Why Are There So Many Churches?

Today there are so many different churches, it can be rather confusing. There are churches calling themselves all kind of names and teaching a wide variety of doctrines. This is not what we read in the Bible. This not what Jesus wants.

The very first time we read the word 'church' in the Bible is in Matthew 16:18.

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18 NAS95)

People get caught up with this verse thinking that Jesus is saying that the church was built on Peter, it was not! The rock Jesus is talking about here is what Peter SAID. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16). The church was not built upon a mere man – it was built on Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

It is important to read what Jesus said after talking about the rock. He said, “I will the my church.” As stated before, this is the first time we read the word “church” in the New Testament. And by studying this phrase we can learn a lot.

Firstly we learn who the builder of the church is – Jesus! This is an important fact that we need to remember. There have been many people come along years after Jesus built His church and built their OWN churches. But the church of the Bible was built by Jesus.

We also notice that Jesus told us He would build “His” church. We have to realize that the church of the Bible is owned by Jesus, He paid for it with His blood (Acts 20:28). Since that time others have build their churches and given those churches their names. The church that Christ built and owns carries His name  - the church of Christ (Rom 16:16).

We also notice that Jesus that when Jesus told us, “I will build My church” (Matt 16:18), He uses the word “church” in the singular. He was only ever going to build one church.
So far we have noticed that:

• Christ was the builder of the church
• It was His church, bought with His blood
• He only built one church

So why are there so many churches today?

Once again we go to the scriptures for the answer.

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1–3 NAS95)

Clearly we are taught that people would leave the truth and follow error – it is described here as “doctrines of demons”. The results are seen today: many churches following many different doctrines.

In Paul’s next letter to Timothy he says,
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1–4 NAS95)

Again, this is what we are seeing today. People will not endure sound doctrine, they look for doctrine that is pleasing to their ears. How many times have you heard of people “shopping” for a church? They are not happy with Christ’s church and His doctrines, they are looking for a church in accordance with their own desires.

The reason that there are so many churches today is that people “turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

There is a church that continues to follow “sound doctrine”. There remains a church that still carries the name of the owner. That church is the church of Christ. We encourage you to visit us and see how it compares with the church you read about in the Bible.