HE WHO HAS BUT ONE OPINION IS FLYING WITH BUT ONE WING.

DO WE KNOW THAT DENOMINATIONS ARE FORBIDDEN IN THE BIBLE?

Lest this be perceived as Church bashing, we need to contemplate just what the Church is. The visible church and the true Church of Christ are not necessarily one and the same. In fact, Christ prophesied that at the end of our age, like Israel of old, the visible church would be far from God, "...having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (II Tim. 3:5). But the true Church is comprised of those who have been born again into the Kingdom of God, of those who are temples of the Living God, both individually and collectively. Consequently, to point out the problems that man has inserted into the visible church is not bashing the true Church. In fact, all bashing of the true Church would be meaningless, anyway; for the Bible declares that no weapon formed against His Chosen shall prevail.

THE STRANGLEHOLD OF DENOMINATIONAL LEADERS

Under the guise of perpetuating pure doctrine, charismatic men have established churches, associations, and denominations to maintain their influence over men and women. For the most part these men were very sincere in their beliefs, their activity being urged on by super egos, strong wills, and the conviction that God's Church just wouldn't survive unless they took charge. To better implement the rule of their mindset, these forceful individuals established church governments and set in positions of authority men and women devoted to themselves and their ideologies--and thus, denominations were born. All of this is not to say that the Church has no government, for it does. Its hierarchy is Christ (the Head of the Church), the Holy Spirit, and then those that He has placed in positions of leadership. But these denominationalists do not want to leave the church in such "shaky hands" as those chosen and ordained by the Lord. To perpetuate the nature and direction of the denominations, church schools (seminaries) have been established. One of the jobs of these schools is to insure that all perspective pastors and leaders are properly indoctrinated into the founder's ideologies; and that any dissenting voices are eased out the back door. In these denominational schools, for the most part, the great commission has been abandoned. In its place the aspiring pastors and leaders are taught how to protect the founding beliefs and how to raise money and enroll new members to ensure the denomination's survival.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DENOMINATIONS?

That these denominations (divisions) are forbidden by the Bible, one needs only to read the following Scriptures.

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom. 16:17-18).

Although the pure denominationalist (one who supports divisions in the Body of Christ) is convinced that his or her stance is correct, such a stance does not gel with the words of our Lord who prayed:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (Jn. 17:23).

Church, we have a choice. We can return to the unadulterated Word of God on an individual basis and find our place in the Body of Christ so that the world can see that the believers are one in Christ, and believe. Or we can continue to support the splintered, powerless denominations and continue to confuse and disgust the world. The choice is ours.