Denominationalism of God ... or ... of Man: Volume One

By John F. Lugger

Denominationalism can be defined as religious division caused by false teaching, so the case could be made that its origin traces back to the beginning of creation, with the account of Cain and Abel. Abel followed correct doctrine with his sacrifice, as God ‘respected’ it, whereas Cain chose to alter whatever instructions God had issued on the subject, choosing instead a different doctrine or ‘denomination', and offering a sacrifice which God did not ‘respect’, one in which God had not ordained. (Genesis 4:3-5)

Most denominations today attempt to follow some things taught or practiced by Jesus and His apostles. But these have been added to or modified to fit human ideas. We see this practice exhibited, even in the Old Testament. Israel “feared the Lord” (seemingly giving God some worship), yet they also served other gods, according to the nations around them (2 Kings 17:32-33). Mixing truth with non-truth makes discernment of God’s desired worship much more difficult, and “worshipping in vain” much more of a danger. (Matthew 15:9).

The author explores denominationalism in this series, examining a number of the more popular main-line denominations to simply compare each with the Scriptures and to Christ’s church, as He established in the first century - in areas of Origin, Organization, Authority, Belief, Doctrine, and Worship Protocol. It is hoped that by doing so, some light will be shed on what appears to be a very gray area for many on this subject.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665577731

John F. Lugger

Having earned his B.S. degree from Ohio State University in Business Administration, John had just begun a career in that vocation when he met Charlene, whom he soon married in the Spring of '74. John, a life-long Lutheran and Charlene, a member of the Church of Christ had some decisions to make concerning their respective faiths. Encouraged by his wife and others, including his dear friend and minister at the Fishinger and Kenny Rds. Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio, Gene Carrell, John decided to let the Scriptures speak on the subject. One point seemed to trouble him the most - his baptism as an infant. Since all the examples he could find from the Scriptures described adult individuals who, after coming to belief, would repent, confess and agree / submit to baptism - infant baptism made no sense (how could he, as an infant make these decisions?) After several years of investigation and study of the Scriptures, John was convinced the Bible does indeed speak of a different kind of church than the one he grew up in - a church which began in the first century, a church established by Christ Himself. Following his obedience to the Gospel and being added to Christ's church (not by any individual, but by God Himself, according to the Scriptures, Acts 2:47), John developed a passion for writing and teaching, particularly on this subject of modern denominations as compared to the Scriptures and to this New Testament church of Christ. His denominational background has given him a unique perspective, in this instance, to author the first of five volumes on "Denominationalism - Of God ... or ... Of Man".

Book preview

© 2023 John F. Lugger. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  02/20/2023

ISBN: 978-1-6655-7772-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-7774-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-7773-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022922880

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 Denominationalism

Introduction

Origins of Denominationalism

Characteristics of Modern Denominations

Arguments Used to Defend Denominationalism

Denominationalism—A Tool of Satan?

Denominationalism—Not of God

Chapter 2 The Church of Christ

Introduction

The Establishment of the Church of Christ

Name of the Church

Universal and Local Churches of Christ

One Church

Unity of the Church

Unity of the Church – Why It’s Important

Unity in the Church – Among Brethren

Unity Between the Church and Christ

Organization of the Church

Mission of the Church

Terms of Admission to Membership in Christ’s Church

Authority of the Church—God’s Word, the Bible

Worship Activities of the Church

Apostasy of the Church of Christ

Conclusion

Chapter 3 The Roman Catholic Church

Introduction

Origin of the Roman Catholic Church

Organization of the Roman Catholic Church

The Authority of the Roman Catholic Church

Primary Beliefs and Doctrines

Catholic Worship (Mass)

Questions to Consider

Conclusion

Summary

Appendix: Defending the Inspiration of Scripture

The Claim of Inspiration

To What ‘Extent’ Is the Bible Inspired?

