Denominationalism

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Denominationalism
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Introduction

• What is denominationalism?
• What produces denominations?
• Why did denominations arise?
• Examine Undenominational Christianity.
• Patterns of Apostasy

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Denominationalism Defined

• Webster
• The name of a class of things a class or kind
  (especially of units) having a specific name or
  value.
• A religious organization uniting local
  congregations in a single legal and
  administrative body

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Denominationalism Defined

• Concise Dictionary of Christianity in America
• An association or fellowship of congregations
  within a religion that have the same beliefs or
  creed, engage in similar practices and cooperate
  with each other to develop and maintain shared
  enterprises.
• Similar religious groups like the many Baptist
  bodies in the U.S. constitute a denominational
  family.

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Denominationalism Defined

• Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
• Denominations are associations of congregations
  though sometimes it might be said that
  congregations are localized subdivisions of
  denominations that have a common heritage.
• Moreover, a true denomination does not claim to
  be the only legitimate expression of the church.

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What Produces Denominations?

• Creeds produce denominations!
• Webster
• a brief statement of religious belief
  confession of faith a specific statement of this
  kind accepted as authoritative by a church
• Funk Wagnalls
• a formal statement of religious belief or
  doctrine. Any organized system or statement of
  beliefs, principles, etc.

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What Produces Denominations?

• It is important to realize that there is a
  distinction between a personal creed and an
  organizational one. I can hold to a personal
  belief, but creeds are statements of belief that
  one must follow in order to have fellowship with
  that particular denomination.

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What Produces Denominations?

• Some examples of creeds
• The Apostles Creed The Nicene Creed
• Philadelphia Confession of Faith
• Standard Manual of Baptist Churches
• Church Manual of The First Church of Christ,
  Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts 1911

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What Produces Denominations?

• Discipline of the Free Methodist Church
• Let none be received into full connection unless
  they give evidence of a renewed heart, by living
  up to the requirements of the General Rules, (6)
  Do you subscribe to our articles of religion, our
  General Rules, and our Discipline, and are you
  willing to be governed by the same?

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Why Did Denominations Arise?

• John 1720-21
• I do not ask for these only, but also for those
  who will believe in me through their word, that
  they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in
  me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so
  that the world may believe that you have sent
  me.
• Satans master strategy is to continuous
  widespread fragmentation of the church.

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Why Did Denominations Arise?

• Because Humans Could Not Give Up Carnal Ways
• 1 Corinthians 31-4
• But, I brothers, could not address you as
  spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as
  infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not
  solid food, for you were not ready for it. And
  even now you are not yet ready, for you are still
  of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and
  strife among you, are you not of the flesh and
  behaving only in a human way? For when one says,
  I follow Paul, and another, I follow Apollos,
  are you not being merely human?

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Why Did Denominations Arise?

• Fulfillment of the Lords Prophecy
• 2 Timothy 31-5
• But understand this, that in the last days there
  will come times of difficulty. For people will
  be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud,
  arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
  ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable,
  slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not
  loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with
  conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
  God, having the appearance of godliness, but
  denying its power. Avoid such people.

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Why Did Denominations Arise?

• Fulfillment of the Lords Prophecy
• Acts 2028-30
• Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all
  the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you
  overseers, to care for the church of God, which
  he obtained with his own blood. I know that
  after my departure fierce wolves will come in
  among you, not sparing the flock and from among
  your own selves will arise men speaking twisted
  things, to draw away the disciples after them.

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Why Did Denominations Arise?

• Fulfillment of the Lords Prophecy
• 2 Timothy 41-4
• I charge you in the presence of God and of
  Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the
  dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom
  preach the word be ready in season and out of
  season reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with
  complete patience and teaching. For the time is
  coming when people will not endure sound
  teaching, but having itching ears they will
  accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their
  own passions, and will turn away from listening
  to the truth and wander off into myths.

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Why Did Denominations Arise?

• Fulfillment of the Lords Prophecy
• 1 Timothy 41-3
• Now the Spirit expressly says that in later
  times some will depart from the faith by devoting
  themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of
  demons, through the insincerity of liars whose
  consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and
  require abstinence from foods that God created to
  be received with thanksgiving by those who
  believe and know the truth.

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Undenominational Christianity

• When one turns to the Scripture without any
  preconceived ideas, a clear image of
  undenominational Christianity begins to emerge.
• Gods eternal purpose was to establish his church
  Ephesians 310-11
• The blood of Christ purchased the church that was
  established on the day of Pentecost Acts 2

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Undenominational Christianity

• Membership into this church is mandated through
  divine Scripture, not creeds
• Hear God Romans 1017
• Believe in Christ John 824
• Repent of Sins Acts 319
• Confess Jesus as the Son of God Acts 837
• Water Immersion for the representative death of
  self and washing away of sins Mark 1616 Acts
  2216

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Undenominational Christianity

• The saved are shown to be added to this church or
  body
• Acts 247
• And the Lord added to their number day by day
  those who were being saved.
• 1 Corinthians 1213
• For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one
  body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all
  were made to drink of one Spirit.

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Undenominational Christianity

• The Bible tells us that there is one body in
  Ephesians 44, and we are to attain and maintain
  that unity.
• There is no mention of even one denomination
  found in the N.T.
• We must of necessity reject the use of
  unauthorized designations so typical of
  denominationalism.

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Undenominational Christianity

• As a body, the saved wear only authorized
  designations
• church of God 1 Corinthians 12
• church of the firstborn Hebrews 1223
• churches of Christ Romans 1616
• body of Christ Colossians 124
• bride of Christ Revelation 212
• house of God 1 Timothy 315

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Undenominational Christianity

• Individually, the saved wear only authorized
  designations and reject names of human origin
• Christians Acts 1126
• Saints Romans 17
• Children/Sons of God Galatians 326
• Disciples John 168
• Brethren Galatians 61

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The Pattern of Apostasy

• Historically speaking, gospel preachers and local
  churches have viewed denominations as counterfeit
  churches spawned in the minds of men.
• There are four stages of progression from
  unquestioned faithfulness to complete apostasy

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The Pattern of Apostasy

• Spoken Understanding
• The Bible is taught
• A distinctive message is emphasized.
• People know the word of God, can recite it and
  are committed to keeping it
• Unspoken Understanding
• The distinctive message is believed but ceases to
  be taught.
• General themes are given great emphasis.

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The Pattern of Apostasy

• People dont want to preach a plain message or
  mention names for fear of offending.
• There is the desire for acceptability and
  credibility with other religious groups.
• Unspoken Misunderstanding
• A new, untaught generation arises.
• The silence of the previous generation has been
  mistaken as indifference and license to do their
  own thing.

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The Pattern of Apostasy

• Things once understood are no longer understood.
• In some cases people know what they are supposed
  to believe and tradition is accepted, but they
  dont know why.
• They may say something like, We may be
  Christians only, but were not the only
  Christians. And then the door is open for.

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The Pattern of Apostasy

• Spoken Misunderstanding
• Here is where we reap the consequences of our
  failures to teach and preach a distinctive
  message.
• People among us, openly declaring their
  conviction that the church of Christ is just
  another denomination, one among many.
• Where would you say we are in this continuum?

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Conclusion

• The Way of Jesus Christ is a doctrine of
  distinction.
• It is a doctrine of separation from the world
  unto the holy ways of God.
• God calls us to be different, and different we
  must be!
• Denominationalism is religiously wrong!