Denominations: Are They Biblical?

Denominations: Are They Biblical?

If you look around the Christian landscape today, you’ll quickly notice something peculiar: tens of thousands of different church groups called denominations, each with their own label, heritage, and often their own way of doing almost everything. To some, this diversity is proof of Christianity’s vibrancy. To others, it’s an indictment of how far we’ve drifted from Jesus’ command to be one.

How did we get here? Were denominations part of the plan? And what does the Bible really say about how believers should handle disagreements?

To answer these questions, we have to go all the way back to the earliest days of the church and trace how unity was first established, then fractured, then institutionalized in ways that would have shocked the first apostles.

The Early Church: United in the Essentials

For a significant period, the church remained largely united. After Jesus’ ascension, the believers gathered in Jerusalem under the leadership of the apostles. This was not a divided movement but a single, Spirit-led community marked by common teaching, fellowship, prayer, and the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42).

Even as the gospel spread beyond Jerusalem, the church maintained a remarkable oneness. Local congregations were established—house churches in Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, Antioch—and overseen by elders. In Crete, Titus was appointed to organize leadership (Titus 1:5). In Ephesus, Timothy was tasked with maintaining doctrinal purity (1 Timothy 1:3). These leaders functioned not as separate denominations but as shepherds of one church that spanned the Roman world.

When disputes arose—like the question of whether Gentile believers needed to keep the Mosaic Law—the apostles didn’t fragment into competing camps. They gathered in Jerusalem to seek God’s will together (Acts 15). Notably, even here, it was James, the brother of Jesus, who presided and issued the final judgment, underscoring that early church leadership was never vested in a single supreme figure.

The First Signs of Division: Factions and Personality Cults

Even in this early era of unity, the seeds of division were sprouting. In Corinth, believers were already aligning themselves with charismatic leaders. Some claimed, “I follow Paul,” others, “I follow Apollos,” and still others, “I follow Peter.”

Paul’s rebuke was unequivocal:

“Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13)

He went further in 1 Corinthians 3, asking:

“Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? Servants through whom you believed...”

The earliest threat to unity was not heresy—it was prideful identification with human teachers. This same problem echoes today whenever Christians are more eager to declare, “I am a Calvinist,” or “I am a Lutheran,” than “I am in Christ.”

From Heresies to Councils

Over the first three centuries, the church faced serious doctrinal threats—Gnosticism, Arianism, and other heresies. In response, Christians held councils to define orthodoxy. The Nicene Creed (325) and the Council of Chalcedon (451) clarified the essentials: the deity of Christ, the Trinity, and the incarnation.

While these clarifications were necessary, the growing entanglement with the Roman Empire planted seeds of institutionalism. As bishops gained influence, the simplicity of the Acts church gradually gave way to a system where hierarchy could overshadow the gospel itself.

The Great Schism: From One Church to Two

For centuries, the church remained outwardly united, despite rising tension between East and West. That unity finally shattered in 1054.

The split centered on two issues:

• The filioque clause—whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone (Orthodox) or from the Father and the Son (Catholic).

• The authority of the pope.

The churches in the East held to the tradition of decentralized leadership, seeing the apostles as examples of shared authority. While Peter was a key figure, it was James who presided in Jerusalem and issued rulings (Acts 15). The Orthodox argued that no single man was meant to stand as the head of the universal church.

Meanwhile, Rome advanced the idea that the Bishop of Rome was the successor of Peter, holding supreme authority. This claim does not match the pattern of Acts, where the church operated through councils of elders and apostolic consensus.

The split was more than theological—it was cultural, political, and linguistic. From then on, the Catholic and Orthodox churches went their separate ways.

Orthodoxy: Strengths and Weaknesses

One strength of the Orthodox Church is its preservation of the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), the version most often quoted by the apostles. Its canon and the order of its books reflect what the early church recognized as Scripture.

But Orthodoxy is not a perfect window into the apostolic church. Many of its practices emerged during the Byzantine era—like highly ritualized liturgies and certain forms of icon veneration. Appeals to “Holy Tradition” can be difficult to ground in the New Testament itself.

Catholicism: Strengths and Weaknesses

The Catholic tradition helped preserve doctrinal clarity in the West and played a role in stabilizing European civilization after Rome fell. But as the church’s influence merged with state power, corruption grew. The claim of an unbroken papal lineage to Peter cannot be fully reconciled with the shared leadership model seen in the book of Acts.

