40,000

40,000 

“for yet ye are fleshly, for where [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk?   for when one may say, `I, indeed, am of Paul;' and another, `I -- of Apollos;' are ye not fleshly? Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave?”  (1 Cor.3:3-5)

​According to the Global Christian Database, which is maintained by the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; there are currently 40,000 Christian denominations and sub-denominations world-wide.  That is an astounding number!  It should also help to provide a numerical indicator of sorts as to how far Christianity has departed from the scriptures.  After all, denominational distinctions exist due to opposing doctrinal beliefs.

​In the Apostle Paul’s early ministry, he saw the beginnings of these denominations.  He heard among the believers in Corinth, that some were saying, “I am of Paul.” or “I am of Apollos.”.  Sounds familiar doesn’t it?  “I am a Pentecostal.”  “I am a Baptist.”

“And I call upon you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same thing ye may all say, and there may not be divisions among you, and ye may be perfected in the same mind, and in the same judgment,” (1 Cor. 1:10)

“For, even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] the Christ, for also in one Spirit we all to one body were baptized, whether Jews or Greeks, whether servants or freemen, and all into one Spirit were made to drink, for also the body is not one member, but many;” (1 Cor. 12:12-14)

“so we, the many, one body are in Christ, and members each one of one another.” (Rom. 12:5)

What was Paul’s opinion of these sects and divisions within the Body of Christ?   It is clear that he believed them to be a sign of carnality and being led by the flesh; rather than the spirit.  Keep in mind as well, that at least initially, people did not seem to have doctrinal differences but would only identify with either Paul or Apollos as to who helped establish them in Christ.  Since Apollos was a direct student of Paul and worked closely with him, it is extremely unlikely that there was any difference in their message of the gospel.

 “I wonder that ye are so quickly removed from Him who did call you in the grace of Christ to another good news; that is not another, except there be certain who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ; but even if we or a messenger out of heaven may proclaim good news to you different from what we did proclaim to you -- anathema let him be! as we have said before, and now say again, If any one to you may proclaim good news different from what ye did receive -- anathema let him be!”  (Gal. 1:6-9)

​So, where did the train jump the track?  It appears from scripture that deviation and division truly began in Galatia.  Paul had been teaching his gospel (Gal. 1:11-12; Rom. 16:25) (of pure grace and justification by faith which was revealed to him by The risen and glorified Lord) to the nations which was his commission.  However, in Galatia, Jewish believers came to the uncircumcision believers (believers in Paul’s gospel) attacking them for their liberty in Christ.  Some in Galatia began to fall under the curse of the law in observances, law-keeping, etc. which caused Paul to fear for them (Gal. 4:11) that they had believed feignedly.  

“for the flesh doth desire contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed one to another, that the things that ye may will -- these ye may not do; and if by the Spirit ye are led, ye are not under law. And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things the reign of God shall not inherit.” (Gal. 5:17-21)

So, how bad could it possibly be?  Look at the above list and notice what is nestled (I set in bold) in the midst of idolatry, adultery, murders, etc.  Sects.  Is a denomination, which is created due to divisions, dissensions, factions, etc. not something to be avoided?

Paul preached the total and complete sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross.  However, the nature of man is to attempt to have a hand in his salvation.  A.E. Knoch said the following in an issue of Unsearchable Riches magazine:

​“Some preach law outright, some regeneration, some the spirit’s work, some baptism, some repentance — but none of these are goodnews; indeed, there is no good news apart from Christ. 
Let it be our precious privilege to preach Christ crucified to those who know Him not; and to those who know Him, Christ glorified. Let Christ be first and Christ be last and Christ fill all between. Let us not look back and vaunt ourselves with, “I prayed, I repented, I was baptized, and I—,” but let us rather shout with the Apostle “no longer I, but CHRIST!” If I had a hand in my salvation it must needscontain a flaw, for I find failure fills everything I do. But if Christ alone deserves the crown, then all like Him is perfect and immutable.”

 “let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, `That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.'”(Rom. 3:4)

The Body of Christ is the only church (ecclesia) sanctioned by God.  All others are man-made.  You can virtually trace every denomination back to the following of a man rather than the Word of God.  We should avoid man-made creeds and doctrinal statements to instead, rely on the scriptures.  Now, however; the very reverse is the rule rather than the exception.

 “thou hast known this, that they did turn from me -- all those in Asia, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes;” (2 Tim. 1:15)

“for there shall be a season when the sound teaching they will not suffer, but according to their own desires to themselves they shall heap up teachers -- itching in the hearing,” (2 Tim. 4:3)

“let not any one deceive you in any manner, because -- if the falling away may not come first, and the man of sin be revealed -- the son of the destruction,” (2 Thess. 2:3)

Where does all this leave us?  I believe it leaves a small body of believers who adhere to the true gospel.  God chose these individuals before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4).  By the time Paul wrote his last letter, 2 Timothy, the apostasy (falling away) which he warned against was in full operation and now that apostasy is systematized.  “They have a form of righteousness, yet deny the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5) by promoting false doctrines such as “free will” which puts the responsibility of salvation on the sinner rather than the Savior.  They heap up around them teachers who tickle their ears.  The prosperity/name it; claim it “gospel” comes to mind.  They have “pastor search committees” who will hire a “leader” who will tell them what they want to hear and who will be asked to leave by the elders/deacons/board of the church if he begins to tell them what they don’t want to hear.

Finally, logic would tell us this:  Recognizing that by definition, denominations exist due to doctrinal differences of belief; obviously, allof these denominations cannot be right.  However, they can be allwrong.