Why Are There So Many Churches?
Guest post by Chase Green.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many churches?
There are over forty-five thousand, according to one recent report I saw. The Bible only speaks of one.
The Word “Church” in the Bible.
While it is true that you will read the word “churches” thirty-seven times in the Bible (KJV) (such as in 1 Cor. 7:17; Rom. 16:16, “the seven churches of Asia” in Revelation, etc.), close examination of these verses reveals that they are talking about congregations, rather than different institutions.
When one looks at the word “church” in the Bible, it appears eighty times, usually with the prefix “the,” and once with the prefix “my” (Matt. 16:18). There, Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (emphasis mine).
Jesus Built the Church.
Why did Jesus say, “I will build my church?” Why did He not say, “I will build some other man’s church,” or “I will build many churches?”
The answer is that Jesus is the Head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22), which is His body (Eph. 1:23). Ephesians 4:4 says there is “one body.”
Looking back at Matthew 16:18, Jesus uses the word “my” because it belongs to Him, and “church” (singular) because there is just one.
Jesus Purchased the Church.
In Acts 20:28, elders are told to “take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
The fact that Jesus paid for the church with His own blood should remind us of the serious nature of these matters.
The Problem of Divisions in the Church.
Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would be “one.” In fact, he used the word six times in this prayer for Christian unity shortly before He went to His cross (John 17:11, 21-23).
Divisions within the body of Christ are directly contrary to the prayer of our Lord.
The church at Corinth found itself an early example of denominational division. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:10: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
He went on to explain in the following verses that the Corinthians had been dividing into sects based on who had baptized them. Paul asked the rhetorical question in verse 13: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”
Yet, many well-meaning religious people continue to wear the names of men even to this day.
The Importance of Biblical Unity in the Church.
Paul also wrote in Ephesians 4:3 that Christians must endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
This unity is not a false unity that comes from “going along to get along,” but rather from agreeing on the fundamental principles from God’s Word, such as the “seven ones” found in Ephesians 4:4-6, as well as many other important doctrinal principles that must be carefully studied out in the Scriptures (2 Tim. 2:15 cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Chase hosts the Everyday Christian podcast with the Scattered Abroad Network. Chase has recently started writing on Substack about his family’s travels to national parks. Read more at