Go back 2,000 years and imagine explaining to someone all of the different brands and styles of paper that are available today. If someone is looking for plain white, 20 Lb., 8.5″ x 11″ paper, there are over 20 different brands (at least from my brief search). What! It’s just plain, white paper! Why are there so many different varieties? Why can’t we just have one paper choice? Does it not seem ridiculous that there isn’t just one choice for white printer/copier paper?
Now, imagine going back 2,000 years and explaining to someone all of the different brands and styles of churches that exist today. How do you think they’d respond? They would likely be as baffled as they would by the abundance of paper varieties. For 2,000 years ago, there was only one church (Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23). To speak of that church having different brands, styles, names or doctrines would seem absolutely absurd to those who saw it in the first century.
The church. It’s simple. Just like a piece of paper. No man-made brands needed!