Why Are There So Many Denominations? | Ask A Pastor Ep. 17

If Christians worship the same God, follow the same Savior, believe the same gospel, and read the same Bible, why are there so many denominations?

In this episode of Ask A Pastor, Pastor Todd explores one of Christianity's most common questions by examining the theological, historical, cultural, and human factors that have shaped the denominational landscape throughout church history. From the Protestant Reformation to modern church movements, you'll discover why divisions have occurred, when they have been necessary, and when they've been fueled by pride, preference, or tradition rather than biblical conviction.

More importantly, this conversation points us back to Scripture's vision for the Church: one body united under one Lord. While denominations can preserve important biblical convictions and strengthen ministry, our highest allegiance must never be to a denomination—it must always be to Jesus Christ.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why denominations exist and how they developed
• The difference between essential Christian doctrines and secondary issues
• What the Bible teaches about unity, humility, and truth
• How Christians can hold strong convictions without hostility
• Why our unity is one of the world's clearest pictures of the gospel

Whether you've wondered why churches differ on baptism, spiritual gifts, church government, or worship styles—or you've struggled with division among Christians—this episode offers a biblical perspective on pursuing both truth and unity.

As Psalm 133:1 reminds us, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity." The kingdom of God is far bigger than any denomination, and when believers love one another well, the world sees Jesus more clearly.

Join us as we seek to answer life's biggest questions through the truth of God's Word.

