Sectarianism: Hot-Bed For Atheism
The first four chapters of the first Corinthian letter are addressed to the Corinthian Christians for the purpose of correcting the divisions that existed in the church there. Members of the church of the Lord were becoming divided into factions and sects. They were following men rather than the Lord, and were calling themselves by human names. If you had approached any one of them, and asked him first of all, what are you religiously? he likely would have identified himself with a sect before admitting any relationship with Christ at all. He would have said, I am a Cephasite, or I am an Apollosite, or, I am a Paulite. Had you corrected such a use of human names and such sectarianism, and had you condemned (as Paul did) this party spirit, he would very likely have said, That doesn't mean I'm not a Christian; I am a Christian, but I'm a Cephasite Christian, or an Apollosite Christian, or a Paulite Christian. They felt they had the right as Christians to divide themselves into factions, sects, and parties, and to hold up before the world a divided Christ.
Paul's argument against this was, Is Christ divided? That's the very first argument he used. From there on he went on to condemn the division that characterized these Corinthian Christians, and to pronounce the judgment of God against them.
Embryonic Denominationalism
You have denominationalism as it exists in the world today in its embryonic form in the Corinthian church. If it had been allowed to go along without divine condemnation, the church possibly would have parted asunder. The various factions and sects would have become distinct and separate. Apart one from the other, they would have developed into full fledged religious denominations. It simply had not gone that far yet in Corinth. Paul condemned it by the authority of Christ, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, before it ever got that far.
Such religious division and denominationalism as existed then at Corinth, or a more developed form of it as it exists in the world today, is contrary to the will of God: it is contrary to, and subversive to, the teaching of God's word. No man can be any part of it, or in any sense responsible for it, and be acceptable with God. Christianity cannot be denominationalized; it cannot be sectarianized. When men corrupt the unity of the Spirit, and destroy the bond of peace that makes the unity of the Spirit, possible, God is displeased, and refuses to recognize as his own those who are responsible.
Christ's Prayer For Unity
Religious division in our present age is possibly the greatest hindrance in all the world to the growth and progress of Christianity. It obscures completely the proper conception of the religion of Christ, confusing the minds and hearts of people who otherwise would be interested. It becomes the hot-bed for atheism and infidelity and disinterest in religion. Division among his followers is recognized as the cause of these things by Jesus in his prayer concerning unity. (Jno. 17) He prayed, "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me." (Jno. 17:20,21) This was the prayer of Jesus in behalf of all his followers. He desired that they be one—one in spirit, one in faith, one in body. Complete and perfect unity among all his followers was the thing he longed for.
To agree, or to grant, that religious division as it exists in the world today is pleasing in the sight of God makes ridiculous the prayer that Christ prayed. If unity among believers then was essential, then unity among all believers in this generation is essential. If it was then the will of Christ that his followers be united, it is still his will. Any sort or kind of factionalism, division, partyism, or denominationalism that would destroy the unity of the body of Christ becomes sinful in the sight of God the very moment that division begins.
In spite of this, however, we look out upon the religious world today and find a vast number of religious bodies (nearly 300 in the United States alone) each of which claims to be truly representative of the Christ who died to purchase man's redemption; each one claims to be a part, at least, of the body of Christ, a part of the church of the living God. Yet they worship in different ways, wear different names, and preach doctrines that are contradictory to one another.
Causes Of Infidelity
The religious world is not united, in spite of all the spirit of "tolerance" that you hear about. Preachers preach and teach exactly opposite to one another. The) can put their arms around each other, yet in faith the) are not one; in body they are not one. Neither spiritually nor organically does either union or unity exist between them. The brotherhood that is professed is simply make-believe affair; the unity they talk about is a men profession, an idle pretense; it does not exist. Their conflicting doctrines and conflicting claims result only is dissention and confusion in the hearts and minds of the people.
Have you ever wondered why the great majority o the good people of this country are very little interested in religion? The answer, for the most part, is that the; have become so confused by the conflicting claims of denominationalism that they have simply lost interest. The know that these divisions are not the unity for which Christ prayed. They have become first confused, then disgusted, with the varying and contradictory claims of those who say they are followers of Christ. When you consider denominationalism as it compares with New Testament Christianity, it is easy to see how the divided condition of so-called Christendom obscures the real Christianity of Christ's desire. It becomes exceedingly difficult for people to get a true conception of the church. It is hard for them to realize or understand that Christianity ever existed in any form other than that in which they know it today—a condition of division, factionalism, and partyism.
Christ prayed for unity among his followers "that the world might believe". There can be no doubt that one of the greatest, if not the very greatest, cause of infidelity is this very division of which we have been speaking. People do not realize that for several hundred years the church of the New Testament existed without these divisions. The church recognized no human founder, wore no human name, accepted no human authority, had no human innovations in its worship, and was governed by no human organization. It is in a restoration of that church in all her primitive beauty and power that humanity today has her only hope, her only help. Denominationalism must go. It is destructive of the very nature of true Christianity.