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Denominationalism Is Wrong

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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.

Photo by Ryoji Iwata

 

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

Do Not Harden Your Hearts

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            “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). We enter the world innocent and pure children (Matthew 19:13-15); however, through our choices we may become thoroughly corrupted. God destroyed the entire human population with the exception of Noah’s family because man had become hardened by sin and “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

Photo by Denys Nevozhai

            The people of Judah in Jeremiah’s day went into exile in Babylon. God gave them opportunity time and again to repent of their sins but they “made their faces harder than a rock” (Jeremiah 5:3); they were so unashamed they could no longer blush at sin (6:15); they “hardened their neck” (7:26) and were bent on “perpetual backsliding” (8:5). They had so hardened their hearts by sin that repentance became impossible for them as indicated by the question: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil” (13:23). Sin was indelibly etched on their hearts: “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart” (17:1). Since they rendered themselves incapable of repentance their only option was punishment from God. God told Jeremiah not to pray for them (7:16; 11:14; 14:11). Even if righteous individuals like Moses and Samuel stood among them and pleaded for them to God, His mind would not be changed; they were to be cast off (15:1). Yet, God promised that He would make a new covenant, different from the covenant Israel had transgressed (31:31-34).

            The Lord Jesus Christ fulfills this prophecy and is the mediator of a better covenant based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13). However, if a man despises this greater opportunity provided by Jesus and hardens his heart then sorer punishment awaits him (Hebrews 10:26-29). While it is possible for those who fall away to be pardoned if they repent (Acts 8:13-24), if one’s heart reaches such a hardened condition that it is incapable of experiencing godly sorrow then repentance becomes impossible (2 Corinthians 7:10). One’s conscience can become defiled (Titus 1:15), seared with a hot iron so that it is callused and past feeling (1 Timothy 4:2; Ephesians 4:18-19). Such a state is described in Hebrews 6:4-6:

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

These who were once Christians had grown so hardened and hostile to Christianity that they exhibited the same attitude as those who crucified Christ. They had reached the point where repentance was impossible. Let us not head down that road. Beware, brethren, and “harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:8, 15).

-Mark Day