Transcript

Copy

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome back, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Ask a Pastor. So awesome to be back with you again today. Fun, fun topic for today, but as we get into it, I just want to thank you for watching. Uh, if the show has been valuable to you, if you could hit like and subscribe wherever you are listening, uh, it would help us out a ton. Uh, and this episode is brought to you by uh Hope Church here in Cleaver. If you're if you're watching today on Wednesday night, uh and over the next couple Wednesday nights, we're doing something called revival nights. We'd love to have you uh starting tonight, July 29th through August 5th. Every Wednesday night, we're doing some revival nights. Got Dr. Mike Harper tonight. Would love to have you out. So today, tackling an interesting topic. It's a topic that I get asked a lot. Um I I I really just get asked a lot. And it always baffles me why people are upset that there's so many different denominations uh in church. Uh, and and I I I really explain it to people like this. Do you go into an ice cream store and you're you are frustrated that they have so many different flavors of ice cream? No, because you like a specific flavor of ice cream. Uh, that doesn't mean that all the other ice creams are bad. It just means you like this specific flavor of ice cream. And I feel like the church is the same way. There's a lot of different reasons, and we'll get into those that churches over the years uh have split into different denominations, but that doesn't mean that one denomination is bad. It doesn't mean that they're not all a part of the church. You know, ice cream is ice cream, uh, the same way the church is the church. We're just all different flavors of ice cream, uh, and we are for different people. And that's okay. It doesn't make it bad, it doesn't make it evil. Uh it just makes it different. And so denominations exist because of a mixture of sincere, you know, theological convictions, uh, historical or cultural changes, uh, uh, and and really honestly, sometimes they uh exist because humans are sinful. Uh they they make bad decisions and sometimes they break off from other denominations because of pride or or frustration. But although denominations can serve useful purposes, every genuine Christian ultimately belongs to one body under the Lord. So even though we exist at different denominations, we are still one church under our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so Christians claim to worship the same God, follow the same Lord, read the same Bible, proclaim the same gospel. So many people ask, so why they're Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Pentecostals, uh, Anglicans, and thousands of other Christian groups. So the short answer is this, and we'll get into it a little deeper throughout the episodes. Denominations come from several overlapping sources. So theological disagreements. You know, what a lot of people don't understand is there are uh there's black and white things in the scripture. You know, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. There's one way to heaven, and that way to heaven is through Jesus. But there's some other theological debates that aren't so black and white that that are kind of in a gray area. That doesn't mean uh that they're bad, it just means that people differ and and disagree over the certain things. That doesn't mean that when we get to heaven uh and we find out, well, maybe we were wrong on that. That doesn't mean that we've lived our whole life as a lie, but there's certain things, you know, like the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you know, should women be pastors? You know, those are things that that people disagree at. And that doesn't mean uh that they're wrong. It just means that that they're different. And and we we've split off into different sects because of it. And so we also have historical and cultural differences. There's also organizational pressures, you know, there's also pressures on how should the church govern itself? How how should uh should the church be autonomous? Should the whole tell it what to do? You know, there and ultimately it comes down to human sin and pride. Not every denomination began for the same reason, but and not every separation was equally justified, but it is the same nonetheless. So, first let me tackle some of the theological disagreements. Many major denominational divisions can be traced back to disagreements surrounding the Protestant Reformation. And so many Christians have disagreed about several things: the authority of scripture uh and the traditions of the church. You know, should the Bible dictate what the church does, or should the church dictate what the traditions are? You know, there's a lot of different denominations that were separated because of that. How is the person made right with God? There is denominations that are separated. Uh, some denominations believe that you are not saved until you're baptized, some believe that you must be filled with the Holy Spirit to be saved. Um, you know, I come from a denomination that believes that that once you are saved, you are, you are, you are saved. But we do believe that you can, that there is sin that causes you uh to lose your salvation. There's some denominations that believe that you can't lose your salvation. So you see how there's so many different things that are kind of in a gray area that that really can be uh divisive and really separate different uh groups of people. Uh another is baptism communion. You know, some people believe that you should be dunk, some people believe that you be should be sprinkled uh in baptism. You know, some people believe that communion is symbolic. Some denominations believe that you are actually taking the actual body and blood of Jesus. And those are those are when we get to heaven, those aren't going to be things that necessarily matter so much, but you know, they they seem to be big-time uh issues here on this earth. Church government, how should the church governance it? Should the body of believers in the community govern itself? Should the should the denomination tell the church what to do? You know, that's that's that's things that have separated denominations as well. The role of the clergy. Uh is the clergy, does the clergy speak for God, or is the clergy just the leader? And we're all ministers of the gospel. Those those have separated denominations themselves, worship practices. You know, I grew up during the worship wars. I grew up in a church that sang from the 1991 Baptist hymnal until the year 2000. Uh, and I thought the church was going to split over uh putting drums and guitars in church. Uh, and there's still churches today that don't believe that we should have drums and guitars in church, you know. And I think when we get to heaven, I don't know that Jesus is gonna care about that, but we care about that here on this earth. You know, the spiritual gifts is another uh, you know, I believe I'm a part of a Pentecostal denomination, so we believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are active uh and useful today. There's some denominations believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit died with the apostles. And ultimately, is that is that a heaven or hell issue? No. But it is something that can divide uh people here on this earth, and so these are not all trivial matters. You know, doctrine matters because truth matters, but there are times when faithfulness to Christ requires Christians to click a take a clear