The Canon of the Scriptures

Evidence of the Bible’s Inspiration

Topical Index

Bibliography

References

INTRODUCTION

A few years ago, I was asked to give a talk in keeping with our congregation’s yearlong focus on evangelism. The title of my talk was To Seek and to Save the Lost, referencing Luke 19:10. In the context of this verse, Jesus extends salvation to Zacchaeus, a penitent tax collector, due to Zacchaeus’s willingness to convert (to stop cheating and even to make restitution to his fellow Jews), for which Jesus makes the broader statement: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

The first question I asked my audience was this: Who are the lost to whom Jesus refers, in the broader sense today? Are these folks only secularists, atheists, or otherwise unbelievers in God? What about believers in a higher authority who is not necessarily identified as the God of the Bible? What about true believers in God but not Jesus Christ as God’s Son? What about true believers in Jesus who are not obedient to the plan of salvation, as clearly laid out in Scripture? What about those who have obeyed that plan and are members of Christ’s body, yet have since chosen a lifestyle that essentially rejects their Lord?

The lines drawn, indicating who among us may be considered lost, are becoming harder to define today—or are they? Do we shy away from identifying these people at times, for fear of being accused of offending or judging? Who truly are the lost, and who truly are the saved, according to Scripture? If we cannot make this distinction, how, then, are we able to fulfill our Lord’s command to seek these people for the purpose of saving them? (Matthew 28:19–20)

The next question I asked my congregation was more to the point: Does God approve of denominations? Is one church or denomination as good as any other in understanding how to correctly serve and worship the God of heaven, according to Scripture? The purpose of this volume is not to insult or otherwise discredit sincere believers of one denomination or another but rather to appeal to Scripture for answers on this subject. Many, if not most, of those who worship in denominations today are sincere individuals who honestly believe their denomination is the true church established by Christ, as spoken of in the New Testament, or at least their denomination is one of several such churches. As such, they are convinced of their security in Christ and that their work and worship is pleasing to God. They further claim the inheritance that God has promised in the end to all His children.

I will make two basic assumptions as we enter this study. The first is that you honestly seek truth, wherever that truth may lead, and the second is that you recognize the Scriptures as the sole standard for authority, the inspired Word of God—or at least you are open to this claim. Truth is not relative to different situations, as is so often portrayed in today’s culture. Truth is objective and singular; there is only one truth. Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:6). Likewise, the Scriptures, as God’s truth, are not relative to culture—we’ll see that many denominations attempt to alter or reinterpret Scripture in such a way as to accommodate their cultural biases—but are indeed our authority, the benchmark by which to judge all of our activities pertaining to God and humans. Paul, speaking to Timothy, said, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

The importance of these two assumptions becomes obvious, as it is entirely possible that you may not seek a singular truth but instead seek justification for your current situation or beliefs by interpreting Scripture to fit your own belief. As the various denominations will be compared with regard to these Scriptures for validation or condemnation, any reservations concerning what the Scriptures actually say, as being authoritative, will undermine the conclusions drawn. In an attempt to add to the credibility of the Scriptures, should you have doubts in this area, an appendix has been added at the end of this volume, Defending the Inspiration of Scripture.

There will be four additional volumes in this series, and with regard to the evidence for the credibility of Scripture, each will include an appendix that, when added to this one, will help to build confidence in the accuracy and authority of God’s Word. Volume 2 will include an appendix titled The Translation of the Scriptures, which will address perceived translation issues from the original autographs. Volume 3 includes an appendix titled Transmission of the Scriptures, dealing with the preservation and transference of the Sacred Text over time. Volume 4 will include an appendix focusing on Alleged Bible Discrepancies and Contradictions. Finally, we’ll end the series with Volume 5, and one last appendix titled Christian Evidences, addressing yet another hindrance to the faith of many – evolutionary theory".

