There are many denominations in Christianity today, such as the Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, and the Episcopalian Church. These denominations are divisions, and divisions are sects. We need to see what the Bible says about denominations and sects.
1. “Holy Father, keep them...that they may be one” (John 17:11; see also vv. 21-23).
Before His death the Lord prayed to the Father that His disciples, the church, would be one. This shows the Lord’s desire for the church to be one, rather than to be divided. He desires that the church on earth would be like the Triune God, completely without division and wholly one. The divided condition of today’s Christianity goes against the Lord’s heart’s desire and will, and it damages the Lord’s plan.
2. “There shall be one flock” (John 10:16).
The Lord not only prayed for the church to be one, but He also made the believers, who are His sheep, into one flock, whether they were saved from among the Jews or from among the Gentiles. Originally, the Jews could not be one with the Gentiles, but in the church the Lord wants the Jews and the Gentiles to be one and does not allow them to be divided. Thus, sects or divisions in the church go against the Lord’s way for the church. They damage the unifying work of the Lord that gathered His believers into one flock.
3. “Those who believed were together...with one accord”; “The heart and soul of the multitude of those who had believed was one” (Acts 2:44, 46; 4:32).
Based on the Lord’s prayer and work to make the church one, the church was one when it was first produced. In the beginning the church was one in every place, and the believers were together in one accord, having one heart and one soul; there was absolutely no situation involving sectarianism. The presence of sects in the church is the result of the church deviating from God’s plan and losing its initial oneness. This is absolutely improper.
4. “Each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. 1:12-13; see also 3:3-4).
The original condition of oneness in the church began to disappear with the church in Corinth. At that time there were sectarian parties among them. Some said, “I am of Paul”; others said, “I am of Apollos”; and still others said, “I am of Cephas”; whereas another group was formed, seeming to say, “You are all wrong. We are of Christ.” This division into sects damaged the essential oneness of the church. Therefore, the apostle rebuked them, saying, “Is Christ divided?” Since Christ is one and not divided, those who are in Christ, who are joined to Christ, and who have Christ as their life should not be divided either. Sectarian matters that divide the Body of Christ are not of Christ or the Holy Spirit. They are of man’s flesh and should be condemned. The apostle clearly pointed out this sectarian situation to the church in Corinth.
The Corinthian believers said, “I am of Paul,” “I of Apollos,” “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” They were all rebuked and condemned by the Holy Spirit through the apostle. How can believers who say, “I am Baptist,” “I am Lutheran,” “I am Presbyterian,” and “I am Anglican,” be approved and justified by the one Holy Spirit? Regrettably, many believers think that they can openly denominate themselves. They seem to think that sects are not improper. All the sects and denominations in today’s Christianity use denominational titles to officially name and designate themselves without the slightest feeling of shame. They think that their names are proper and glorious. They are truly filled with the spirit of Corinth and should be rebuked. May the children of God set their mind on the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit in condemning the sectarian spirit and the denominational names that divide the Body of Christ until all God’s children feel the shame of sectarianism and reject these denominational names.
5. “One Body”; “We who are many are one Body” (Eph. 4:4; 1 Cor. 10:17).
The church is the Body of Christ, and Christ is the Head of the church. There is only one Head, and there is only one Body. Although there are many in the church, there is only one Body. There are millions of people here and abroad and throughout the ages who have been saved and who are part of the church. Although there are many members, there is only one Body. Therefore, the church should be one; it should not be divided into denominations. Any sect in Christianity, no matter how good or high it is, violates the principle of the Body of Christ and damages the oneness of the Body of Christ.
6. “Being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3).
The Holy Spirit lives within the believers, making them one Body, and gives the believers an intrinsic oneness. The Spirit who makes us one leads us to be one with the children of God. We should not damage the oneness of God’s children by not keeping the oneness of the Spirit. God requires us to bear a great responsibility toward the church by being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit, which we already have, and by not damaging this oneness. God wants us to diligently keep the oneness of the Spirit in the Body of Christ by avoiding any sectarian element. In order to understand the nature of a sect, we need to consider six factors related to sects. If any one of these six factors is present among a group of Christians, it is a sect. These six factors include:
1. Special names—In the universe the church is unique and has no need of a special name. The church is just the church. No matter where it is, it is only the church. Once the church takes a special name, it loses its unique character and becomes a sect. A special name separates out and gathers a group of believers into that name. This separates them from other believers. Some groups in Christianity are named after a belief, such as the “Justification-by-faith Church” and the “Holiness Church”; some are named after their system of administration, such as the Presbyterian Church and the Congregational Church; some take their names from their rituals, such as the Baptist Church; some denominate themselves according to a man’s name, such as the Lutherans and Wesleyans; some are named after countries, such as the Anglican Church and the Chinese Christian Church. Regardless of its source, a special name divides the believers into sects because it separates a group of believers from other believers.
2. Special creeds—The church includes all those who share the common faith that saves us, the one faith spoken of in Ephesians 4:5. This faith is held in common by all who are saved (2 Pet. 1:1). This faith causes the believers to be one and does not divide them. Any creed or system of teaching that goes beyond the common faith divides the believers. Even the exposition of the Bible can cause the believers to become a sect if it goes beyond the faith. Furthermore, opinions related to doctrines that go beyond the common faith, such as baptism by sprinkling, baptism by immersion, keeping the Sabbath, keeping the Lord’s Day, head covering, foot washing, and the posttribulation rapture or pretribulation rapture, divide the believers into sects if they become a requirement for fellowship and a central point around which a group of believers gathers. Even if some of these teachings and opinions are right and scriptural, we cannot make them a requirement for fellowship with other believers or the central point around which we gather. If these teachings become requirements or a central point, they become special creeds that create sects.
3. Special fellowship—Everyone who is saved and has the life of Christ is a member of the Body of Christ; therefore, these ones can participate in the fellowship of the Body, which is the fellowship of the church. If a Christian group considers that a person who is saved and who has the life of Christ must also believe in a special creed as a requirement for fellowship, this special fellowship makes them into a sect.
4. Isolated rather than universal fellowship—The Body of Christ is universal, so the fellowship of Christ’s Body, the church, is also universal. Any fellowship that is limited to one locality and does not extend to the other local churches on the earth, even if it does not have a special creed that dictates a special fellowship, is isolated and is not part of the universal fellowship. Isolated fellowship causes believers to become a local sect.
5. Separate administration in the same locality—The church in each locality should be one; it should not be divided. This oneness is maintained by one administration. Even if there is a need to meet in several places within one locality because of the number of people, the administration of the local church should still be one. If the administration in a local church is divided, the believers will be divided into sects.
6. Belonging to an organization—The church in any locality must only be a local church; it should not belong to any Christian organization. Although a local church should have fellowship in Christ with the churches in other localities, it should not have an organizational relationship with any Christian organization. Once it has an organizational relationship with a Christian organization, it takes on the background of that organization and becomes a sect.
Any of these items divide the Body of Christ and cause believers to become a sect. Therefore, these items should be condemned and rejected. In order to keep the oneness of the church, we must avoid these things. God hates sects and divisions in the church. God’s work in the church is to eliminate these kinds of things (1 Cor. 12:24-25). He also wants us to care for His heart’s desire and to join together without being sectarian (1:10). Although it is difficult to avoid sects, we must hate the divisions of denominations and be one who is approved by God (11:19).