are thankful for this situation for one reason or another.

When we consider denominations, what are we referring to? What is a denomination? A denomination is a religious organization who considers themselves to be a “branch of the Christian Church”. In other words, and to be more specific, the Baptist Church considers itself to be a “branch” of the “Christian Church,” or the church of the Bible. No true denomination considers itself to be the church of the Bible, only to be one division or part of the true church. However…

Denominationalism is unscriptural in origin. Jesus promised to build only one church. He said in Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus promised to build His church upon the bedrock truth Peter had just confessed, that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” vs. 16. The Bible teaches there is only one church. Colossians 1:18 speaks of Jesus saying, “And he is the head of the body, the church…” (See also Ephesians 1:22-23) The body = The church. Ephesians 4:4 says, “There is one body”. Therefore “one body = one church”. The Bible, which was written long before any denomination came into existence, only speaks of THE church and does not mention nor give approval for denominationalism.

Denominationalism is unscriptural in authority. The Lord Jesus Christ did not die for any denomination. He did not build any denomination. The Bible gives no authority for the existence of any denomination. In fact, to build a denomination requires the Bible plus the doctrines of men. To stand upon the Bible and only the Bible would be the end of denominationalism. For a denomination to exist requires the Bible plus such things as the decisions of counsels, synods, conventions, claimed ongoing revelation, and on and on the list goes. In the first century there were no “hyphenated Christians” there were only Christians (cf. Acts 11:26, 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The reason was because they stood upon the Word of God and not the doctrines of man. Today if we take our stand upon the only Word of God in worship and doctrine, just as they did in the first century, we can be what they were, Christians only and the only Christians.

Unity is found in the one church, not denominations. In the first century Christians “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). The result, UNITY! Their unity is described as they “were together” (Acts 2:44) and “with one accord” (Acts 2:46). The Lord expects there to be unity in His church and it was achieved from the very beginning. Years later, Paul would write to the church of Christ at Corinth addressing the division of the Lord’s church there and admonish them “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10. The context of this passage is the Lord’s church (cf. 1:2) not denominations. The point we learn from this passage is that division within the Lord’s church is condemned. That being the case, how can denominationalism, which has no part with the Lord or His church, with all its division, be pleasing to Him? It is not.

-Jerry D. Sturgill

God is our Father (Eph. 4:6). As His children we are to grow to be more like Him, as Paul wrote, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children” (Eph. 5:1). Jesus has shown us how to be like our Father: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (Jn. 1:18). Jesus said to Philip, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).

            My children are of the age where they are learning to write letters and numbers. My refrigerator has many of their papers on it with the example of how to write these characters at the top and their scribbles underneath it as they attempt to copy the example above. First Peter 2:21 says Jesus left us an example that we should follow his steps; in this verse “example” is from a Greek word upogrammos­—literally “write under” used to refer to the pattern or the writing copy much like those at the top of my children’s worksheets. In the context of 1 Peter 2:21, Jesus set an example of suffering patiently for God. I do not like suffering. I do not know very many who do. However, the more I follow the perfect pattern of Jesus the closer my life can be conformed to his, and the letters I am writing every day of my life will look more like the writing copy of the Lord Jesus Christ who is placed above me as my example.

            Paul tried to conform His life to Jesus and by example encouraged others to as well. To the Corinthians, he wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Indeed, Paul no longer lived his own life, but endeavored to live as Christ (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21). Paul was sending Timothy, his son in the Gospel, to the Corinthians to remind them of his ways which were in Christ which he taught everywhere in every congregation of the Lord’s church (1 Cor. 4:17).

            Paul further encouraged Timothy to be an example to others of the life Christ would have us to live. When he left Timothy in Ephesus he wrote to him this charge: “…be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). Our example “in word” means the language we use should distinguish us from the world as children of God (cf. Eph. 4:29, 31). Our conversation, i.e. our conduct, must be fitting of one who is a member of the family of God; Timothy was earlier taught in the epistle how he should behave himself in the household of God (1 Tim. 3:15). Charity, i.e. love, is the motivation for a life that reflects our Father; God is love, and those who are His children are loved and love others as He loves (1 Jn. 4:7-21). The spirit, i.e. character, of a Christian ought to involve power to overcome, love toward others, and a disciplined mind (2 Tim. 1:7). The child of God should exhibit faith—fidelity toward God and His truth. And finally, a Christian must have purity of life. To show self-control in all realms including sexual purity was a critical matter for Timothy and is for all Christians, especially the young (cf. 1 Tim. 5:2).

             Our conduct shows who our father is, whether it is the devil or God (Jn. 8:42-44). Are you living in such a way that others know your Father is in heaven and glorify Him because of your conduct (Mt. 5:16)?

-Mark Day

Nehemiah was a great leader of God’s people who coordinated the effort of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. There were enemies of God’s people who did not want to see the wall built. They tried to distract Nehemiah and strike fear into the hearts of those working with him. Sandballat and his cohorts gathered to fight against Jerusalem while the walls were being built (Nehemiah 4:7-8). Nehemiah’s servants used one hand to build and in their other hand they held a weapon to defend (Nehemiah 4:17). Nehemiah encouraged his followers to keep up the work and the fight, saying, “our God shall fight for us” (Nehemiah 4:20).

To the church at Ephesus Paul related that both Jews and Gentiles are one body, the church, the temple of God built upon Jesus, the foundation stone (Ephesians 2:16-22). Yet, while he was mending breaches in the church between Jews and Gentiles, he also had to warn against the attacks of Satan; in Ephesians 6:11, he wrote, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Followers of God in every age have had the double task of building and defending. However, we do not engage in these tasks alone. God builds and fights for us if we follow Him.

We are to build one another up, edifying each other in love (Ephesians 4:12-16). When you think of the word “edify” think of “edifice” — a building. Some things we can do to build up others are visiting widows and orphans in their affliction (James 1:27); teaching one another in singing (Colossians 3:16); and public reading of Scripture, with exhortation and teaching based on that Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13). Jude wrote of the need of Christians to be “building up yourselves on your most holy faith” (Jude 20).

But Jude also wrote of the need to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Just as Nehemiah and his followers not only had to build but also be on guard against attacks from the enemy, we must not only be engaged in building up others, but also defending the faith against enemies of the truth. Many people gravitate to only doing one or the other. Some give only positive words to others, but are too cowardly to engage in defending against false doctrine. Some are always hunting down false teachers, but rarely give attention to building up their brethren. We must do both.

Some ways to defend the faith are to study God’s word to know what it says (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11) and to note by name those who are teaching false doctrine and identify what the teaching is and its effect (2 Timothy 2:17-18; cf. Romans 16:17-18). Each congregation should be aware of specifically which false doctrines pose threats to them in their particular time and place (Revelation 2:14-15).

Just as Nehemiah assured his followers that God would fight for them (Nehemiah 4:20), so God has provided the means by which we can edify one another and defend the faith today. The Bible, the Word of God, is able to build us up. To the elders of Ephesus, Paul said, “I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up…” (Acts 20:32). The Bible, the Word of God, is also our defense against the attacks of Satan. Notice the explicit and implied references to God’s word in the description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:14-17. Will you put God’s word to use to build and defend?

-Mark Day