There are several reasons for all of this credibility building for the authority of Scripture, if you are not already convinced. One concerns the alarming rate at which young people are leaving religion and their faith by the time they leave home for college. In a recent article by Apologetics Press, Campus Renewal, out of Austin, Texas estimated that between 60% to 80% of Christian denominational students leaving for college also left their faith behind as well. The main reasons for this exodus were revealed in another study by respected pollster George Barna, involving over 25 surveys with 22,000 adults and over 2,000 teens. This study, titled ‘the Barna Study’, revealed those surveyed did not believe in the accuracy of the Bible for the following reasons: 24% said they were written by men; 18% said the Bible was not translated correctly; 15% said the Bible contradicts itself; 14% said science shows the world is old; 11% said the Bible contains errors; 7% said there’s so much suffering in the world; 4% said Christians do not live by the Bible; and 4% said evolution proves the Bible is wrong.

Another reason for building credibility, is that almost all denominations we’ll look at have adopted additional doctrine as their authority. This doctrine includes man-made books of instruction and worship guides, creeds, constitutions, additional canon or Scripture (e.g., the Apocrypha), and past council and clergy pronouncements. Several have appealed to Old Testament teachings, particularly in the area of worship examples, to justify their current formats, and many (as will be shown in future volumes) supersede the Scriptures with what is called the cultural argument, where it is alleged, for instance, that Paul was speaking to an audience in the first century, which does not apply in today’s culture (e.g., sanctioning women’s leadership roles in worship). All these issues will be addressed at the appropriate time throughout this and succeeding volumes.

Again, a respect for the truth and accuracy of Scripture is essential. Passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16–17 and Jude 1:3 make clear that we have all of God’s Word that we will ever need, while Colossians 2:13–14 and Matthew 17:5 insist the New Testament and Christ’s law is to be our guide today, not the Old Testament, the Old Covenant that God initially instituted with Israel.

As mentioned, this book is volume 1 of a five-part series. This volume begins with a study of denominationalism, followed by information on the church established by Christ, as described in Scripture, a nondenominational body called the church of Christ. The balance of this volume will be devoted to examining the Roman Catholic Church.

Two charts are introduced—Apostasy of the Church—Tree of Denominations, No. 1 and No. 2—which reveal the origin of the denominations found within all five volumes, formed as offshoots of Christ’s initial church, as established in the first century around AD 30 (Pentecost). The first to do so was the Roman Catholic Church, established in AD 607, with the first officially recognized pope, Boniface III. Although Catholicism states the apostle Peter was their first pope, this will be disputed in this book.

The first chart shows this departure as a slow change, caused from within Christ’s church, as the Scriptures predicted, with bishops taking control, first over other bishops or elders within individual congregations (the office of bishop and/or elder are one and the same, as will be discussed), and then over area congregations. This took place beginning shortly after the first century, between AD 110 and 200. A list of some of the Catholic doctrines and the dates they were initiated are on this first chart as well.

Later, in AD 1054, this church split into the Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman Catholic Churches. Though these two denominations held to some of Christ’s teachings, they changed many, including church organization; Christ’s plan of salvation; worship protocol, including observance of the Lord’s Supper; and perhaps one of the most egregious doctrines to usurp God’s Word, an unsanctioned assumption of authority within their clergy known as apostolic succession, whereby doctrines and pronouncements from the pope are taught and implemented as having equal authority to the Scriptures.

The second chart shows all further splits proceeding from the Roman Catholic denomination, save for the Orthodox Church, which remained constant following its single split in 1054. The first major block of splits occurred in the early 1500s, with the Protestant Reformation in Europe, beginning with the Lutheran, Calvinist/Presbyterian, and Anabaptist denominations, followed by a second series of splits occurring about the same time in Great Britain, beginning with the Anglican Church, later established in America as the Episcopal Church. This and the Orthodox Commune will be the first two denominations we look at in the next volume, as together with the Roman Catholic Church, the three share somewhat similar doctrine, one of the primary points being apostolic succession, making for a good study. The third denomination included in volume two will be The Lutheran Church, as the first of the reformed churches to split from Catholicism.

