“There is one body” (Eph.4:4)… “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor.1:13)… “He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body” (Eph.1:22-23)… “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).

Questions

In the religious world today, someone will ask: “Are you Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, or Christian?” Because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Divine Son of God, who left heaven to come to earth, lived a perfect life, died as a sacrifice, and was raised from the dead before ascending back to heaven, we confidently proclaim “We are Christians.” No other world religion has such a Savior!

“Well,” our inquisitor may ask, “Are you Catholic or Protestant?” While we “protest” any effort to name a human head of the church and do not hold church tradition as authoritative in addition to the Bible, we are also not committed to any religious leader identified historically with Protestant denominationalism. Therefore, we again simply say, “We are just Christians. We are disciples of Christ, not men.”

So our questioner again asks, “Okay, are you Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Pentecostal?” Jesus prayed that we all might be one. He is not divided. He is the head of the one body (not one head over many bodies). Therefore we again say, “We are simply Christians…(not Baptist-Christians, Methodist -Christians, Presbyterian-Christians, etc.).

“But you must have a creed,” our friend says. “Do you follow the Catechism, the 39 Articles, the Baptist Manual, the Methodist Discipline, the Augsburg Confession, the Westminster Confession of Faith, The Book of Mormon, the Watchtower, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, etc., etc.” “No,” we reply. “We follow only the Bible. We believe that the Scriptures are inspired of God and that they are profitable for all things spiritual so that the “man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim.3:15-16). There is no need for any human creed. If a creed contains more than the Bible, it says more than God said. If less, then it overlooks something contained in God’s word. “But how do you stay together and believe the same things?” Again, we go to the Bible. If it is in the Bible, we believe it. If it’s not there, we leave it alone. We try to speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.

What the New Testament Church was not

Some see the church as a place where people worship but the church was not a physical building. On employment applications, they used to ask for your church preference. One young fellow said, “I prefer a red brick church.” Not a good answer. Jesus did not shed his blood and give His life for a building; even a great majestic cathedral where icons adorn the walls, ritual “sacraments” are solemnly observed, and vaults entomb the “saints.”

Others think of “the church” as being like an umbrella where each denomination is under the ecumenical shelter of acceptance with God; or like a pie where each denomination is a piece. How do those images unite all Christians and fulfill the prayer of Christ that his disciples may be ONE? We ask with Paul, “Is Christ divided?”

This image of a pie cut into pieces really defines “denominationalism;” i.e., separating into distinctly named sectarian entities holding differing affiliation, doctrinal beliefs, and organizational structure. To “denominate” is “to name.” In religion that necessarily denotes identity separate and distinct from other similar organizations or bodies which have their own names.

Still others see the church as an institution like a modern corporation with an organizational chart which may include among other things a president, officers, councils, synods, conventions, hospitals, orphan-ages, colleges, publishing houses, and missionary societies. All of these are without Biblical precedent; in other words, one cannot see them in the first century church. They are typical of denominations and they institutionalize the church.

So, what is “the church of Christ?”

To answer, we must understand some basic truths involved in God’s plan of salvation. All have sinned (Rom.3:23). Sin separates man from God bringing spiritual death (6:23). Only by God’s grace through faith in Christ may one be restored to fellowship with God (Eph. 2:1-10). When the gospel as commissioned by Christ (Matt.28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16) was first preached on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47), “about three thousand souls were added” (v.41). Subsequently, “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (v.47). The “church” therefore is all those saved by Christ.

The church in the worldwide sense, therefore, is people: all saved people in Christ. It is a relationship in which men everywhere submit to Christ. The church in the local sense is simply a group of Christians who have come together to do together what Christ has given them to do collectively as a congregation (spiritual things like worship and evangelism, etc.).

How does this differ from denominationalism?

Perhaps it is now becoming clear why we say we are non-denominational. We do not denominate ourselves by any name other than the name of Christ. Individually we wear Christ’s name and call ourselves “Christians.” As a church, we are simply the church of Christ. We do not have a human head or church leaders except elders and deacons in each congregation (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). We have no human organizations or agencies attached to the church as a part of it. Our work and worship is spiritual and does not emphasize recreation and entertainment. Our funding is solely by free-will contributions and not through business enterprise or sales activities.

Does being non-denominational mean that we accept everyone’s beliefs and practices? Certainly not! We accept only what Christ teaches. Remember, it is not Christ’s church if it does not allow Him to direct it in every way. That is why we are members of the non-denominational church that belongs to Christ.