stand. However, not every disagreement is a disagreement over the gospel. Ultimately, everybody that I talked about, we all believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven and we have to accept Jesus to get to heaven. Uh, but there are just some different agreements. And so, does this difference require separation, or can faithful Christians disagree while remaining in fellowship? Well, ultimately, I think history has shown us that sometimes disagreement causes us to separate and to be in groups of like-minded people. And you've seen that throughout history, that we tend, excuse me, to gravitate towards people and hang out with people that are like us and like-minded like us. And so that that is human nature over the time over time. That doesn't mean it's bad, but God calls us to work together. The third thing is uh historical and cultural causes. There are some historical and cultural causes of why uh denominations have divided. Churches have also divided over economic and social classes, uh, national and ethnic identity. You see, today uh I work very hard to keep our church very bipartisan, but not all churches do. Uh, there are churches that divide over Republican and Democrat, even in our uh, even in our United States of America. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. Uh, worship language. Churches separate over geography. Uh, unfortunately, churches still separate over race. I truly believe that a that a healthy church is a church that is all different colors. Uh, but you know, it is still today that you have uh you have black churches, Hispanic churches, you have white churches. It shouldn't be that way, but that's how we, like I said, human nature is to divide and be around like-minded people. Religion and politics, I talked about that. Uh, forms of church government, how the church should govern itself. You know, I grew up, I grew up in a Baptist uh frame of thought, which thought the the body should vote on everything. Uh, what I'm currently in right now is more of a theocracy, the pastor and the leaders and the board uh set the policies and what should go on. And so, you know, where we where we stand uh is is we've seen historically that we've divided over several things. So we've divided over theology, we've divided over uh uh we've we've divided over uh history and cultural things. But but here's the thing ultimately, the human, we have the human and spiritual problem that is there too. Some divisions have occurred over remarkably small matters. Uh one group um reportedly divided over a person who washed their feet uh and who dried them. I you know, it I did a little research. It's called the River Brethren, reportedly divided over whether the person who washed someone's feet should also be the person who dried them. Uh they they they divided over that. We we divide sometimes as humans over the stupidest things. Uh, but that doesn't mean that God can't still use us. Uh, and so once we identify our preferences with faithfulness to God, almost any disagreement can be a reason to divide. The Bible identifies several spiritual causes of division. The first, jealousy and strife, 1 Corinthians 3, 3 through 9, 4. You are all still uh of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not the flesh and behaving in a human way? For when one says, I follow Paul, and another said, I follow Apollos, are you being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through uh wisdom you believed as the Lord has assigned each. And so in this time, Paul is is saying that people were dividing over leaders in the church, jealousy, strife. Uh, we have this, and another thing that we struggle with in the church is selfish ambition. James 3, 13, 8, 18 says, Who is wise in understanding among you, but his good conduct, let him show his good works uh in meekness and wisdom. But if you have bellet bitter and jealousy and selfish ambitions in your heart, do not boast and be false to the truth. You know, ultimately, we have to understand that that selfish ambition. There are people that leave a church because they want they want an agenda to be met, uh, and they unfortunately uh it's not being met, so they break off uh and start their own church. Um, is it right? No, not necessarily, but it happens. Uh, pride and loyalty to human leaders. You know, uh it says in 1 Corinthians 10 1, 10 through 13, I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you should all be all agree and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to my me by Chloe's people, that there is quarreling amongst you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you say, I follow Apollo, I follow, I follow Paul, I follow Apostles, I follow Cleophys, or I follow Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Paul is saying, you know, listen, don't don't be divided by human leaders, be ye devoted to me. And the last division is is is dissension. There's dissension in the body from time to time. We see this in Galatians 5, 19 through 21. Now the works of the flesh are evident, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and emptiness, uh, drunkardness, orgies, and like the things. I warn you, as I warned before, that those such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. And so, you know, am I defending the gospel? Here's the things you kind of have to ask yourself when you are thinking about leaving a church or thinking about doing uh breaking off and starting another church. The first thing is, am I defending the gospel or am I defending my personal preferences? Is this about Jesus or is this about my personal preference? Second, am I seeking God's glory or my group's reputation? Am I seeking God's glory or my group's reputation? You know, do I want God to be glorified or do I want this group of people that I like so much to be glorified? Am I responding with humility or selfish ambition? You know, sometimes God calls us to be under leaders that we don't always agree with. Am I being humble and following the leaders that God has placed over me, or do I have selfish ambition? Do I want to reconcile or do I simply want to win? I think sometimes we just simply want to win. We don't necessarily want to reconcile. So why divisions keep multiplying? So a pattern uh often repeats throughout church history. Sorry, my computer went off. Uh, that that we see this an established church becomes rigid, compromise uh in spiritually life. This a reform movement calls the church back to uh a neglected truth, the movement develops its own institutions, traditions, and boundaries. The new institution eventually becomes rigid, and another reform movement must separate from it. And so we've we've kind of seen it over over history that a movement comes, it becomes rigid, and then there's a reform, and they break off and do this, and then there's a reform, then they break off and do this. And so each generation's reformation can become the next generation's establishment. Because churches are made up of fallible people, every movement must remain humble, teachable, and open to correction by the scripture. And so, what's the Bible's vision for the church? What's the Bible? You know, I always try to get to the heart of what does the Bible say about this topic? And and so this is this section will be of that. So um, first we got to understand that the Christ is not divided. We saw that in 1 Corinthians 1, 10 through 13. The Corinthians were organized themselves around preferred spiritual leaders. I follow Apollos, I follow uh Paul, I follow Cleopus. Paul responds, is Christ divided? No pastor, theologian, congregation, or