All other emerging denominations have encountered insurmountable differences in their doctrinal positions, for one reason or another, causing splits into more and more denominations, albeit the Orthodox Church, as mentioned above, split only once in 1054 from her sister communion, the Roman Catholic Church. Volumes 3 through 5 will explore these other denominations, many of which find their way to the United States. From the Anglican / Episcopal Church covered in Volume 2, we see the formation of the Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and the Holiness Churches. From the European branch, we see an initial split from Catholicism by Martin Luther to form the Lutheran Church, which in turn split into the Calvinist/Presbyterian and Anabaptist Churches, followed later by the Congregationalists and Baptists, with the Baptist Church spawning two other major denominations, the Adventist and Christian Churches. These are not all inclusive, but these are the denominations we’ll primarily focus on in the five volumes.

Interestingly, the church of our Lord, identified not as a denomination but as a descriptive adjective, the church of Christ, has remained, to this day, consistent in all aspects of doctrine and worship directives, according to Christ’s teachings, as recorded in the New Testament, since its inception in AD 30. Though some claim the Cain Ridge Revival of 1801 was the origin of the church of Christ, this is inaccurate. This movement, headed by Barton Stone and others, including Thomas and Alexander Campbell, was an attempt to throw off all denominational ties and return to the simple, uncomplicated teachings of Christ and His church, as described in the New Testament. It was a reawakening or restoration of an already existing church of Christ, resulting in much popularity and an increase in the number of the Lord’s church at that time.

Following is a brief summary of future volume content, less appendixes (which were discussed above).

Volume 2 in this series will continue with an examination of three denominations: Orthodox, Anglican / Episcopal, and Lutheran churches.

Volume 3 begins with a chapter devoted to the theology of a reformer who had and continues to have a significant influence on a great many denominations by the name of John Calvin – the study is entitled Calvinism. This will be followed with an examination of the Presbyterian, Anabaptist, Methodist, and what may surprise many, the Salvation Army.

Volume 4 will continue with a study of four additional main-line denominations – the Congregational, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, and Holiness churches.

Volume 5, to include four chapters – the first being a study on the Christian church, followed with a look at two additional groups, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons, which should be considered more world religions than denominations, since they did not split or separate from any previous denomination, as did all the others, but rather formed on their own by supposed divine revelation imparted to certain men in recent times. Due to their popularity in this country and abroad, however, including their aggressive evangelism techniques—most of us have been approached by one or both of these groups.

Volume 5 will also deal with movements, which include religious trends that don’t fall into a single denominational category but are nonetheless influential and, in some cases, competitive with denominations and the Lord’s church alike for one’s allegiance. These include the Megachurch, the Community Church, the House Church, the International Church of Christ (Crossroads, Boston/Portland), Evangelical, and Ecumenical Movements, along with the Gideons International and the Masonic Lodge, as two additional institutions worth evaluation.

The basic outline of each chapter within these five volumes will include an introductory overview of each denomination’s current prominence within the United States and around the world, followed by a look at the origin, organization, recognized authority, and primary beliefs and doctrines of each group. In most cases, we will look at a typical worship service, giving further insight into the public focus with each. Comparison to Scripture and to Christ’s church, as described in the New Testament, will be infused throughout these topics as the benchmark for truth. Final thoughts of each chapter will include questions to consider asking people of a particular denomination or for readers of a particular denomination to consider themselves.

The purpose of this and subsequent volumes is to shed some light on what many consider a gray area on the subject of who are the lost. Perhaps a better question is, who does God consider as lost, as is revealed in His Word?

By comparing the doctrines of these groups with Scripture, I hope readers will be in a better position to discuss truth with friends and neighbors. At the very least, perhaps it will be of benefit in discussions of the denominational beliefs others hold and likely defend.

If you are currently a member of a denomination, it is my prayer that you will look at this material with an open mind and open heart as you seek truth. I would urge you to study the Scriptures to verify the information in this book. Interestingly, many with whom I’ve had discussions concerning their own denominations were not aware of this material. They knew worship procedure and some basic beliefs, but missing was an in-depth knowledge of where they, as a denomination, came from, as well as many of the beliefs and doctrines to which their denomination adheres, particularly compared to the Scriptures.

To reiterate, not all denominations will be addressed in this five-volume series, but this study will attempt to educate you concerning some of the more popular groups and the doctrines they expound, as compared with the Bible.

