The leaders and teachers around whom the denominations of Christendom are built, did not, in most instances, intend to originate denominations. Most of them were men of earnestness and convictions who had, or believed they had, weighty truths to preach to men; and who sought the good of man and the glory of God. The great leaders before the Reformation--Huss and others, were of that type. Luther stood up wholehearted for God's word; so did Calvin, Knox, Wesley--brave and strong men, who did a great work in their day, in furtherance of the interests of the kingdom of God. Their work was imperfect, their understanding of the truth was limited, and the pure gold of the truth they held was more or less mingled with the dross of human error. But in every such case it could be said, I think, that if the followers had pressed on in the same spirit and purpose in which these leaders started they would have attained unto the unity of the faith and the full measure of the truth. [345]

      The denominations of Christendom are cases of arrested development. Instead of pressing on to perfection they stopped. They were content with the good doctrine they had, considered it all-sufficient, formulated it, constituted themselves upon it, and became petrified into a religious party or denomination. Such is the genesis of a sect in almost every case. To fence in what one has, is to fence out what one has not. To declare oneself in possession of all necessary truth is to slight and resist further truth. Thus men are hardened and blinded into partisan beliefs, at the price of life and growth and freedom and power in the Lord, Christendom is replete with fossilized men and parties, who are as unable to shake themselves free from traditional error as they are to go on into better light and understanding. They are more in love with their own peculiar views than with the mind of God.

      Moreover (and this is the saddest thing) what hoarded truth they think they have soon corrupts in their hands. A pot of soil taken out of the earth and set by itself molds and sours. A bucket of water taken out of the sea stagnates. A handful of truth taken out of God's revelation is not, as they think, preserved, but, like the manna kept overnight, breeds worms and decays. A little boy stood holding an empty box to the sun, and suddenly clapping the lid down ran into the house with it. What did he capture in that box? What did he have? Sunlight? We know that sunlight can be had and enjoyed only by communion with the sun. Even so the truth can be enjoyed only in intercourse with God through His word. When we shut the lid on it we have lost it.

      That a similar danger threatens those who avowedly stand upon the whole Bible as simple Christians must be obvious to us all. The great principles set forth by Alexander Campbell and his co-workers, if followed out in the spirit in which they were proclaimed and stressed will lead us more and more increasingly into the full apprehension of the truth of God. But once we come to the conclusion that we have actually attained to the truth, at least to as much of it as is worth knowing, then, regardless of all Scriptural names and claims to undenominational Christianity, we will fall into the same denominational rut with the sects of Christendom. When men have summed up and sealed up their sound doctrine they can thenceforth only haggle over its details, and work out refinements on its accepted points as the Pharisees did in their law; but they can no longer reach out to obtain more truth and light, neither can they correct themselves nor can they [346] learn anything any more. When the mill has nothing to grind it will grind on itself. Thus come disruptions and parties and factions. Only the going on in the truth, only the walking forward by faith and the obedience in the path that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, can keep us in unity and fellowship and bring us unto that final unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God.

[HDS 345-347.]

      The electronic version of R. H. Boll's "How Denominations Started" has been produced from the 90th Anniversary Issue of The Word and Work, Vol. 92, No. 11 (November-December 1998), pp. 345-347. The essay is reprinted from its earlier appearance in the magazine, Vol. 21, No. 8 (August 1928), pp. 225-227. Thanks to Alex V. Wilson, Editor of Word and Work, for permission to publish the essay as an electronic text.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 1 October 2000.
Updated 21 June 2003.