Defining Our Terms
"DENOMINATION"
Introduction:
UNDERSTANDING THE TRUTH CAN BE EASY
ACCEPTING THE TRUTH CAN BE HARD
APPLYING THE TRUTH FOR SOME CAN BE IMPOSSIBLE
Parson Wisdom
I
may never write anything else as difficult as this. Difficult because
I love my brethren as much as they love their "church." I have never
been one to start trouble because I am a man of peace. However, I
believe this is the truth, truth I have proved beyond a shadow of a
doubt, truth that I prayed someone better qualified would preach. But I
am under no illusions. The brotherhood's response will be to attack me
personally, judge my motives or accuse me of following somebody. For 50
years they
have done this to every brother who had the courage to ask questions. Using
these tactics they have avoided facing the truth on many subjects and in turn have
destroyed many good men whose only crime was thinking for themselves.
Don't worry, they can't hurt this old cowboy. I only ask that you remember the words of the Apostle Paul, "Let God be
true, but every man a liar." (Rom. 3:4)
All
denominations are sects but not all sects are denominations. Are you confused?
Don't be, the truth on this subject is very simple. If you remember in our sectarian
studies a sect is a group that has
separated itself because of a particular doctrine or issue. For example, if a
congregation separates from their brethren
over the issue of a woman wearing a veil in the worship service they
are sectarian. They are not sectarian because of their belief in the
covering.
They have a God given right to practice the truth as they see it.
However, it
is their attitude toward those that do not believe as they do that
makes them
sectarian. If congregations that hold this belief agree that they are
the only "faithful" congregations they have created a sect. But they
are not yet a
denomination! They digress further when they call themselves the
"Covering
Church of Christ" or "Church of Christ, Covering." These congregations
have now
become a denomination. Now let me prove it.
As
with the word sectarian those who are guilty will never tell you what the word
denomination means. I find it interesting that they accuse those who practice
sprinkling (and don't tell their members what baptizo means) of being dishonest but they won't apply the
same standards to themselves. Before I go any further let me say this: There
are many ignorant preachers among the brethren. I say this in love because I
know that they are only preaching what they have been taught. They are not
dishonest only ignorant i.e. they don't know any better. They preach, "The
Church of Christ is not a denomination because we wear a scriptural name." (Even the editor of one of the largest brotherhood
papers makes this argument.) They have heard it so many times they believe it, but
you should see the look on their faces when I open a plain old dictionary and
have them read what the word means:
"Denominate: To give a name to."
"Denomination: The act of naming or designating a person or thing. A class or kind of persons or things distinguished by a
specific name."
Now
you understand, don't you? A group becomes a sect when they separate over an
issue and a denomination when they give themselves a name. They are a denomination because they are "distinguished
by a specific name." I'm sorry, brother; being nondenominational has
nothing to do with the name being in the Bible, it never has!!! Look at a
grapefruit. It has a peal, pulp, juice and seeds. These words denominate the
grapefruit. Christianity has the Catholic Church, the Baptist Church, the
Lutheran Church, the Church of God and the Church of Christ. Each name
denominates the Christian religion. Each one is a denomination of Christianity.
I challenge anyone to prove that is not what denomination means. But that would
be impossible. There is not a dictionary in the world that supports their
definition: "unless we have a scriptural name." Using this same argument the
Church of God, the Church of the Brethren and the Assemblies of God are not
denominations. Why? Because their names in the Bible. Those who opposed
instrumental music started a denomination the very day they distinguished themselves, from those who had a piano, with the specific name "Church of
Christ"!
This
is exactly what M. C. Kurfrees tried to tell our brethren on the pages of the
Gospel Advocate at the turn of the 20th century. Why did they not
listen? Again, why did the name on the door matter? Until 1906
non-instrumental
congregations were also non-denominational so the signs varied. The
signs said
Church of Christ, Christian Church (the corner stones of congregations
which
have never had a piano prove it), Meeting House, Chapel or just Church.
Why
were the brotherhood preachers not content with "Cane Ridge Meeting
House," or "Haldeman Avenue Church?" Was it not God's plan that every
congregation be
autonomous under the oversight of their own elders? The answers are
simple: (1)
The pressure was too great from those who needed the security of an
institution, (2) They wanted to be like "the nations around them," (3)
They
were not content with the congregational system given by God, (4) They
didn't
appreciate the true meaning of ekklesia, (5) They were blinded by their pride to be counted as a separate
church in the 1910 census and (6) Daniel Sommer had pushed since 1889 for the
name, accused the Advocate of being soft on the "innovators" and threatened yet
another division.