CHAPTER 1

51313.png

DENOMINATIONALISM

Introduction

The dictionary defines denomination in the religious sense as a particular religious body, with a specific name, organization, etc. (Webster’s New World Dictionary 1991). A further definition is The tendency to separate into religious denominations; sectarianism (American Heritage Dictionary 2000). The very word means a named or designated division.

In today’s culture, these divisions or denominations with competing ideologies and doctrines are not only accepted but applauded as a healthy and natural spiritual phenomenon. Though freedom of choice certainly prevails, particularly here in the United States, it’s the Scriptures that define how and in what setting God wishes to be worshipped. The exclusivity of a single church under Christ’s doctrine is hard for many to accept in this modern age.

Division, as exhibited in denominationalism, is soundly condemned in Scripture. Jesus prayed that His disciples be one, as He and the Father are one (John 17:21). Paul made the same point to the church in Corinth, pleading that there be no divisions among them, and to all speak the same thing (1 Corinthians 1:10). In other words, they should all agree to points of doctrine. Paul also commanded the Ephesians to be unified in Spirit while striving for peace, stating, There is one body (Ephesians 4:3–4)—this one body then correlated to Christ’s church (Ephesians 1:22–23).

Though Christ’s church began as a single, unified body of believers, division slowly worked its way in (see Apostasy of the Church of Christ, chapter 2). This division resulted from false teaching, which was both predicted and condemned. Peter warned the Christians of his time that false prophets existed, just as they did among the people of the Old Testament. They would infiltrate their ranks while secretly introducing destructive heresies, even denying the Lord, to their detriment (2 Peter 2:1).

Though many embrace denominationalism and the numerous doctrines they espouse, these discordant doctrines have introduced an element of confusion to those seriously seeking truth. God however did not instruct us to divide in this manner, nor is He the author of confusion. (1 Corinthians 14:33). We can then see that denominationalism is out of touch with New Testament teaching and certainly not of God.

Religious division today can be classified as either a world religion, cult, or Christian denomination. Of the major religious groups around the globe, roughly 33 percent can be classified as Christian religions (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant), 21 percent as Islamic (Sunni, Shiite, and others), 14 percent as Hinduism, 6 percent as Buddhism, 6 percent as Chinese Traditional, 6 percent as nature religions, 0.2 percent as Judaism, and 13.8 percent nonreligious and other. Omitting the world religions, the mainline Christian denominations worldwide are 50 percent Catholic, 18 percent Pentecostal, 14 percent Orthodox, 5 percent Baptist, 3 percent Anglican, 3 percent Lutheran, 2.4 percent Presbyterian, 1.5 percent Adventist, 1.5 percent Methodist, 0.3 percent Anabaptist, 0.2 percent Congregational, and 0.5 percent other.

The Lord’s church, denoted as churches of Christ in chapter 2, is considered nondenominational and encompasses roughly 0.6 percent of the world total. Within the United States, the breakdown changes to 35 percent Catholic, 17 percent Baptist, 7 percent Pentecostal, 7 percent Methodist, 5 percent Lutheran, 2.5 percent Presbyterian, 2.5 percent Orthodox, 1.5 percent Anglican, 1.5 percent Congregational, 1 percent Adventist, 0.5 percent Anabaptist, and 17 percent other, with churches of Christ making up the remaining 2.5 percent.

Origins of Denominationalism

Denominationalism can be defined as religious division caused by false teaching, so the case could be made that its origin traces back to the beginning of creation, with the account of Cain and Abel. The record simply states that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. It goes on to state, And the Lord respected Abel and his offering; but He did not respect Cain and his offering (Genesis 4:3–5).

Though not much is known concerning these offerings, we do know Abel’s was acceptable, whereas Cain’s was not. It seems a safe assumption that both men would have been given some instruction as to which sacrifices God desired—how He wished to be worshipped. It appears Abel followed those instructions, and Cain did not. In the broadest sense, Cain chose a different doctrine, thinking it would still please God, when, in fact, it did not. The point is that humans (here, a single man) chose to worship God differently, falsely. Such a decision was a separate denomination from what God had ordained.

