Today, we start a new question as it relates to the New Testament church. Should there be many different “churches,” all with different doctrines? It is estimated that there are thirty-two thousand different denominations in the world. This means that there are thirty-two thousand different doctrines governing these denominations. So, the questions we will consider are—Is the universal church made up of many different denominations? Is denominationalism what Jesus meant when He told Peter, “On this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18)? Did Jesus desire division? The answer to all these questions is—no!

First, is the universal church made up of many different denominations? Does it take Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, Baptists, etc. to form the one church mentioned in the Scriptures? If so, then how many of the thirty-two thousand denominations does it take to complete the church, and was the church complete before the summation of the thirty-two thousand denominations?

Some of these denominations did not exist ten years ago. Therefore, some of the doctrines didn’t exist. So, was the church incomplete for thousands of years before certain denominations existed? There is only one church that is pleasing to the Father—the church who does His will. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

The Father has revealed His will to us in His Word (John 17:17; 1 Tim. 3:15) and because we have only one Bible, it produces one faith (Eph. 4:4-6), which is a product of studying His Word (Rom. 10:17) and gives us the ability to rightly divide it (2 Tim. 2:15). We are only pleasing to the Father when the whole counsel of God is rightly-divided and faith is procured; He then rewards us for diligently seeking Him (Acts 20:26-27; Heb. 11:6). The word “denomination” means “a part of the whole,” which suggests that each denomination only has a part of the truth. In this condition, the church cannot be pleasing to the Father.

Secondly, is denominationalism what Jesus meant when He told Peter, “on this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18)? We must first notice that Jesus placed His name upon the church, not someone else’s name or method, and He would not be pleased to see someone else’s name or method upon His property. He purchased the church with His blood; therefore, it belongs to Him (Acts 20:28). Because of this, Jesus is the only way to the Father. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Therefore, salvation is in none other (Acts 4:12). The church belongs to Jesus, so He built a singular church with a singular doctrine. The phrase “My church” is singular, because the pronoun “My” refers to a singular person. The phrases “the way,” “the truth,” and “the life” refer to doctrine and the definite article “the” in front of each phrase demonstrates the singular nature of doctrine. Therefore, Jesus did not have denominationalism in mind when He built His church.

Lastly, did Jesus desire division? Jesus prayed for unity, not division. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:20-21a). Denominationalism is division, where doctrine separates instead of unifying us. Therefore, Jesus would not approve of denominationalism, because He prayed for perfect oneness with Him and the Father (John 17:23).

The church is not comprised of many different “churches”, because there is only one faith. Jesus did not have denominationalism in mind when He created the church because of the words He used. Finally, Jesus prayed for the unity of the believers; therefore, He did not desire division. If these questions are false, then the New Testament church is not made up of many different “churches” with different doctrines, and this practice needs to be stopped immediately.

Just something to consider.