What is denominationalism? What does the Bible say about denominationalism?

The body, all true believers in Christ, is denominated (to give a name to) the body of Christ. It is derived from Him. It is sustained by Him. It is joined to Him. A denomination, a collection of individuals called by the same name, is a sect. Interdenominationalism is the mutual embracing of all denominations.

While as we have seen, there may be grievous denials of the revealed doctrine of Christ, and we must not have fellowship with any of these, also there have been many attempts which add to God's foundation which are considered as being normal to Christianity. Among these are the doctrine that the concept of denominationalism is right; the doctrine of the clergy as being distinct from the common people; and the teaching that each assembly is autonomous that is, self-governing and not interdependent with other local assemblies.4 Many other humanly devised doctrines have invaded the realm of Christian profession but such additions are not of the foundation of God. Some of them actually form a basis for fellowship, but they are not God's basis.

Most denominations and churches are based on certain truths (baptism, for instance) or on certain views-of-truth or as identified with godly men of past times. Consequently, these churches lack a divine inclusiveness since they only seek believers who share their views or who become followers of the leader in question. These churches also lack a divine exclusiveness because they are generally so zealous to build up their system that false teaching and other unfaithfulness to Christ and to His truth are often treated with an easy going tolerance.

You will therefore see that it is not true that denominational Christians are gathered to the name of Christ alone. If they were, they would repudiate all human names, glorifying only in the name of Christ. In fact, a denomination does not appeal to all believers, but only to those of like doctrines and views. Thereby, they practically confess that Christ alone is not their centre.

The only true ground on which believers can gather is set forth in that grand statement, "There is one body, and one Spirit." And, again, "We being many are one loaf and one body." (Eph. 4. 4; 1 Cor. 10:17) If God declares that there is but "one body," it must be contrary to His mind to have many bodies, sects, or denominations.

They do not, for they are not one body, even professedly, but many; and, by the very fact of what they are, to be a member of any one of them is to be not a member of the rest. Thus these bodies do not even represent the church of God. They are societies of people who are associated together upon the ground, not of membership in the body of Christ, but of holding certain views which distinguish them from other Christians. And that (suffer me to say it, brethren — the appeal is to scripture in the matter), that is true sectarianism, "schism" in the Bible sense, "schism in the body" (of Christ).

They do not, for they are not one body, even professedly, but many; and by the very fact of what they are, to be a member of any one of them is to be not a member of the rest. Thus these bodies do not even represent the Church of God. They are societies of people who are associated together upon the ground, not of membership in the body of Christ, but of holding certain views which distinguish then from other Christians. And that (suffer me to say it, brethren; the appeal is to Scripture in the matter,) — that is true sectarianism, "schism" in the Bible sense, "schism in the body" (of Christ).

This being so, the ground of the gathering of the saints should express this truth, owning thereby (if I may so speak) the unity of the body. That is, we must be gathered as members of the body of Christ, not as Anglicans, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, Independents, or Baptists, but solely as being members of the body of Christ. Any ground of meeting, therefore, which is wider or narrower than this, is a denial of the truth of the body and thus cannot be God's ground. The application of this principle destroys all denominationalism at one blow; and it ought to do so, because the foundation upon which denominations are based is utterly contrary to the Scriptures.

You have the church of God no longer on the ground of one assembly-no longer holding to such a foundation -principle as liberty for the Spirit therein to edify by whom He pleases. You have different religious associations set up, often peculiar to different countries, and in -no respect answering to either the assembly or the assemblies in the word of God. If a man belonged to the church of God at Jerusalem, he belonged to the church of God at Rome. It was merely a question of locality. He was a member of the church of God, and therefore, wherever it might be, he if there belonged to the church in that place. Scripture does not recognize membership of a church, but of the church. If the church of God was in a given place, the Christian, unless put away, finds his place within it. You never find, I repeat, in scripture, anything about membership of a church; it is always of the church. This is a most significant difference, as indicating the departure of Christendom from God's word. For in our days, if you belong to this church, you do not for that very reason belong to that church. Instead of your membership in the church of God being the ground why you are a member of it everywhere, on the contrary, so great is the change, that now the fact of belonging to one church is the best possible proof that you do not belong to another. If you belong to the church of Scotland, you have no such connection with the church of England; if you are a Baptist, you do not at the same time belong to the Wesleyan society, or to any other of the Dissenting bodies. Scripture knows nothing of the kind.

It must be carefully observed that the churches or assemblies at Jerusalem, Corinth, Rome, etc., were not separate or independent organisations, as in the modern idea of the Church of Rome, the Greek Church, the Church of England, and so on. There was only one assembly, the Church of God, though expressed in different localities, in which indeed there were local office bearers, as elders and deacons, and where also discipline was locally carried out. There was entire inter-communion. In the present divided state of God's people, the man of faith will be careful to recognise that every true Christian is a part of that one body, with which, as has been said, there can be no failure; while, at the same time, he will pursue a path of separation from evil; and will "follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Tim. 2:22.