As we continue through the Old Testament, we see God’s people, Israel, being disobedient to God’s instructions on a number of occasions. We see this extensively in the book of Judges. The main issue concerned how God was to be worshipped, as the people turned to idols or other gods instead. God then punished them until they reached a point of hopelessness, where they cried out for mercy, repenting for their sins. God relented, and the cycle began anew. The worship of idols and other gods, in essence, is a worship of a separate and false religion or denomination. This competing system of worship was created by human intention and imagination.

Following Israel’s governance under the reign of Kings David and Solomon, perhaps the most peaceful and certainly most prosperous era in Israel’s history, they once again fell into apostasy, and Israel split into northern and southern kingdoms. Each had its own worship or denominational systems. In fact, Jeroboam started a new denomination that he had devised in his own heart and, in so doing, caused Israel to sin (1 Kings 12:33, 14:16).

Most denominations today attempt to follow some things taught or practiced by Jesus and His apostles. But these have been added to or modified to fit human ideas. We see this practice exhibited, even in the Old Testament.

So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. (2 Kings 17:32–33)

By mixing truth with half truths or outright falsehoods, it becomes much harder to distinguish God’s desired worship versus worshipping in vain (Matthew 15:9). It’s not known if the Israelites completely gave up on God’s law when they turned to idol worship or if they simply feared the Lord and gave some worship to Him as well. The latter was the more damaging position, in my opinion. Not only since our God is a jealous God and deserves nothing less than our total commitment, but the appearance of such hypocrisy, particularly to outsiders, is without excuse. Compare this with Jesus’s response to the complacency toward false teachings exhibited in the church of Laodicea, and you get a glimpse of how God feels about such things (Revelation 3:14–22).

During the time of Jesus in the first century, there were also Jewish groups, or sects, that held differing views or doctrines concerning the Old Law and the Scriptures, like denominational variances today. Among these groups were the Pharisees, Essenes, Ebionites, scribes, priests, Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots, Sicarii, and the Proselytes, to name a few. Of course, many of these were considered religious leaders and teachers of the law, which precluded the common people from joining, as compared to a denominational church today.

Perhaps as much political as religious, the most influential were the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, priests, and the Essenes. The Pharisees, the most popular and the group referred to most throughout the New Testament, were extremely accurate and detailed in all matters pertaining to the Law of Moses. Their weakness was their tendency to enforce the letter of the law while attempting to maneuver around the spirit of the law, in many cases undermining it entirely. The Pharisees would add a multiplicity of traditions when interpreting the Torah, particularly where its commandments seemed vague. They held these traditions in equal esteem to the law itself and forced them upon the people to observe as well.

Jesus called them out for two such detrimental traditions. The first was their incorrect view of the washing of hands, ignoring what truly defiles a man (what comes from the heart). The second was setting aside God’s commandment to honor one’s mother and father by having the people give the money that would otherwise help them to the temple treasury (Mark 7:1–23). In teaching from the Scriptures, the Pharisees were often insincere in following them. Jesus confirmed this when He warned the people to do as they say, not as they do (Matthew 23:1–4).

As for the scribes and priests, they were scholars as well as teachers of the law. The priests had the additional duty of offering sacrifices on behalf of the people. Both were considered professional or vocational positions, but they had much influence due to their knowledge and teaching abilities. The scribes held many of the same views as the Pharisees, while the priests simply rejected and hated Jesus. The priests questioned Jesus’s authority and were envious of His astonishing knowledge of the Scriptures (Matthew 21:23–27). Jesus condemned the scribes along with the Pharisees extensively, mainly for not allowing the people to see the truth by teaching their traditions (Matthew 23:13–26).

The Sadducees were another prominent group during Jesus’s day, probably best known for their rejection of anything supernatural, including angels or a resurrection. The best-known refutation of the resurrection can be found in Matthew 22:23–33, where Jesus quotes from Exodus 3:6 in His argument with the Sadducees, using the present tense, I Am the God of Abraham (indicating that Abraham and the others were still alive, thus proving an afterlife), not the past tense (i.e., I was the God of Abraham), although Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had passed away long before this time.

