Denominations – Necessary Evil or Necessarily Evil? – Intro
Does anyone else see (or at least sense) the presence of an elephant in the room of Christianity? I can’t seriously be the only one that sees it! Sometimes I feel like I am the only one that has a problem with him being there (I know I’m not, but at times it does feel that way). If only my foot were big enough, I’d personally kick him out myself!
Philosophically, one of my greatest struggles to date as a church planter has been coming to grips with the issue of denominations. Should the church I lead join one? If so, which one is the best one and why? Are denominations helpful in any way or are they pure evil? The ultimate conclusion I’ve come to is that they are not pure evil. However, we will not join one because we believe they are ultimately against the clear teaching of Scripture. Still, this was and is not an easy decision to come to. The issues are many and complicated. This post is the intro to a series of at least 5 parts where I intend to outline the issues and what I believe to be the correct stance on the issue.
The clear teaching of Scripture, as always, is our ultimate authority and the best guide for decision making. While principals of unity in the body of Christ can be gleaned from just about every book of the New Testament, four passages in particular are important to make a correct judgment on denominations: John 17, 1 Corinthians 1, Ephesians 4 and Revelation 21. Separate posts will discuss each passage and I may also deal with others as it becomes necessary (or as I cannot resist the urge to do so). Once I have beaten this subject to death I will follow it up with a conclusion (of my posts…not that the conversation need end at that point). The conclusion will hopefully offer a brief summary of what I’ve learned and believe along with a few basic action steps that we can and should take in an effort towards unification.
My basic quest begins with the over-arching question: Can the catholic (universal) church truly be unified? Many other questions proceed from that question. Most of the questions stem from a standpoint of personal response. If I choose to not join a denomination, will I inevitably create another one? Is it possible for me to not join a denomination without doing my part to create further division? Is there a way to live as a Christian, not affiliated with a denomination while still seeking unity with those denominations that are already in existence?
I’m not sure I have the answers to those questions, but I know my starting point: What God has revealed to us in his Word. The issue is almost certainly beyond my ability to offer a viable solution, but my conviction is that we cannot ignore the elephant of disunity in the room. He has been sitting there for way too long. He’s a problem child who is a distraction to our task of multiplication, he’s eating up valuable resources and he’s got to go. Neither you nor I can push him out alone…but are we the body of Christ or aren’t we? Do we serve our Trinitarian God or don’t we?
March 17, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Hey, I think the elephant is even bigger than you think. Maybe the problem is not just with denominations but with ‘religion’ altogether. Seems to me that Jesus spent a lot of time speaking out against religion. The early churches were not churches as we have come to think of the but ‘ecclesia’ – gatherings of brothers and sisters. The hierarchy and religion came later.
Lake Bono said’ “Religion is what happens when the Spirit leaves the room.”
Good post. Good luck.
March 17, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Hey Christian, Thanks for this comment as well as another one you’ve left in the past. Undoubtedly the elephant is bigger than I think it is. Religion isn’t always bad. James says that pure and undefiled religion is possible when one cares for the needs of orphans and widows. Sadly, and in agreement with the point you are making, we have set up an impure religion focused on tradition more than we do our lives offered in worship to Jesus Christ. Clearly, the Spirit has left that building. Grace and Peace to you.
March 17, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Great quote from James. I think it may be the only time that ‘religion’ is mentioned in a positive way in the NT and his definition is quite precise.
Jesus tells us that we no longer we need altars, sacrifices, temples and priests; that the father may be reached directly through him. Is that what we have today?
March 20, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Yes and no. We do because Christ has already paved the way to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth (John 4), but sadly we insist on making our worship be about a place and a time. It’s not that either a place or a time is a bad thing. Most of us need the consistency those things provide. However, when the place and time becomes our definition of religion, then we have failed at a religion that is pure. It is interesting that Jesus does not condemn the ritual practices of the Pharisees (Matt 23), but instead he condemns them for not practicing what they teach. If their religious practice encompassed his commands to love God and love their neighbor, I think, based on the Gospel account, that Jesus would not have had a problem with their religious practice.
March 20, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Right. Religious practices, even those of the 1st century Jew, does not necessarily suggest a legalistic mindset. Talking to conservative Jewish friends of mine has helped me to understand that the rituals that they practice are in many ways a form of voluntary worship, not something that is first required of them for redemption. But their focus must remain on God and his will, not the observances themselves.