Parson's
Note:
Some
date the beginning of the "Church of Christ" as August 18, 1889 with the
meeting at Sand Creek Illinois. (We will look at that meeting next week.) This
was when bro. Sommer proposed to representatives of the ultra conservative congregations that this was
the only name God wanted his people to wear. Their extreme positions (sin for a
college to teach the Bible, sin for a local church to have a paid preacher,
etc) kept them from being part of the mainstream of the Restoration Movement so
their exclusive use of the name cannot be considered as having been adopted by
the non-instrumental churches. The Gospel Advocate believed, as did other
papers, that the Sommerites had "abandoned apostolic ground." It was not until
1906 that the more moderate Southern churches, under the influence of David
Lipscomb, joined their Northern brothers and agreed to use the name "Church of
Christ." This why I use the 1906 date.
After David Lipscomb gave in to the pressure, and the
name was adopted in 1906, brethren denied they had started a denomination by
saying, "We use a small 'c' for church" as in church of Christ. This sounded good to those who had started to use
this specific name. The "small c" argument lasted for less than 50 years but
now even this ruse is dropped. Now I hear Christians everywhere using "the
language of Ashdod." (Neh. 13:23-24)
Without shame they say: "I am a member of the Church of Christ." "We in the
Church of Christ believe." "The saved are in the Church of Christ not the
Christian Church." "Jesus said he would build his church and that is the Church
of Christ." "If they don't have Church of Christ on the sign they are not the
Lord's church." Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!
There is nothing unscriptural about a sign in front of
a place of worship that says Church of Christ, but since the building is not
the church I prefer signs that make this clear like Meeting House or Chapel. "Chapel:
a building used for prayer or worship".
Whenever I suggest this the first thing I hear is "How will people know that we
are the Church of Christ?" Well, isn't that the point? The true body of Christ
is not a denomination and faithful Christians will not join one! God's children
have used all the scriptural names
to describe their spiritual relationships for 2000 years, one was never used to
the exclusion of the others. Vocal music congregations have used "Church of
Christ" as their exclusive name only since 1906!!! When did we stop
using the argument that any church whose historic start date was after A.D. 33 is too young to be the first century church? If it is still a true statement then why doesn't it
apply to the Church of Christ? I firmly believe that after 100 years of
division (among ourselves) and the resulting scorn (from our neighbors)
associated with the name Church of Christ our evangelism would be more
effective if we would preach Jesus without the baggage not to mention the
denominationalism. Isn't this what the Restoration Movement was all about,
breaking down the walls of sectarianism? Didn't they teach that the ekklesia
is as simple as the saved assembling together in their own community?
Were not the pioneer preachers trying to restore the 1st century
pattern where the church did not have a sectarian name? Didn't
they
preach that all who obey the gospel are saved and not just the ones who
go to "our church?" Remember when we would tell our neighbors that we
weren't members
of any denomination, we were just Christians and members of the church
you read
about in the Bible? Maybe the saddest part about the previous sentence is that young
people
come up to me and say, "I've never heard that preached before," and the
old
folks say, "I haven't heard that preached in 30 years!"
And
finally, don't use vacationers as an excuse for
denominationalism. Congregations who joined the Sommer/Lipscomb
movement use Church of Christ as their exclusive name to show they are
non-instrumental
(as if this is the only issue that makes us faithful) but many others
maintained their scriptural autonomy. The sign may say Church of Christ but the organ can be heard across the street, it may
say Christian Church but they have
opposed instrumental music for 150 years or it may just say Church and be as faithful a church of Christ as yours. Read
again our last study and then tell me that the name on your marquee tells the
world what you stand for!
I doubt if
your sign is big enough for that. Sure the sign can identify the
building as a
place of worship and not a filling station but joining a denomination
to
benefit travelers is a poor excuse for sin. Never forget, the purpose
of a congregation patterned after the 1st century church is to worship their God, edify their saints and spread the Gospel to their neighbors under the oversight of their elders. A denominational affiliation only hinders the fulfillment of God's plan and
purpose. Now you understand why membership in the "Church of Christ" declines
every year. They continue to preach the old Restoration sermons against
denominationalism but their audience isn't listening. They are too busy looking
at the sign!
Remember, the name on a sign doesn't matter unless you
want it to identify the sect you are a part of. If that's what it does then it
identifies the denomination that meets there!
The Parson, 1/30/05
P.S.
If you want to study this further please go to the Parson Ponders page. There are three short articles that will help
you better understand the Biblical principles we have discussed today.