Finally, the Essenes, though perhaps less influential than some of these other groups, held strict adherence to the Torah and isolated themselves geographically near the Dead Sea, including the community of Qumran. They appeared around 100 BC and disappeared after the destruction of Jerusalem, around AD 70. Though not directly mentioned in Scripture, historical accounts do verify their existence, such as Josephus’s reference to them, according to Nelson’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Bible.

Following the first century, changes occurred in church organization, authority mandates, and overall doctrine, which ultimately resulted in the formation of the first modern-day denominational group, the Catholic Church.

As will be addressed in the next chapter, the Lord’s church was established around AD 30 on the day of Pentecost and has continued to this day. Shortly after John, the last apostle, died around AD 100, however, certain predictable changes (as foretold in scripture) took place. These changes started from within the Lord’s church itself and involved the gain in power of an individual bishop or elder, first within a single congregation (one elder becoming the chief elder, having authority over other elders), followed by an extension of that authority over several surrounding churches, and finally leading to a single bishop or pope being granted authority over the church universal.

The chart below illustrates this progression of events. The Catholic Church was not officially established, however, until around AD 606 with the recognition of their first pope at that time, although the Catholics claim to have roots back to the apostle Peter in the first century. In AD 1054, a split occurred between the eastern and western factions of the Catholic Church, establishing the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

51318.png

Corruption by the Catholic Church from New Testament teachings became evident, even to some of their own priests, who attempted to change it. Starting in the early 1500s in Europe, individuals, including a Catholic monk named Martin Luther (1483–1546) and others, including Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) and John Calvin (1509–1564), rebelled against the Catholic Church and started movements that resulted in the Lutheran, Reformed, Calvinist, and later Presbyterian crusades.

In 1525, Menno Simons further split from the Calvinist/Reformed movement to form the Anabaptist and Mennonite Church, with continued splitting in the early 1600s to form the Baptist and Congregational Churches. Around this same time in England, during the reign of King Henry VIII (1491–1547), the king broke away from the Roman Catholic Church (mainly for personal reasons), resulting in the formation of the Church of England, or Anglican Church.

These major denominations in Europe came to be represented in America. Once here, continual division took place over such things as national origin, language, and culture. The process has continued to this day, where denominations currently number in the thousands. The chart below, illustrating many of these splits, will be used throughout this book and the volumes to follow, to identify when and from where each arose.

51385.png

Interestingly, we can observe the effects of false teaching in action by studying closely the seven churches spoken of in the book of Revelation, a snapshot of the Lord’s first church bodies, as commented on by our Lord Himself.

• Ephesus: Turned away false teachers (2:2) but lost first love (2:4).

• Smyrna: Persecuted by the Synagogue of Satan (2:9) but remained faithful.

• Pergamum: Split—Some held to the doctrine of Balaam (2:14) and some the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (2:15) (compromise to false teaching); some did not (verse 17).

• Thyatira: Split—Some tolerated immorality and the deep things of Satan (false teachings) (2:20, 24); some did not (verse 24).

• Sardis: Split—Some were corrupted from the inside out (false teachings were corrupting from within), while some have not defiled their garments (3:1–5).

• Philadelphia: Turned away false teachers (those of the synagogue of Satan) (3:8–9).

• Laodicea: Indifferent to false teachings; wealth had blinded them to self-sufficiency and idleness (3:15, 17).

Notice the beginnings of discontentment, particularly within the churches of Pergamum, Thyatira, and Sardis, which had already split from within, while Ephesus and Laodicea exhibited attitude problems, which were almost predictable to be problematic down the road. Notice also, however, the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia as remaining faithful.

