What Makes A Church A Denomination?
Part 3
One brother pushes for changing the sign from something
biblical (“church of Christ”) to something else (no more expedient than the other sign). He argues that to object to
changing the sign is a “denominational marker”.
But, if the sign was scriptural and right to start with, if brethren see
no need to change the sign, why would he be divisive about it? He perceives
that it is important to change the sign because he perceives that the name on
the sign has become an obstacle to outsiders.
On the one hand he argues that those who do not change the sign are in a
denomination. If this is so, he needs to
be honest and tell everyone in a church of Christ to LEAVE the
denomination. Changing the sign does not
make a denomination become a scriptural church.
If the Baptist Church changed the name to “the church at _______” has it
now ceased to be a denomination? Masking
the exterior name on the sign becomes deception. We don't need to use deception to get people in. It is still a denomination that teaches the
distinguishing doctrines that formed the Baptist denominations.
If our brother wants to charge “churches of
Christ” with being a denomination, he needs to address the doctrines or
teachings that distinguish modern churches of Christ from the first century
churches of Christ. This is hard to do
on an issue of expediency. The early
churches of Christ did not have an expedient option of a building, and if they
had a building, it was not expedient to put a sign up to advertise the nature
of the group that met there. That is
still the case in some places like China.
It is more expedient to meet in secret and never put up a sign to advertise
your meeting and the nature of the group.
But, in a free society, we find it expedient to advertise the nature of
the group that meets in this building.
This may not always be the case, but so far it has been helpful.
“Church of Christ” is a good and expedient
description. It does not denominate us
FROM Christ and His church. It does not
denominate us from the nature of the early churches. We are not only advertising what we are, but
what the early churches were. If the
time comes when it is expedient to meet in secret again because of similar
circumstances of persecution, then we will still be churches of Christ, but
will opt to not have a sign. The sign
does not make us any less the undenominational church belonging to Christ. Changing
the sign does not make us change from being a denomination to now being
non-denominational.
We need a better definition than our brother gave in Part 2
of this series. A better definition of
what constitutes a denomination is as stated in the following quote:
As far as I know, there is no denomination using the name "Church
of Christ." A typical definition for a denomination is: "A group of
religious congregations united under a common faith and name and organized
under a single administrative and legal hierarchy." While churches of
Christ are united under a common faith, that which is found exclusively in the
Bible, and many, but not all, use a common name based upon Romans 16:16, there
is no single administrative and legal hierarchy here on earth. The only head
recognized by Christians is Christ Jesus (Matthew 28:18). http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2007/04-13c.htm
Now, this is what makes a denomination. A church is not a
denomination just because someone imagines that it is, nor that someone with an
ax to grind SAYS it is. It is not a
denomination because it shares common faith with other like churches (that
would make the early churches a denomination). It is a denomination if it
divides itself from the original order in how it describes itself AND in the
doctrines and practices that separate it from the original order. It can do this by organizing into a group
larger than the local church but smaller than the universal church. The Southern Baptist association is an
example of an organization of churches into an order larger than a local church
but smaller than the universal church.
Thus, a division that is away from the New Testament pattern.
A local church can
become a denomination by dividing away from a legitimate, scriptural local
church in order to press some unscriptural practice such as making the Lord’s
Supper into a common meal and making a distinguishing law that they must meet
in personal houses instead of in buildings purchased by the group. A church is not denominational because they
happen to meet in a home with no sign out front, but by divisive,
distinguishing doctrines of men.
All denominations are actually “sects”. The Oxford
Dictionary defines the word “sect’ as “Body of persons agreed upon religious
doctrines, usu. different from those of an established or orthodox Church from
which they have separated, and usu. having distinctive common worship,
non-conformist or other Church as described by opponents, party of faction in a
religious body, religious denomination. . . followers of a particular
philosophy or school of thought” The Greek equivalent to “denomination” is
“HAIRESIS”, it is translated in our English Bibles as either “sect” or
“heresy”. It means “An opinion, then, a party” (Bullenger’s Lexicon) W.E. Vine
defines “HAIRESES” a division developed or brought about by an issue” The word
appears among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 and has a marginal definition
of “parties”. Today there are thousands of parties (or denominations) which
were begun by men at various times in history. http://www.churchofchrist.com.au/Tracts/Denom.htm
It is SINFUL and fleshly to start and continue to support a
heresy or sect or division. If one is in
a denomination, they must destroy it or get out. There is no scriptural authority to be in one
and to support one. The only way to avoid being in one is to obey the will of
God. That will mean proving what is acceptable to the Lord (Rom.12:2-3; Eph.5:11; 1 Thess.5:21). If the organization is acceptable to the Lord
and you can prove it, then it is to that extent the will of God and
undenominational. If it is local only in
order and organization and the local order is within the will of God, then it
is not a denomination. If the assembly
is conducted within the will of God, then it is not a denomination. If the teaching advanced and supported is
provable by handling aright the word of truth, then it is not a
denomination. If what the local group
calls itself is within the will of God, then it is not a denomination.
When all of the above is proven by the will of God, then the
local church should object to someone trying to characterize them as a
denomination. When preachers start doing
this, it is time to test what he says and object when he is wrong. I know that I have never been part of a “church
of Christ denomination”. I don’t intend
to start being a part of one. But, neither am I going to sit quietly and say
nothing when some preacher wants to make the charge that unless we are willing
to change a scriptural designation on the sign that it MAKES a church a
denomination, I will object to this unfounded charge. There are several
preachers pressing for such a change of sign, but that can be making a divisive
issue where it does not need to be pressed.
Divisive brethren need to be marked and avoided (Rom.16:16-17). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
Let Jesus have “all authority” and be “preeminent” and do all in His name.
Prove what is acceptable to the Lord and then act accordingly. You will not be
in a denomination, but you will be working with brethren of like precious
faith. That is part of truly living for
Christ. If you are in a local church of Christ that makes doing the will of God their mission and priority, and the groups is acting by the authority of scriptures, then don't let someone get away with calling you a denomination just because you don't see a need to change the sign and they want to be divisive about it. Put the responsibility on them to prove that it is necessary to do the will of God to do what they say we must do. –Terry W. Benton
