INTRODUCTION

1. The general perception of Christianity today is characterized by denominationalism.

   1. In general, a denomination is a one part of a whole that is set apart by a unique characteristic and designated by a specific name.

   2. This definition is applied to the perception of Christianity in that many people consider the universal church of Christ to be composed of many separate denominational groups.

   3. Most people who claim to be Christians traditionally have identified with a denomination.  Thus, denominationalism is viewed favorably, and some even give thanks to God for the many denominations.

2. However, the religion of Jesus Christ that is revealed in the New Testament is not denominational.

   1. Certainly, Jesus did not endorse denominationalism when He prayed for His disciples in John 17:20-21:

      ²⁰"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; ²¹that they may all be one; even 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 sent Me."

   2. Similarly, Paul did not support denominationalism when He wrote 1Corinthians 1:10-13:

      ¹⁰Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.  ¹¹For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.  ¹²Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."  ¹³Has Christ been divided?  Paul was not crucified for you, was he?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

   3. Presently, let us consider the concept of denominationalism in the Bible so that we may see it clearly from the Scriptural view as a pattern to avoid.

       

SECTS, FACTIONS, AND PARTIES: DENOMINATIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1. Consider a brief word study that reveals the biblical concept of denominations.

   1. The word "denomination" is not found in English translations of the Bible, but the similarly defined word "sect" is.

      1. A sect is defined as a body of men choosing to follow their own tenets.

      2. The word "sect" is translated from the Greek word hairesis, which is also translated as "factions" (1Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20) and "heresies" (2Pet. 2:1) in the New Testament.  Obviously, factions and heresies are to be avoided, and so are sects and denominations.

   2. Another related term from the New Testament is the word "party."

      1. A party is one of the constituent parts of a whole.

      2. The Greek word (meros) that is translated as "party" is used in reference to the church twice in the New Testament, and in both cases it depicts individual Christians as the parts of the church rather than denominations. Consider these:

         1. 1Corinthians 12:27 -- Now you are Christ's body, and individually(meros) members of it.

         2. Ephesians 4:16 -- ...from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part (meros), causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

2. In the New Testament, three groups are called sects.

   1. The two groups that are most often described as sects are the Pharisees and Sadducees (Acts 5:17; 15:26:5; 28:22).

      1. These two groups were denominations of the Jews.  Each of them was a part of the whole separated by unique characteristics and designated by a specific name.

      2. The Pharisees were a sect that believed in oral traditions as a standard of belief.  They strictly emphasized outward observance of external rites, ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, and alms giving (Matt. 23:13-33; Acts 26:5).  Their denominational name of "Pharisees" meant "separated ones."

      3. The Sadducees were a sect that denied that the oral traditions and accepted only the written Law of Moses as the divine authority.  They denied the resurrection of the body, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of spirits and angels (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:8).  Their denominational name of "Sadducees" meant "righteous ones."

   2. The third group that is called a sect is the church of God (Acts 24:5, 14; 28:22).

      1. While making accusations against Paul, the Jewish attorney Tertullus described the followers of Christ collectively as "the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5).  When Paul replied, he did not accept this terminology or this concept for the church, saying merely that he served "according to the Way which they call a sect" (Acts 24:14).

      2. The Jews in Rome also described the church as a sect (Acts 28:22), but their description does not constitute a divine endorsement of the denominational concept for the church.

   3. Therefore, let us consider the Pharisees and the Sadducees as models of denominationalism.  What did the Lord teach about them?

       

PHARISEES AND SADDUCESS: TWO TYPES OF DENOMINATIONS

1. The Pharisees represent those denominations that add to the word of God.

   1. The Pharisees violated the general principle concerning the word of God, which Moses stated as, "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you" (Deut. 4:2).

   2. Jesus exposed the Pharisees' error in Matthew 15:1-9.

      1. When the Pharisees asked why His disciples broke their traditions, He asked them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"

      2. Furthermore, He said to them, "And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition."

      3. At last, Jesus defined this brand of denominationalism when He said, "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.  But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'"

   3. This is the traditional type of denominationalism that adds traditions, creed books, man-made confessions of faith, and unscriptural organizations to God's word and invalidates much of the Scriptures. Truly, Jesus has said, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20).

2. The Sadducees represent those denominations that take away from the word of God.

   1. The Sadducees neglected much of the Old Testament, including the Prophets and the books of wisdom and poetry.  Like the Pharisees, they also violated the principle of Deuteronomy 4:2.

   2. Concerning the diluted doctrine of the Sadducees on the resurrection, Jesus said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:29).  So it was for the Sadducees in all of the Scripture that they neglected.

   3. This type of denominationalism omits much of the truth of Scripture from their preaching and practices.  These are the so-called community churches that often call themselves non-denominational because they stand for very little and permit nearly anything.

3. Jesus warned about denominationalism when He taught against the Pharisees and Sadducees.

   1. When Jesus said, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees," His disciples came to understand that He was telling them to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16:6-12).

   2. The teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were very different from one another, but Jesus lumped them into one category.  Both of them represented denominational division, which Jesus directed His disciples to reject.

   3. The Lord's message is simple: don't be like the Pharisees, who added to God's word, or the Sadducees, who subtracted from God's word. Instead, simply follow God's word without addition or subtraction.  That is true non-denominational Christianity.

       

CONCLUSION

1. While many follow the teachings of men into denominationalism, let us follow the teachings of Jesus Christ so that we may be simply His church -- nothing more, and nothing less.

2. May the church of Christ, which may be rightly designated as the church of God, the Lord's church, or any other Scriptural description, never be corrupted by the error of denominationalism.