denomination was crucified for us. Jesus was. Our loyalty to a group must never replace our loyalty to Christ. My loyalties, I'm an assembly of God minister, my loyalties to the assemblies of God must never supersede what God has called me to do. Ultimately, there's one body. It says in Ephesians 4, 1 through 6, I therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humanity and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another, in love, eager to maintain a unity in the spirit, in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope to belong to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and one father of all, who over all, through all, and in all. Paul identifies one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. Ultimately, Paul does not tell Christians to create one body, he says there already is one body. Everyone who genuinely belongs to Jesus belongs to that body, even when they worship under a different denominational name. And so unity doesn't mean uniformity. And so I want you to hear me today. I'm not saying denominations are a bad thing, I'm saying unity does not always mean uniformity. First Corinthians uh two or first Corinthians two. You can read 12, 12 through 27, but I'm just gonna read 12 and 13 because I think it uh proves the point. But for just as one body it has many members, and all members of the body, though many are one body, so it is in Christ. For in one spirit we are baptized into one body, Jews, Greeks, slaves, or free, and all made uh to drink of the one spirit. The body is one, but it has many members. Those members do not always look alike or perform the same function, but biblically, biblical unity allows us for diversity in culture, personality, ministry, emphasis, ministry, emphasis, worship style, spiritual gifts, and some secondary doctrinal convictions. But it's important to make a distinction. Unity means belonging to one another in Christ. Uniformity means everyone must look, think, worship exactly the same. The Bible calls for unity, not uniformity. So the Bible calls us to be one church, it doesn't call us to all look the same. And so, you know, when people say, Well, there must be one church, it's this is proof why God is not no, no, no, no. The Bible calls us to unity, not uniformity. We can have our own flavor of how we like to do church, as long as we don't put down other churches, as long as we build up other churches. Listen, the church here in Cleburn, if if a church is growing, it is a win for the body of Christ for all of us. And so, um, and some matters permit disagreement. Ultimately, there are some things that God says that we can disagree on. Romans 14, 1 through 4 says, As for one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but do not quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the other person, weak weak person eats only vegetables. Let no the Bible's calling us to be against vegetarians. I'm just kidding. God loves everybody. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one abstains pass judgment for the one who eats. For God has welcomed him. Who are who are you to pass judgment on servants to one another? It is bet before his own master, he stands or falls, and he will be withheld, for the Lord is able to make him a stand. Paul tells us that Christians are not to despise or pass judgment on another over uh disputable matters. And so Christians need wisdom to distinguish whether these are essential truths that define our faith, important convictions that shape our Christian lives, or just a matter of personal preference. And so Christian unity uh is a part of our witness. The more we become unified as the church, it's more of our witness. And so kind of to land start to land the plane today is our denominations always bad. Denominations can serve useful purposes, they can preserve theological convictions. The resources together for ministries connect congregations to one another, but there are some dangers that you have to. Uh they denominations become unhealthy when they treat itself as the only body of Christ. Or uh they prioritize, uh they prioritize institutional survivor survival over biblical faithfulness, when it makes secondary doctrinal tests of salvation, or compete with other churches for recognition, uh, and also builds its identity around superiority to other Christians. There's no church that's better than another. A denomination may be a part of the body of Christ, but no denomination is the whole body of Christ. That's ultimately where we have to get to. And so, how should Christians respond today? So, make Christian your primary identity. You're not a Baptist, you're not an assembly of God, you are a Christian. Uh, our denomination is not who we are. We are one in Christ. Distinguish between essential truths and secondary issues. You've got to really dig down into the Bible and distinguish what is your essential truths? What are the truths that you think matter the most and stand up for those and realize that there are some secondary issues that we can disagree with, and that is okay. Hold convictions with humility. Understand that you may think that you are right, but you may get to heaven and Jesus may tell you that you're wrong. Cooperate whenever faithfulness allows, cooperate with other churches, encourage other churches, work together and practice unity personally. Always be one body under God. You know, anytime I see another pastor, anytime anybody comes to my church and tries to talk bad about another pastor, I always try to build that pastor up. So, you know, you know, us pastors, we we, you know, sometimes we we we're very busy, and I'll never talk down about another pastor, but I'll always encourage the body of Christ. So, in conclusion, why are there so many denominations? Christians have wrestled with some serious theological questions over the years, and they've divided. Christianities have crossed culturals, languages, and nations. Reform movements have challenged uh and established new institutions. Churches have been shaped by politics, race, class, geography. Christians have also been divided by pride, ambition, jealousy, and strife. Denominations can be useful, but they never must be our highest loyalty. And so, what are our final takeaways? We should not pretend our differences are meaningless, but neither should we celebrate divisions as though it were God's idea. Christians can hold convictions uh without hostility, we can pursue truth without pride, we can disagree without becoming enemies, we can recognize believers in other traditions as family in the body of Christ. We can work together to make Jesus visible for all. Because ultimately, like I said in the beginning, ice cream is great. And as many different flavors of ice cream as we can get is awesome. Ultimately, you're gonna find the one that is best for you, but that doesn't mean that your ice cream is better than all ice creams because ice cream is great. And so the kingdom of God is larger than any denomination. If we want the world to see Jesus clearly, that unity must begin with us. So hopefully that answers the question for you today. Uh, it was so great to have you with us at an Ask a Pastor again. If you enjoyed the show, like, share, subscribe. Uh, this uh ministry is supported by Hope Church here in Cleaver. And so if you'd love to give to this ministry, you can give online Hope ChurchCleaver.com uh to that ministry, and that supports what we're doing here. I know it was a longer episode today, so thanks for sticking with me. Love you guys, and we will see you next time on Ask a Pastor.