Is the church of Christ a Denomination?

The church of Christ has always been a controversial organization. With its teachings on baptism for remission of sins and its teaching that there is one way to heaven, it stands out as infamous among the denominational world, but what is this organization really? Is it just some denomination among denominations; is it a cult, or is there some truth behind their teachings?

Defining Denomination

As with any discussion, one cannot debate, describe, or discuss effectively without defining our terms. The term denomination is often misdefined and misused, and it is valuable to see where this potent word came into common use. The term initially was used as early as the fourteenth century in order to describe the naming or giving a name to something. Its use as a term of religious division was not commonly used until the 18th century, likely around 1716 in response to a strong disagreement among three main Protestant groups in the city of London: The Presbyterians, Baptists, and Congregationalists. This term was used to denote that these were three sects of a larger Christian faith. This belief, in many ways, is still held in our society today. In fact, it is reported that the United States of America currently hosts roughly 370 religious bodies with 370,000 congregations. Others estimate the number of “nondenominational” independent groups could number as high as 44,000. This, rightfully, confuses the world in relation to the worship of God. If one can have separate doctrines, how can they agree on a moral code? If churches can worship God however they please, how can that be the God who told Israel how to worship and punished them if they did not follow His will? These questions are serious and deserve to be treated as such. Let’s not forget that in the days of Jesus, denominationalism had, in fact, hit even the Jewish faith. The Sadducees, Essenes, and Pharisees were all sects of the Jewish faith. These sects determined what doctrines to follow based on councils, debates, and legal proceedings. Even after Jesus came, we find the foundations of denominationalism in the first-century church. We read of the Judaizers (Galatians 4:21, Galatians 5:2–4, Galatians 5:6–12, Galatians 6:12–15); the Colossian heresy (Colossians 2:8-23); the Gnostics, while not named explicitly (1 Timothy 6:20-21, Colossians 2:8, and 1 John 4:2-3); and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6). So what is the definition of a denomination? For our purposes, we will use its current definition: “A recognized autonomous branch of the Christian church”. So let's break this down into its components and get to the root of this discussion.

Is Denominationalism Biblical?

The question of denominationalism being in the Bible is not really the concern here. We noted in the previous section all the time that a “denomination” was mentioned. The real concern here is whether or not this behavior was condoned by the Lord. First, we must note the character of God. Christ has always sought unity and singularity among His people. In fact, the Psalmist wrote that it was good and pleasant for brethren to live in unity (Psalm 133:1). Of course, this is not a command from God, so what does He have to say on the matter? Paul (by inspiration of God) writes in Ephesians 4:1-6 that we have a calling to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and to emphasize this point, states that there is one body, spirit, hope, Lord, faith, and baptism. This calling from the Lord is the calling given to all people to be saved by Christ (Acts 15:17; Romans 8:28). So if there is one way to salvation, we should identify what that path is and follow it. The question is then does denominationalism fill that role? Can one be unified with God and His people while following a separate set of laws and morals? Unfortunately for many, the answer is no. Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 1:10. Paul states that there be no divisions among them, which included following teachers more than Christ.

What is the Church of Christ?

The main question one should ask is what the church of Christ is. If it is some crazy group of people claiming to follow God, it cannot be taken seriously, but if their claims are true, then they pave the way for a lot of strain in the religious community. The church of Christ, in its purest form is the church of the first century. We strive to follow exactly what the Bible says regarding worship, morality, salvation, etc. This does not mean, however, that every church that bears the name is the church of the New Testament. This is a key factor. If someone follows the teachings of the New Testament in their entirety, then they will be the church of the Bible.

So why is the church of Christ not a denomination? The only way that a church can be a denomination or division of the original is if that church is not the original. If a church follows exactly what the first-century church did, would that not make it the original? If a church worships in spirit (with the right attitude) and in truth (the right way), are they not Godly in their execution (John 4:24)? I would change the argument as a whole to say this. Not every church of Christ is the true church. There are many who teach false doctrines, practice immorality, blaspheme the name of Christ, etc. God Himself said that the candlestick of a church (its recognition by the Lord) can be removed (Revelation 2:5). The key to this discussion is not purely to be caught up in the tribalism, but the truth. What makes a church right with the Lord? The church in Acts 2 had three main characteristics that made it the true church. They practiced the doctrine of the Apostles and, by extension, Jesus (Acts 2:42); they were benevolent to those who were around them (Acts 2:44-45); and they were evangelistic (Acts 2:47). There are many factors wrapped up in these points, but these are the building blocks of a faithful church. So let’s get back to our question. Is the church of Christ a denomination? The answer is no. No, they are not a denomination, but as with anything that is Godly, it can be corrupted. Let us take great care and seek to remain the church that the Lord planted.