First, what even is a denomination? I would say that a denomination is any body of believers of the biblical Jesus who are in agreement with essential doctrines of Christianity. Mormonism, for instance, is not included in what we call Christian denominations, simply because they do not agree with the essential doctrines of historical Christianity. Historically speaking, modern denominations came from the division of Protestantism and Catholicism. Roger Olson writes,
The Protestant reformation revolutionized Western Christianity. From 1520 on, no single church has existed to unify Western society, and in that sense Christendom died. The medieval synthesis of the one church headquartered in Rome ceased to exist. The era of denominationalism was ushered in against Luther’s own wishes. He had no intention of dividing Christendom. His own theology did not advocate splitting the church up into warring or mutually ignoring factions. It happened nevertheless. Gradually, over the decades and centuries, Western Christianity splintered as Protestantism took on ever new forms.[2]
One can see that there is a separation from Catholicism and that Luther never intended to ignite a storm. This is what appears to have happened however, as we can look back through history and see the aftermaths from the explosion of separating from Rome.
In its first generation, Protestant Christian theology existed in four distinct branches. All four still exist, but even they have divided within themselves. The four were and are Lutheran (or, Evangelische in German), Reformed (“the Swiss” to Luther), Anabaptist (considered the major part of the Radical Reformation), and Anglican (the Church of England). Each had its own distinct emphases that differed from the others, while all shared the three main Protestant principles [i. e. sola gratia et fides(salvation by grace through faith alone), sola scriptura (Scripture above all other authorities for Christian faith and practice) and the priesthood of all believers].[3]
This is interesting because it reveals the modern historical nature of denominations, and in a sense, helps us understand why we are where we are today denominationally speaking.
What if, however, we were to go back further in history. Perhaps we could look at what the Bible describes in the book of Acts? Just like Paul gets a lot of his arguments from scripture, the Apostles of Christ got the name of their body of believers from a description of Christ: The Way. What is interesting to note at this point is that the Church of Christ, who claim to be the one true church, does not call themselves “The Way,” but the “Church of Christ.”
All About the Emphasis
The Way in Acts is the first biblically accurate denomination. This emphasis comes from what we read in the 6th verse in John chapter 14: “Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”[4] The emphasis in the early biblical movement is not emphatic on the Truth or the Life, but the Way. What is interesting is that many local church bodies have one of these three descriptors from this verse as part of their name.
Consider the Way in Acts 9:1-5:
“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…”
What is noteworthy here is that Jesus is saying that persecuting the members of the Way (“belonged to”), is the same thing as persecuting Jesus Himself. After all, the Church is the body of Christ. Jesus Himself accepted the title they gave themselves and considered members of such to be His.
We could continue in Acts 19:8-10:
“And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”
Paul at this point after his conversion, clearly considered himself to be a member of the Way. He came in with them, spoke from them and left when people in the congregation started speaking evil of the Way (See also 19:23 and 22:4).
Sect-Shun Section
In another passage, Paul says in Acts 24:14-16 (see also verse 22),
“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”
Paul says that “they” refer to the Way as a “sect,” but what does he mean by this, and how is this word itself defined? The DBL with SD regards, αἵρεσις (hairesis), as a religious party, and points to this verse directly.[5] The BDAG’s entry number two shows that it means, that which distinguishes a groups’ thinking, opinion, or dogma.[6] The question is, how are these definitions describing anything different than a denomination? Functionally speaking, I do not think that it is a requirement for the use of this word to mean different in a negative sense, like the way Mormonism is different from biblical Christianity. I get that the Way is distancing themselves from the rest of Judaism as the Romans seemed to have done, but at the same time, they chose a particular area of focus to label themselves (“the Way,” opposed to “the Truth” or “the Life”). Also, as alluded to, it can strongly be argued that the Romans came up with the use of the word, sect, because they believed that they were a branch of Judaism, not only because Paul says here that, “they call a sect” (and not “we”), but also because Acts 24:22 acknowledges that Felix the governor, was well acquainted with the Way. The point is that the Way emphasizes a specific particular of Christ, the same way that likely every denomination adhering to essential Christian doctrines ultimately emphasizes.
