I have no aversion towards the existence of denominations and even of the generation of new ones in the Bride of Christ. I've experienced quite a bit of rapturous fellowship across denominational lines. Matter of fact, I'm a Baptist that general seeks asylum among Presbyterians. It can be easy to think that if we rid ourselves of denominations that the spirit of partisanship that we ascribe to them, and sometimes rightly so, will dissipate like warm breathe into frigid air. I think this a shortsighted and naïve assumption. Denominations don’t necessitate partisanship. The wicked heart of man certainly often use denominations as an opportunity to cloak divisiveness as virtue but again the fault doesn’t lie with the usual object of blame. Denominations can be a helpful tool towards the purification of the church, expansion of the gospel, and glorification of God assuming they possess a proper spirit of catholicity. Samuel Davies provides one of the best treatments of a godly approach to denominations that I have ever read. The pastor from Hanover writes:
What an endless variety of denominations, taken from some men of character, or from some little peculiarities, has prevailed in the Christian world, and crumbled it to pieces, while the Christian name is hardly regarded?...what party-names have been adopted by the Protestant churches, whose religion is substantially the same common Christianity, and who agree in much more important articles than in those they differ. To be a Christian is not enough now-a-days, but a man must also be something more and better; that is, he must be a strenuous bigot to this or that particular church…
Every man will find that he agrees more fully in lesser as well as more important articles with some particular than others; and thereupon it is his duty to join in stated communion with that church; and he may, if he pleases, assume the name which that church wears, by way of distinction from others: this is not what I condemn. But for me to glory in the denomination of any particular church, as my highest character; to lay more stress upon the name of a Presbyterian or a churchman than on the sacred name of Christians; to make punctilious agreement with my sentiments in little peculiarities of a party the test of all religion; to make it the object of my zeal to gain proselytes to some other than the Christian name; to connive at the faults of those of my own party and to be blind to the good qualities of others, or invidiously to represent or diminish them: these are the things which deserve universal condemnation from God and man; these proceed from a spirit of bigotry and faction, directly opposite to the generous catholic spirit of Christianity, and subversive of it. This spirit hinders the progress of serious practical religion, by turning the attention of men from the great concerns of eternity, and essential of Christianity, to vain jangling and contest about circumstantials and trifles. Thus the Christian is swallowed up in partisan, and fundamentals lost in extra-essentials…
Endeavor to find out the truth, even in these circumstantials, at least so far as is necessary for the direction of your own conduct. But do not make these the whole or the principal part of your religion: do not be excessively zealous about them, nor break the peace of the church by magisterially imposing them upon others. “Hast thou faith in these little disputables,’ it is well; “but have it to thyself before God,’ and do not disturb others with it. You may, if you please, call yourselves Presbyterian and dissenters, and you shall bear without shame and resentment all the names of reproach and contempt which the world may brand you with. But as you should not be mortified on the one side, so neither should you glory on the other. A Christian! A Christian! Let that be your highest distinction, let that be the name which you labour to deserve. God forbid that my ministry should be the occasion of diverting you attention to anything else.
Every local church, if independent, is really just a one church denomination when ya think about it.
Great thoughts.
Posted by: Mike Edwards | December 13, 2008 at 01:06 PM