The uniqueness of the Church, Or
Why are there so many denominations and churches?
(CONTINUATION)

III. Disapproval of the idea of "many churches and denominations"

A. "THE CHURCHES"

The plural form of the word "ecclesia" occurs approximately 30 times in the NT, which is translated as "churches" (Acts 16:5; Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:16; 14:33; 16:1.19; 2 Corinthians 8:18.19.23; Revelation 2:7.23 etc.). The NT speaks indeed about churches in plural that means the local churches of "The Church", that obey the same gospel. But in no case does it refer to churches and denominations, where neither the teaching nor the practise is one.

B. "THE BRANCHES OF THE VINE" (JOHN 15:1-10)

Already from the context it is obvious that the branches cannot mean different churches and denominations. If we analyse the personal pronouns (John 15:3-5.7), we can see that Jesus speaks to His disciples: "I am the wine, you are the branches." The context of v. 1-6 shows the same (John 14:31; 15:8-10). At that time there was no church, far less different churches and denominations. God is the vinedresser. The vine is Christ, the source of Life, who came to the earth. The branches are the disciples of Jesus, whose unity in God is possible through Jesus. God is the one who takes care of the wine. He takes away the branch that does not bear fruit, and prunes the one which bears, that it may bear more fruit. Everyone, who wants to be the disciple of Jesus, can bear fruit only on the vine. Jesus says: "So prove to be my disciples" (John 15:8), "if you keep my commandments" (John 15:10). The relationship/connection between the vine and the branches is the same as it is between Jesus and every of his disciples. Jesus is the source of life in every sense. The branches can bear no fruit without the vine: "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:6). The definite consequence of that if someone doesn't abide in Christ, is not a fruitless and long life on the vine, but being cast forth and burnt. In that text, Jesus says six times: "in me". That repetition teaches that one can bear fruit if one is in Christ that means, he keeps his commandments that God may be glorified (John 15:8; Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 4:16). If one keeps on doing that, then he can abide in him (1 John 2:24; 3:24). If the different churches and denominations kept the commandments of Jesus being on the same vine, they would be in unity in their teaching and their life. The character of the vine does not allow that a simple vine would have different kind of branches, bearing different kinds of fruit. A vine-branch on the same vine doesn't bear melon, another apricot, still another vine, in especial not thistle.

C. "THE MEMBERS OF BODY" (1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27)

The expression: "members of body" cannot be interpreted arbitrarily in a way that refers to churches and denominations that have developed up to now, since Paul's addressees are the Corinthians; they are those, who are called by Paul: "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27). Paul compares the church to an organic system that is the body. As in any organic system, the unity of the members is the sign of the basic principle of life/basic conviction of life that is the same in the church. The baptism, mentioned here in Corinth does not fit the baptism of different churches and denominations: "For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13). In the same way it is absurd to refer v. 25 to the denominations mentioned above: "That there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another." Their rivalry does not fit "suffering or rejoice together" for Christ (1 Corinthians 12:26), since neither in life nor in teaching are in unity.

D. OTHER SHEEP OF OTHER FOLD (JOHN 10:1-18)

The term shepherd must be interpreted on the base of the Old Testament, where God himself is the "Shepherd of Israel" (Psalms 80:2; 23:1; Isaiah 40:10-11; Ezekiel 34:11-16) who gave great responsibility to the leaders of Israel ("the shepherds") (Ezekiel 34:1-10) despite the fact that they did not pasture the flock but themselves. Therefore God turns against them and puts an end to their pasturing the flock. He promises to order them the real Shepherd, the Messiah, who takes care of the sheep (Ezekiel 34:23). In the gospel of John Jesus is "the door of the sheep". Those who had come before him were false-prophets, false-messiahs as those Jewish scribes and Pharisees; they were not shepherds but robbers. The statement of Jesus: he is "the good shepherd" reveals that he is the Messiah, fulfilling the promise of Ezekiel's book. The sheep are the Jews along with those in dispersion who, according to Ezekiel, will be gathered by God "from among the nations" (Ezekiel 34:13; John 11:52). About the sheep of another fold Jesus says that he has to lead them too and they too will listen to his voice: "and there shall be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). Those sheep are the Gentiles who were not the members of God's nation in the Old Testament, but they became the sheep of God's real nation, the Church in the New Testament through their obedience (Ephesians 2:11-22; John 17:20). Jesus says: "I know those of mine and those know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father" (John 10:14-15). If someone knows Jesus then he wants to obey him in every item, keeps his commandments just as Jesus obeyed the Father and kept His commandments. For "no one who lives in Him keeps on sinning: no one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him" (1 John 3:6). How can one think after all that those of another fold mean different churches and denominations? For there is only one shepherd and one flock.

See still in our writing entitled "The visible church" the explanation about John 10:14-16.