For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:11-13)

Denominationalism

A denominator is the bottom number in a fraction or the number below the horizontal bar of a fraction. A fraction represents a part of a whole. Denominationalism is the devotion to denominational principles or interests emphasizing differences to the point of being narrowly exclusive. A denomination is the act of denominating and, by its nature, is a process of division. One of the common terms used for different churches is the question of what denomination a person belongs to and adheres to. The word itself suggests it is a group that is part of a division.

Jesus prayed that His disciples be one and united so the world could know they were disciples of the Christ. When the world looks at the religious world of Protestantism, what they see is a fractured, divided, exclusive group of individual churches following different creeds, worship, beliefs, and names. There is no unity among the believers in Christ. Using the term denomination proves the division of those who say they follow Christ. Everything about denominationalism is contrary to what the Bible teaches.

After Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus promised to build His church. The emphasis of the text shows the singular nature of what Jesus would build rather than a plurality of churches as found in today’s religious market. Jesus told the disciples His kingdom was coming, but there would only be one kingdom. The church would be known as the flock of God, and there would be one Shepherd and one sheepfold.

Paul described the church as the bride of Christ. How many brides does Jesus have? There is only one bride. Jesus is the head of the body, the church. Can there be more than one body if Christ is the head? The church is called the household of God, where He is the Father. How many households does God possess? Finally, the church is called the Temple of God. Solomon built one Temple in Jerusalem, and Jesus built one Temple beginning in Jerusalem that would spread throughout the world. The church cannot be fractured and be the church of Christ.

Denominationalism is less than five hundred years old. The early church was not denominated as Paul declared to the saints in Ephesus that there was one church (Ephesians 4:4-6). In the first century, the Protestant denominations so common today did not exist. After the apostasy came, the Roman Catholic Church held the European world hostage in the Dark Ages, suppressing the word of God. In 1517, a Catholic monk named Martin Luther posted 95 theses or propositions of his opposition to the system of indulgences on the church door at Wittenberg, Germany. Luther came into conflict with the church for his criticism. Excommunicated by the Pope, Luther continued to challenge the papal authority. The term Protestant was first used by Lutheran princes who protested the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

From the reformation of Luther and other men, more denominations began to emerge from the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of England was established by Henry VIII in 1534. In Switzerland, the Presbyterian Church began in 1535. John Smyth was instrumental in forming the Baptist Church in London in 1607 and John Wesley the Methodist Church in 1729. The World Christian Encyclopedia, a comprehensive reference work, estimated over 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2020. That is a far cry from the one church in the New Testament.

Paul rebuked the church at Corinth for division. There was division in the local church brought about by carnal men seeking to please themselves. Some brethren gave allegiance to Paul, some to Apollos, others to Peter, and some to Christ. None of these men desired for the brethren to act so childishly, and Paul condemned them for it. Christ is not divided. He desires no division. The Lord declares denominating sinful and contrary to the will of the Father. God is not well pleased with anyone who belongs to a denomination because that is a church divided. His Son did not die for a divided church. There is only one church because there is only one body.