What is a Denomination

[box]RVWD is my abbreviation for Religious Vocabulary Word of the Day. (You can read my introduction to the RVWD series here.) I do not intend for these word investigations to be exhaustive, but I hope they stimulate some thinking about assumptions. Possibly they will help with honest evaluations about what is truth and what is unnecessary baggage in life. [/box]
To “denominate” something means to classify according to how it is being measured. Hence, money has denominations, or specific names, based on its value. “What denominations would you like?” when you go to the bank to get cash, means “what value of bills would you like to receive?” A denominator, when speaking of fractions, gives a certain comparative value to the top number. In this case, the pre-fix “de-” indicates “separation,” while the “nominate” root is just another word for naming something. So, the word means “to set something into its own group with its specific name.” When someone asks, “What denomination do you belong to?” they are actually asking something like, “which value of (usually so-called Protestant) religious organization do you choose to be associated with?” or “how do you compare your religious organization with other religious organizations?”
This system of classification is the result of men claiming religious authority, often by political power, and using it to coerce others to come under their banner. (see Reformation Misinformation) Such tactics are tried by the immature, who think they need to impose codes of conduct on others; or by those who see the opportunity to grasp power by declaring spiritual connections with powers on high. Always so useful to claim that. For the second group, you have to wonder if any true Christianity is really involved. This type of classification is contrary to how the Bible presents things, where every individual chooses to believe in Jesus Christ or not. Those who follow Christ are all brothers, but are advised to find mature followers to fellowship with. Those who are truly spiritually mature have no need to have “followers.” They realize that the only person we are supposed to follow as real Christians is Christ.
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:5-11)
A key feature of religious denominational organizations is that they have an almost military structure. If you question those who run the place, you will at least find yourself marginalized. Often you will find lies spread about you and charges of heresy or an “independent spirit.” It is amazingly, or not, reminiscent of the very thing that those who teach the glories of the reformation claim to have strained against. But what they really seem to have meant was: “Do things according to our man-made hierarchy and rules instead.” It is all counter to the unity and freedom that God was trying to give us. We should be able to get together with other Christians without some self-proclaimed leaders telling us when or how to do it, when to sit and stand, what we are allowed to say, and so forth. We should be able to get together with other Christians without all our time and energy being siphoned off to keep the organization alive. However, for various reasons, people are still enticed to become part of such organizations.
Basically, any religious group based on governmental/military structure is going to end up as a denomination, because it has to, by its nature, distinguish itself from other groups with similar structures. Unfortunately, the groups that do this and claim to represent Christianity are much more visible than people that get together without all the posturing. And, unfortunately, it leads many unbelievers to misunderstand the true nature of Christian brotherhood. It is hard for it to look like there is love for fellow Christians when there is so much effort spent creating divisions.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35)