By the late Middle Ages, abuses were rampant. Indulgences were sold. Spiritual authority was wielded for political ends. The Reformation became inevitable.

The Protestant Reformation: Reform and Fragmentation

In the 1500s, reformers like Luther and Calvin rose to challenge the Catholic Church’s corruption and doctrinal drift. Luther never intended to found a new denomination. He remained a Catholic priest to his dying day. His hope was to reform Catholicism from within.

Yet instead of returning to the early church, Protestantism retained much of Catholic heritage—liturgical patterns, Augustinian theology, hierarchical structures—and simply removed the pope. That’s why Lutheranism often feels like a “lighter” version of Catholicism.

Many modern Protestants don’t realize they are reformed Catholics, not a restored version of the Acts church. And rather than recovering unity, the Reformation set in motion an explosion of new sects.

The Explosion of Denominations

Instead of returning to the simplicity of the Acts church, Protestantism fractured into thousands of denominations. Today, it is estimated there are over 40,000 Christian denominations, most Protestant.

Many of these divisions are over secondary doctrines—modes of baptism, views of church government, styles of worship. Naming churches after human teachers—Lutheran, Calvinist—is exactly the error Paul condemned:

“I appeal to you...that there be no divisions among you.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)“Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you?” (1 Corinthians 1:13)“Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? Servants through whom you believed.” (1 Corinthians 3:5)

If Paul were here today, he would ask, “Were you baptized in the name of Luther or in the name of Christ?”

Why Denominations Are Not Biblical

Paul’s letters could not be clearer. In 1 Corinthians 1:10 he writes:

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters...to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”

He calls factionalism a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21), listing division alongside envy and drunkenness.

In Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8–10, he teaches that secondary issues—food, special days, ceremonial practices—must not be grounds for separation.

And yet, today, denominations often define themselves by secondary doctrines. Many are even named after individuals—Luther, Calvin, Wesley—ironically repeating the very pastor-worship Paul condemned.

Secondary Doctrine

In Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8–10, Paul addressed disagreements over food, special days, and other secondary issues. He never called believers to divide over these matters:

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” (Romans 14:1)

He consistently taught that while convictions matter, they must not break fellowship. Even after the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 gave instructions, Paul still urged believers to avoid quarreling over such rules.

Denominations as Sinful Division

Galatians 5:19–21 warns that division is a work of the flesh:

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature...the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity...hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division...anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

This is not a casual issue. Division is listed alongside sorcery and drunkenness. Paul repeatedly taught that unity is essential:

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

Modern Non-Denominational Churches: A Better Way?

Some believers have responded by dropping denominational labels altogether. At their best, non-denominational churches aim to return to the simplicity of the New Testament: Jesus as the head, Scripture as the guide, and elders as shepherds.

But there are dangers. Many churches claim to be non-denominational while retaining old denominational beliefs and politics. This bait-and-switch breeds distrust and cynicism.

Some churches have dropped denominational labels to focus solely on the gospel. When done honestly, this is a return to a biblical pattern: Christ is the head of the church—not any pope, patriarch, or reformer.

Yet many so-called non-denominational churches are only non-denominational in name. They retain the same theology and polity as their parent denomination. This bait and switch has caused many to lose trust in church altogether.

The Modern Church: Divided and Distracted

Today, the church often seems more focused on entertainment, politics, and celebrity pastors than on Christ. This is not new—Paul faced it in Corinth, too:

“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?” (1 Corinthians 3:3)

The same spirit is alive whenever believers identify primarily with a label rather than with Jesus.

How to Think About Denominations Today

If you’re looking for a church, don’t stop at the sign out front. Ask:

• Are they truly independent, or just rebranded?

• Do they allow open dialogue on secondary doctrines?

• Are they centered on the gospel above all else?

  
  

Remember, the church should be:

“...eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

Conclusion: The Main Thing

For all our divisions, there is only one Head of the church. Not a pope, not a patriarch, not a reformer.

When Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus, he warned them:

“Don’t get involved in foolish arguments...These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.” (Titus 3:9–10)

True Christianity needs no reformation because it is founded on the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Our call is to keep the main thing the main thing:

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:5)

When the church divides over disputable matters, we grieve the Spirit who unites us. When we center on Jesus, we find the unity He prayed for in John 17.