A Christianity Today essay makes a biblical case for remaining nondenominational, without treating that as a slight against anyone who loves a historic tradition.
The argument
The writer has watched friends move into Orthodoxy, Catholicism, the PCA or Anglicanism, and felt a little embarrassed to say “nondenominational,” as if that only meant fog machines. The piece notes that the largest slice of American Protestantism is, ironically, no denomination at all. It also reminds us denominations aren’t new: first-century Judaism had Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and others, and outsiders even called the early church a “sect” of Judaism (Acts 28:22).
When the Corinthians started lining up behind Paul, Apollos or Peter, Paul shut it down. We belong to Christ, not to a brand (1 Corinthians 1:12-13). The author is careful not to pretend the New Testament maps one-to-one onto today’s nondenominational churches, and says the body still needs every part: “the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you'” (1 Corinthians 12:21).
My take
I’m with the heart of this. The Holy Spirit isn’t owned by a denomination, and neither is the Church. If a liturgy helps you worship, wonderful. If a nondenominational house helps you hear God and obey Him, that’s wonderful too. Don’t let the sign on the door become the main thing. Jesus is.
God Bless, and Use the Source!
