John 17 and Denominationalism (Part 1)

Did you ever get the impression from some Christians that their particular church was really the only true church around? They were the only ones really doing things right? I’ve worked for and consulted churches like this…I can say they aren’t just no fun, they are also dangerously arrogant!

In John 17 we have one of the most astounding prayers in all of Scripture. Here we have Jesus, in the hours before his own crucifixion and separation from the Father, our Savior praying for us.  Think about how astounding it is that Jesus, moments before he endures the wrath of God, is thinking about you and me and our churches; that is amazing! So, what does Jesus pray? He prays that we will be united.

“I do not ask for these only [that is the disciples], but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21).

Jesus desires, and desires so much that he prays for it in his hour of great distress, that we be “one.” In fact he prays that we would be one, “just as” the Father and the Son are one. Now that’s a deep “oneness.” The problem of course is that we aren’t one. Any drive through your town or my town and we will see hundreds of different churches. We’re like Baskin Robbins, Christianity has 31 flavors for you to pick and choose from. Over here is bubble gum, and that’s rocky road, and down on the corner is a scoop of sherbet (who actually likes that flavor?!). So what does this mean for Jesus’ prayer?

There are some who contend that Jesus wasn’t here praying for organizational unity, but rather simply spiritual unity. We are all united in Christ and that is the depth of our unity. Our doctrinal disagreements and separations have nothing to do with Jesus’ prayer. Well, that’s a possibility except that it seems like an arbitrary distinction to draw between “organizational unity” and “spiritual unity.” I agree with John Frame who points out that this division is really more platonic than Biblical, and that spiritual unity still has some kind of visible representation. After all Jesus’ prayer includes the phrase “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” How are people suppose to respond to our spiritual unity if it has no visible manifestation (See John Frame, Evangelical Reunion. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991)?

A better interpretation is, I believe, to see all our separations and divisions as, at some level great or small, sin. It’s not that the doctrinal differences don’t matter…of course they do. But separation and split only come about because of sin. Sin in either the one starting a new denomination or by those of the original denomination (or both). When a group falls into major theological error a split becomes necessary for the preservation of the truth. But the problem is that we have made these splits a glorious thing. We have elevated denominations and doctrinal distinctives to unbiblical levels. The results of this elevation have been and remain disastrous for the church, but, I believe, there is a better way. There is a way that can both uphold Biblical orthodoxy and yet not glory in divisions.