Sunday Sermons
Undenominational
Undenominational
“Most denominational members would be surprised to discover that their chosen religious affiliation is less than five hundred years of age. Many people assume that the church of which they are members is ancient in origin, that it was divinely ordained, and that it is, in fact, a part of the church revealed in the New Testament. It has never occurred to them that there were no denominations, such as we know them, in New Testament days, that denominationalism did not come into existence until hundreds of years after the first century, and that the current scene of denominational division and multiple churches is completely inconsistent with God’s original plan (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)” (Spiritual Sword, January 2001, p. 1).
The church revealed in the Scriptures was planned from eternity (Ephesians 3:10-11), was established by Jesus Christ and purchased with His blood (Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:38). It was established on the first Pentecost after the death of Jesus (Isaiah 2:2-3; Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 47). In this chapter we find that when people were baptized for the remission of their sins, they were saved and added by the Lord to the church at the same time (Acts 2:38,41,47; Colossians 1:12-14). It is important to note that every person obeyed the same gospel, were all baptized for the remission of sins, were added to the same body, and wore the same name (Acts 11:26). At the present time there are hundreds of religious denominations, all wearing different names, teaching different doctrines, practicing different forms of worship, proclaiming many different plans of salvation, and wearing different names in religion. “How could anyone conclude that the present religious climate is authorized by Scripture or that God is pleased by wholesale abandonment of His original plan?” (p. 1).
Jesus and Human Religious Parties
When Jesus came to this earth there were four principal divisions among the Jews: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians and the Essenes. Though each one of them advocated some truth Jesus did not identify Himself with any of them. Teaching some truth does not qualify a movement or religious body as an acceptable alternative to God’s original plan. In addition, Jesus opposed and severely rebuked groups that taught some truth (Matthew 16:6 “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”; 16:12). Jesus even further noted that God did not endorse such groups, therefore they would be uprooted and they were only composed of blind leaders who were leading blind followers (Matthew 15:13-14).
Jesus Prayed for Unity
John 17:20-21 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that 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”
Jesus prayed that all who believe in Me through hearing the message preached or recorded by the apostles would be one. Carefully note the type of “oneness” for which Jesus prayed. It was not a unity in diversity, that is, a unity in which people hold to contradictory doctrines and yet agree not to expose the error of the other. Rather, Jesus prayed for the type of “oneness” that exists between Himself and the Father. Jesus and the Father do not simply agree to disagree; rather they are like-minded in all things (John 10:30; 12:49-50). How does a unity that is based on the premise to agree to disagree arise above the standards of the world that Christians are told neither to love nor to conform? Notice that the standard on which this unity will be based is not human philosophy, such as “Let just agree to disagree”, but the teachings of the apostles on which Christians are expected to believe or else (1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14 “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame”); 2 Peter 3:2, 15-17).
1 Corinthians 1:10-13
“Now 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”
“Twentieth century Christians have been exposed to a divided Christianity so long that they not only accept it but also praise it. Some see virtues arising out of denominationalism (e.g., competition in evangelizing, a religious group fitted to every man, etc.). God does not appreciate rifts in Christianity any more today than He did in 58 A.D. The church must never forget that preserving and restoring the unity of the body of Christ is still a part of its divine mission” (Willis pp. 27-28).
“That ye all speak the same thing”: “To agree in what you profess” (TCNT). In contrast to what they were saying in 1:12. “No divisions among you”: That is, they were not allowed to split up into parties as was being done in verses 1:12. “Made complete in the same mind”: Have the same way of thinking, “unity of right understanding” (Lenski p. 40). “In the same judgment”: That which is the outcome of "mind" (frame of mind, state of mind), judgment, opinion, sentiment (Robertson pp. 72-73). “Being in the same realm of thought, they would judge questions from the same Christian stand-point, and formulate their judgment accordingly” (Vincent p. 188). Notice that this is a direct command from you to “all agree” and that divisions are unacceptable. Many people complain that such is impossible, yet when has God ever given His people an impossible command?