Earlier, in Acts 24:5, we find that the enemies of Christ use this same word, αἵρεσις (sect), to describe the group of people whose “ringleader” was apparently the Apostle Paul. “For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” This is describing the Way, from an accusing party. “Tertullus presented his case [against Paul] before Felix” (see Acts 24:2). So again, we have a lawyer, who is opposed to the Way, describing such as a sect (v. 5 above). The significance here is that the enemies of Christ have been the only ones truly using this description.
The Body of Christ
The Way is what a denomination should look like. Many denominations have come from division, but it is interesting that God uses them for His honor and glory. The Church, the body of Christ is made up of sinners. In our sinful behavior, sometimes we cause divisions. But the body of Christ is loved by Jesus, and He is the one who steers it and guides it through the corridors of history, even with the ingredients of sinful people.
Paul gives us some clues about the body of Christ itself:
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”
Several things should be considered here. First that this passage is talking about Christ and the Church. Second, when Paul says that Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her, and will cleanse her to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle… the idea is that Christ is in control of the Church. Not only this, but Christ nourishes and cherishes the church. Do you think that the omnipotent God and King of the universe is going to let anything happen to the life of His Church? Think again. Denominations are emphasizing certain things of Christ, and because He is so big, because there is too much wonderfulness for any group of people to cover it all, there are denominations. They emphasize, just like the Way, the wonderful and awesome things of Christ.
In these denominations which emphasize certain things, there is something for everyone. People might see them as division, but Jesus uses them for His honor and glory. The presuppositions and experiences that a person has will cause him to gravitate toward certain things. Often these things are emphasized in specific denominations. Perhaps he grew up in a chaotic and disorderly family and he desires to seek a church with an emphasis on sanctification in Jesus. Perhaps he strongly believes that there is only death in the barren wastelands of the earth and seeks “New Life” in Jesus. Perhaps he is an extrovert and loves helping people the way Jesus teaches and seeks a church that emphasizes community. Perhaps he seeks the truth in a world of false religions and teachings because he was led down the wrong road and sees the importance of knowing the truth. Jesus uses these for His honor and glory. Some in the Churches of Christ teach that denominations are evil, that they are not biblical, and that they draw people away from Christ, but it is much the opposite. Human beings are incapable of destroying the body of Christ.
Jesus says that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.[7] He uses denominations that may have once begun as divisions but changed them to emphases. This is what the church is supposed to look like. The idea that denominations emphasize rather than divide unites the body of Christ. He does this in people as well. He transforms them to make them look and be more like Him. This is why we embrace differences, even give liberty in beliefs if they are non-essential. It is credited to Augustine that in essentials we have unity, in non-essentials we have liberty, and in all things, we have love. When we are all together in heaven, 100 years from now, we will be celebrating with those in different denominations. We will be united. We will worship as one.
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ~Revelation 7:9-10
[1]https://www.facebook.com/ApologeticsAndEvidence/posts/pfbid0352kNitLLybzEJFfF612M7wk2wUDKuadqJ4U4dB1ewqN1u75qSNT4SmvV2ijDWg8bl
[2] Roger Olsen, The Story of Christian Theology: twenty centuries of tradition and reform (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 372.
[3] Ibid.
[4] What should be remembered is that the early church did not get their name from this scripture, per se, because the Gospel of John was written after the historical events in the Acts of the Apostles took place, but they got this from what Jesus actually said, which is recorded in this verse.
[5] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), αἵρεσις.
[6] Walter Bauer and Frederick W. Danker, ed., A Greek and English Lexicon. Of the New Testament and other early Christian Literature (University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 2000), αἵρεσις.
[7] See Matthew 16:18.
Comments
Post a Comment