A division is called a denomination because it has been denominated by a particular name. Hence, the first factor of a denomination is a special name. Neither the sun nor the moon has a particular name. The sun is the sun, and the moon is the moon. I have never heard of anyone giving a name to the sun or the moon. Neither the sun nor the moon needs a name. Wherever I am, in the United States, Europe, or the Far East, the moon is the moon, and the sun is the sun. At most I can speak of the moon in Sydney, the moon in Paris, or the moon in Anaheim. To give a special name to a certain group of Christians is to constitute them a sect, a denomination. It makes them a denominated sect, a divisive sect with a particular name.
Any Christian group that has a particular name is a division, a sect. We should have no name other than the name of the Lord Jesus. We have believed in His name, and we have been baptized into His name, and now we are meeting in His name. Never think that the matter of the name is insignificant. I must use my name in all I do. To use another name is deceitful. Never think that it makes no difference what you call yourself, whether you say that you are Jones or Smith. It is terrible to do this. My name is Witness Lee. You cannot call me Mr. Jones. The name means everything. If an inheritance were granted to me in my name, Witness Lee, but I call myself Mr. Jones, I would lose the right to claim and enjoy this inheritance.
Never neglect this matter of the name. To take any name other than the name of the Lord Jesus is a form of spiritual fornication. How wrong it would be for my wife, Mrs. Witness Lee, to go by the name of another man! For a married woman to take another name is fornication. Never think that this matter is insignificant. The Lord Jesus praised the church in Philadelphia because they did not deny His name (Rev. 3:8). All the denominations have denied the Lord’s name, because in addition to His name, they have taken names such as Baptist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Presbyterian. In taking these other names, the denominations have committed spiritual fornication. If we honor the Lord and sincerely mean business with Him, we would certainly forsake every name other than that of the Lord Jesus. We have been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. In addressing the contentious ones in the church at Corinth, Paul said, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:12-13). Here Paul seemed to be saying, “Why do you say that you are of Paul? You must never say this. You were not baptized into my name—you were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You must not be under any other name.”
We have been baptized into the unique name, the name above every name, and we have also been called into the fellowship of the Son of God (1 Cor. 1:9). This fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ has become the fellowship of the apostles (Acts 2:42). First John 1:3 says, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” The “we” and the “us” mentioned in this verse refer to the apostles. The apostle John seemed to be saying, “We, the apostles, have declared to you the divine life. In this life you may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with the Father and the Son.” This fellowship is also called communion or participation. The meaning is the same. Whatever term we use, there is something called fellowship, the common participation in Christ, which is common to all believers in Him. Whoever has believed into Him is now in the fellowship of our wonderful Lord. This fellowship is common to you, to me, and to every regenerated one. However, many Christians do not have this unique fellowship. Rather, they have a different so-called fellowship, a special fellowship. Every special fellowship constitutes a division. Some Christians may not be denominated; that is, they may not have a name for their group, but they do have a particular fellowship. Their fellowship is not as large as the common fellowship of the Son of God. Instead, it is small and particular.
Let me give some illustrations from my own experience. When I was young, my mother was a Southern Baptist. The Southern Baptist denomination she attended had communion only a few times a year. Whenever they had communion, they made a strong, serious, and solemn announcement to the effect that anyone who did not belong to the Southern Baptist denomination could not participate in their communion service. When some who were not members wanted to take communion, the pastor told them they had to wait, pass an examination, and be immersed by them. One man said that he had already been immersed, but the pastor said, “We don’t care how many times you have been immersed. If you want to take the holy communion with us, then you must be baptized by us. If you are unwilling to do this, then you are not welcome to share holy communion with us.” This illustrates the fact that those Baptists had a particular fellowship. Although the Southern Baptists in the United States make up nearly one fourth of the total number of regenerated ones, they still do not have the common fellowship. Their fellowship is particular, and it constitutes them a division.