“Now 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’”
“I am of”: “I belong to” (RSV); “I am a follower of” (Gspd); “Paul certainly is my leader” (Ber); We must realize that Paul, Peter, and Apollos had nothing to do with this division. They all preached the same gospel (Galatians 1:9; 2:1-10; Acts 15:7-12). There existed no rift between any of them (1 Corinthians 16:12; 2 Peter 3:15-16 "our beloved brother Paul"). “The Corinthians had been used to witnessing itinerant philosophers come and go in their cities, who built up small bands of students who adopted and propagated their views. They had simply viewed the gospel as a new type of wisdom philosophy and the preachers as competitive philosophers” (Willis p. 31). Now, if God condemned religious sects based on the names of Apostles and other inspired men, like Apollos, how much more is He against religious parties being built around uninspired men? If the religious parties in the First Century, which were being built around the apostles, are condemned, how much more the formation of any party, sect, or division.
Martin Luther said, “In the first place, I pray you to leave my name alone, and not to call yourselves Lutherans but Christians. Who is Luther? My doctrine is not mine! I have not been crucified for any one. St. Paul….would not that any one should call themselves of Paul, nor of Peter, but of Christ. How then does it befit me, a miserable bag of dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of Christ. Cease, my dear friends, to cling to the party names and distinctions; away with them all; and let us call ourselves only Christians, after him from whom our doctrine comes” (M. Michelet, The Life of Martin Luther, p. 262).
“Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13)
“Was Paul crucified for you?” Tactfully Paul chooses to use his own name, and yet the same line of reasoning would apply to any name: Apollos, Peter, Luther, and so on.
“Call yourself a Paulite? Why, that would require that Paul was crucified for you! That would require that you were immersed into the name of Paul. Would anyone have been fool enough to believe or practice that?”. “If Christians remember who died for them, and to whom they belong, they will be slow to say that they belong to Paul” (Erdman p. 30). We call ourselves “Christians”(Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16), because Jesus Christ died for us and we were baptized into His name. In light of this verse and its clear teaching why would anyone name a Church after something or someone other than Christ? And why would anyone who professes to be a Christian call himself or herself after something or someone other than Christ? If the names “Paulite” or “Peterite” are condemned then how can anyone justify the current abundance of denominational designations? If God is not pleased even when people change something as simple as the name “Christian” then obviously God is not pleased with all the other changes that the denominations have made that are not found in the Bible (2 John 9).
Origins
The church that Jesus established (Matthew 16:18) came into existence on the day of Pentecost around 33 A.D. (Acts 2:47). All modern denominations are too late to in history to be this church. In addition, many denominations have less than noble beginnings: 1. The Catholic Church is the result of apostasy (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). 2. The Lutheran Church completely ignored the request of Martin Luther to not call themselves after him. 3. The Church of England or the Episcopal church originated because it’s founder, Henry the VIII wanted a divorce. 4. The Seventh Day Adventist movement began with two false predictions concerning the Second Coming (a violation of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3), advocated by William Miller. 5. Mormonism began with the claim that an angel had appeared to Joseph Smith with the everlasting gospel, which is a clear violation of Galatians 1:6-9.
Doctrine
A reading of the creed books or statements of faith of many Protestant denominations will reveal that a Christian cannot belong to them or endorse them: 1. Many teach a salvation by faith alone. Actually, the Bible teaches that one is not saved by faith alone (Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven”; John 12:42-43; James 2:24 “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone”). 2. Many reject the Biblical teaching that baptism is immersion (Romans 6:3-5), and is for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). 3. Many teach that man is born a sinner, totally depraved and unable to believe without miraculous assistance from the Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible clearly argues that children do not inherent the sins of their parents (Ezekiel 18:20), and that children are not born lost (1 Corinthians 14:20; Romans 7:9). In addition, we end up sinners, by not inheriting sin or depravity but because each person eventually does sin of their own choice (Romans 5:12). 4. Many teach that once a person is saved they can never lose such salvation, yet the Bible very clearly warns Christians to be faithful and that they cannot forfeit eternal life(Hebrews 10:26ff; Galatians 5:21; Acts 20:30; Galatians 5:1-4 “You have fallen from grace”). Question: Can one be a Christian and please God by just following the Bible? The answer should be an obvious yes! (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) In the First Century, men and women found favor with God, worshipped Him, served Him effectively and evangelized the world without the existence of any denominations, any denominational theology, structure, traditions, or practices. They believed the truth and interpreted the Scriptures correctly without any denominational creed books or statements of faith. If I can be a Christian without all this, then why do I need it?
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
