Is Christ Divided?

Some estimates put the number of Christian denominations at about 40,000! Most denominations, however, can be attributed to 5 main groups, or families.

• The Catholic Church
• Orthodox and other Eastern Churches
• Mainline Protestant and Anglican Churches
• Evangelical Churches and Movements
• Pentecostal Churches and Movements

There are others that do not quite fit into any of these groups, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), or certain indigenous forms of Christianity.

With so many different groups, and so many different denominations within each group, each with its own interpretation of scripture, how is one to know where to go? Who is right? I struggled with this question most of my adult life. As a result, I simply didn't attend any church for a very long time. I was lost, alone and my life certainly reflected that. I often wonder how many others are struggling with this same question, lost and alone.

A few years ago, I don't remember how, I came across this passage of scripture that opened my eyes:

• 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 - "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"

Here, Paul directly addresses the notion of what we call denominations. He explicitly denounces the idea of separation in the church.

Paul reiterates this in 1 Corinthians 3:4-7 - "For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

Ironically, the basis for the idea of "separate" churches (denominations) may actually stem from Paul's letters to the different congregations. In them he addresses most of the congregations as "the church at" or "the saints who are in". As a result, one may conclude each congregation is a different (separate) church.

• 1 Corinthians 1:2 - "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:"
• 2 Corinthians 1:1 - "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:"
• Ephesians 1:1 - "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:"
• Philippians 1:1 - "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:"
• Colossians 1:1-2 - "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Take a look at the grammar in these verses. Paul is addressing the congregation, the part of the church, located in each of these cities or regions.

Now, there are three letters addressed a bit differently:

• Galatians 1:1-2 - "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:"
• 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
• 2 Thessalonians 1:1 - "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:"

Although worded differently, Paul is still addressing the different congregations of one church (the Church of Christ), not separate churches.

We know Paul is addressing different congregations of the same church, not separate churches, because in 1 Corinthians Chapter 1 the first thing Paul did, after his greeting, was admonish the Corinthians for claiming to be "of" someone other than Christ. In other words, practicing denominationalism.

There are other Bible verses that address the subject of separation:

• Matthew 12:25-28 - "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."
  Jesus said this in response to the Pharisees, who were talking amongst themselves, accusing Jesus of casting out devils by Beelzebub, not God. But the principle is the same; a church divided will fall.
• Matthew 16:18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
  Everyone who accepts Christ as Lord and Savior is a member of one church, Christ's church.
• John 17:20-23 - "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. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
  Jesus wants us to be one with the Father, as Jesus is one with the Father and as the Father is one with Jesus, not divided. He's not only talking about each person being one with the Father, but the church as a whole.
• Romans 12:4-5 - "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
  Our bodies have many parts that work together so we can function properly and effectively; arms, legs, eyes, ears, heart, lungs, etc. Each has its own function (different offices). We, as Christians, are the same. We are different parts of the same body, the body of Christ. Each with our own function (different offices). We need to work together, as one, to function properly as a church.

As you can see in the scripture quoted here, as Christians we are all members of one church, Christ's church. We are not Baptist, not Methodist, not Lutheran, not Catholic nor any other so-called denomination. We are Christian. We are the people of Christ. We are the church.

Christianity has been mocked and ridiculed from the day Jesus began His ministry.

• John 15:18-19 - "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

The denominational division in the church is not helping and must end. Just think of what we could achieve in the name of the Lord if we come together as one voice, one mind, one church.