"And he is the head of the body, the church:..that in all things he might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18). The word preeminence means: "eminent above others; excelling others" (Webster). I call attention to Eph. 1. "...and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all" (vs.22-23). Here is Paul's emphasis on the importance and preeminence of the church. The preeminence of the church is emphasized in the position of Christ as the head of it.
The terms "the head" and "the church" mean: one head and one church. Yet, many say, "join the church of your choice." What has happened to the church of God's choice? Christ built only one. Think about it. Christ is the head of the church because it belongs to him (Matt. 16:18). He purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20:28).
The church is the spiritual realm over which Jesus Christ rules as head. In the aggregate, the church is composed of all the saved (Acts 2:47). When Jesus said: "upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18), that meant the whole church, the saved everywhere, the saved in the aggregate. Every person who obeys the gospel is a member of the church, in that sense. That is the church in the whole, or the universal sense.
The scriptures refer to the church in a local sense. "The church of God which is in Corinth" (I Cor. 1:2). It includes all the saved at Corinth. In the local sense, the church is an organization with elders, deacons, and members. In I Tim. 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9, we find the qualifications required for elders and deacons. Then in I Cor.12:20 we read: "But now are they many members, yet BUT ONE BODY. Some claim the "many members" has reference to "many denominations." But read verse 27: "Now ye [people] are the body of Christ and members in particular."
A denomination is a religious organization larger than any local church, but smaller than the whole church.
One might ask: "Why is a denomination smaller than the whole church?" Because no denomination ever claimed to have all Christians in it. All denominationalists say that there are Christians in all other denominations. Therefore, a denomination is smaller than the whole (universal) church. The whole church is made up of all the saved.
A denomination is larger than the local church, why? Because it takes all the congregations of one "faith and order" to make up any one particular denomination.
A denomination is too small to be the church in the whole (universal) sense, and too large to be the church in the local sense. Therefore, too large and too small to be scriptural. There is no scriptural, Bible, New Testament idea of a denomination.
Note what Jesus said in Matt. 7. "Beware of false prophets, which come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (v 15). They don't announce that they are false prophets. They deceive. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (v16). Be as the noble Bereans. Search the scriptures to see whether these things be so (Acts 17:11). Remember, "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom.14:12). Jesus as the head of the church (not a denomination) has the preeminence. He will be "revealed from heaven...in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and OBEY NOT the gospel..." (II Thess.1:7-8).
"If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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