Though we don’t know what ultimately happened to these seven churches, we can clearly see the seeds of denominationalism being sown early within the majority, while a remnant remained faithful. Many count the churches of Christ as just another denomination, having formed as a result of the Cain Ridge Revival of 1801, but this simply is not true. The Lord’s church was established on Pentecost and has persisted to this day. The revival of 1801 was a reawakening of many in recognizing the one true church, and it added greatly to the numbers of the church at that time, but it was an addition, not an origination (which the above chart illustrates). (Refer to chapter 2, The Church of Christ, for a more detailed account of the origin of the Lord’s church.)

Characteristics of Modern Denominations

Denominations today, for the most part, attempt to follow some things taught or practiced by Jesus and His apostles but then see no problem with modifying those things by adding or deleting certain doctrine, according to human ideas. Following are a few examples:

• Baptism—spoken of and exhibited in Scripture as being immersion (the original Greek word baptizo translates to immerse) for the forgiveness of sins—has been changed both in form (sprinkling or pouring water is accepted) and substance, as obedience versus essential is taught, and for many, faith only is preached—no need to baptize at all.

• The Lord’s Supper— which Scripture affirms to be a memorial and symbolic, required to be observed every first day of the week (Sunday)—has been altered by many to infer the emblems are not symbolic but rather transform into the actual body and blood of our Lord. In addition, the observance, again as many see it, can be held on various days and at various times to suit people’s schedule.

• Elders/Deacons — Scripture clearly assigns males to these positions within the church (see 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 and 1 Timothy 2:1–4), yet modern denominations have, for the most part, used a cultural argument to justify ordination of women to fill these leadership roles (e.g., saying that Paul lived in an outdated culture). In addition, several of the denominations have elevated their clergy well beyond where the scriptures allow in leadership, claiming that apostolic succession, or the laying on of hands from the original apostles forward, has given them special gifts (e.g., power to forgive sin, evoke divine healing, represent Christ uniquely to the congregation), all without scriptural mandate.

• Fellowship—Scripture affirms this to be a privilege reserved for the saints only—has changed to be inclusive of many, if not all other denominations, in the name of unity, peace, love, progress, or some other positive-sounding term (ecumenical movement).

Denominations can also be classified as organizations larger than the New Testament local church (many local churches belong to a single denomination) but smaller than the New Testament universal church, for usually none claims to be the whole body of the saved. Other denominations are considered inclusive.

The entire concept of a denominational church is foreign to the New Testament. Consider the following argument from Cecil Willis (2014):

When men speak of a particular denomination, say the Baptist Church, they do not mean to imply that all the saved throughout the world are in the Baptist church. The word church here is used by them to embrace less than is embraced by the church universal. But everyone knows that the expression Baptist Church is intended to embrace more than a single congregation."

The denominational usage of the word church embraces too little to be the New Testament church universal, and too much to be the New Testament church local. But these are the only two New Testament usages, other than assembly. Hence, the concept of a denominational church is foreign to the New Testament, and therefore unscriptural.

Most names people give their churches today are not found in the New Testament. The name for both Christ’s church and His people (which, incidentally, is one and the same), however, are stipulated in Scripture. We are to be identified as Christ’s body, His church—Romans 16:16 uses the term churches of Christ—not a man-made structure or institution, as many perceive, such as the Lutheran or Catholic Church but a descriptor of Christ’s human institution and possession. In addition, Isaiah foretold that God, with His own mouth, would name His people (Isaiah 62:2), which was fulfilled in Acts 11:26, and that name was to be Christian (individually).

A common view among most denominations today is that it is not essential to salvation for one to join any denomination at all, as long as he or she respects, serves, and worships God. This is the idea that one church is as good as another, a view based on the belief that God accepts and approves of all denominations. This also goes along with the popular bumper sticker: Worship God in the church of your choice.

Arguments Used to Defend Denominationalism

As mentioned earlier, many members of a denomination are convinced that they are the church spoken of in Acts 2, or they hold the view they are among the denominations so designated. To justify this position, these people have raised a number of defenses. Following are a few of the more popular defenses, along with a refutation from Scripture, where Scripture is used as the defense:

• The vine and the branches (John 15). Some believe this teaches authority for diverse religious organizations.

Taken in context,