There was a time when there were no denominations, Catholic or Protestant. In the days of the apostles men were just Christians. ". . . And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 1 Y:26). Gospel preachers persuaded them to just be a "Christian" (Acts 26:28). Peter said, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (1 Pet. 4:16).

(1) The Lord's church is not a denomination. Jesus said, "I will build my church . . ." (Matt. 16:18). The church revealed in the Bible is the Lord's church, purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). What is it about the Bible church that is denominational?

(2) Find the answer. To what denomination did Paul, James and John belong? Take your Bible and search to see if you can determine to what denomination, if any, that these men belonged. If you find, and I believe that you will, that they belonged to no denomination, but that they were members of the Lord's church - would you be content to just be a Christian and a member of the same body? Would you?

(3) Suppose. Just suppose we could put a person in a room by himself. This person knows nothing about any religious teaching. We give him a Bible. He has never seen a Bible or heard a thing about it. We arrange his stay so that he has no contact with any person. He reads and understands the Bible (Eph. 3:4); comes out and obeys it. He is baptized as the Bible teaches, (Mk. 16:16). Question. What church would he say he is a member of? What is he religiously? To what denomination does he belong?

Truth Magazine XXIII: 35, p. 569
September 6, 1979