Expert: Mel and Guyna Horne - 7/25/2011

Question
Hello, So many sites, officials and believers reference scriptures that pertain to a gathering of believers coming together as one body of worshipers,(ex Matt 18:20)as a scripture stating that we need to go to Church and the scripture doesn't clearly state that we have to go to Church but we should worship together. Why do we have to go to Church to do that?  Can a group of like-minded believers (non-denomination) worship, fellowship, study and/or learn from each other at someone's home without the titles, authority(leaders)and politics?  Also, Please can you provide a scripture that confirms that Jesus went to Church?  Thanks so much.

Answer
Hi Alicia,

You asked about the necessity of church attendance.

Most church organizations consider themselves to be the "one true church" although, within limits, they may allow that there are true believers in other organizations. If they fully believed the latter, then members would be free to come and go, attending wherever they pleased and giving their money to whichever group was convenient.

There are probably a few congregations somewhere, where that may be allowed of members, but we do not know of any.  In general, membership is absolutely tied to money donated, and to a slightly less degree, attendance.

Every group has to justify its individual existence as opposed to every other group.  In an effort to counteract the trend toward declining church attendance, some are tolerating part-timers and window-shoppers, but without a commitment, one is considered a perpetual outsider.  That can be socially uncomfortable, a factor that should be irrelevant in spiritual matters, but isn't.

It is human nature to seek peer approval. This is in opposition to seeking God's approval.  "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Gal. 1:10).

Refusal to join a group will be taken as a personal rejection, regardless of whether the rejection was due to doctrine, ritual, form of service, or social discomfort.  The one refusing to join may be believed to hold feelings of spiritual superiority, a logical conclusion, and one to which, some will be offended. [e.g. "My church isn't good enough for you?"]

Church organizations cannot remain stagnant indefinitely -- they must either grow or they will decline due to deaths of aging members.  This is uncomfortable to the remaining members, who feel rejected by others and perhaps rejected by God, because of a lack of growth in their organization.

If organizational growth indicated approval by God, then that would make him a Muslim, as that is the fastest growing religion in the world today.

These factors, "My team is No. 1", "We are right, the others are wrong.",  "We are correct, because we all (in our group) agree.", and "If our group is growing in numbers, then God approves of us." are the primary reasons that church organizations will insist that you have to attend (their) church to be approved by God.  

None of these are spiritual factors.

Another reason for the leadership to insist on church membership has to do with the money.  Salaries, benefits, insurance, transportation and housing are tied directly to the tithes and offerings, and when they disappear, so does the preacher, with the excuse that "God is not working here."  Contrast this attitude with Christ's instructions to the disciples to go out with only faith (Mat. 10:9-10, Lk. 9:3, 22:35).
[Note: Christ and his disciples were not Levites and could not ask for or accept the Levitical tithes.  There is no account of them asking for offerings, but they did receive food and lodging and others things as needed.]

You are correct in saying that scripture does not require church attendance.   

When God created the Sabbath, Adam and Eve stayed home (c. 4000 BC).  When he used the manna to emphasize to the Israelites, exactly which day was the Sabbath, they could not go near the Tabernacle (c. 1490 BC), but stayed in their individual camps, under penalty of death.  (Ex. 16:29-30, Num. 15:32-36)  After David proposed to build a Temple (2Sam. 7) and after God allowed Solomon to build it (c. 1017-898 BC), only those within a "Sabbath day's journey" (3/4 mile to 1 mile) could have gone there. The Levites had been "scattered" throughout the nation of Israel, for the purpose of teaching the Law, but there were no synagogues until after the Babylonian captivity.

Christ never attended a church, however, he did often go to a synagogue on the Sabbath to read from the Law and to teach (Lk. 4:16).   

The modern "church" concept is based on a combination of the Jewish synagogue and the pagan temples of Rome.

The synagogue concept was invented while the tribe of Judah was in captivity in Babylon (modern Iraq, c. 606-536 BC) (see books of Ezra and Nehemiah), and exiles who had fled to Egypt (see Jeremiah) copied it.

Originally, it was just a closet where the scrolls of the Law were kept.  Some went there occasionally to read them.  As more people began to come, it became a place of meeting for discussion of the Law.

By the time the Jews returned to Palestine (Ezra/Nehemiah, c. 536-456 BC), the synagogue had become a "tradition".  [Sorry, I do not have the Jewish historical reference for that available at the moment.]

God never commanded it.  He simply allowed it, as he had allowed multiple wives (David, Solomon) and divorce/remarriage, until the time of Christ (Mat. 19:8), for the purpose that we would learn from it, and because the Levites who were supposed to be teaching the law, were not, and parents, who were supposed to be teaching their children, were not.

Christ used it to accomplish his own purposes.  
The synagogues were usually small and only the men attended, but some were large enough that women were allowed in the balcony, or in an area separated from the men.  
The most likely reason that Paul would not allow women to speak in "church", was his previous training as a Pharisee in the synagogues (1Cor. 14:34, Acts 23:6).

In the second and third centuries, the pagan priests of Rome began converting their temples into "churches" in imitation of both the synagogues and the Temple,  The fact that they also kept pagan practices was one reason for the Great Schism and the Eastern (Orthodox) Church declaring the Church of Rome anathema in 1054.  [There is considerable information available regarding this history.]


In short, there is no scriptural basis for the "church" concept as it is practiced today.   The actual basis is the Catholic Church model and that of it's Protestant offshoots.

That is not to say that there is anything wrong or sinful in having a building, having meetings and teaching or discussing "the way of salvation"-- the "way of life" taught by Jesus Christ.

However there is a commandment to "not do as the heathen", in other words, do not imitate pagan practices, rituals, and ceremonies  (Mat. 6:7).

There is also no sin in not having a church building.  Christ often taught in the mount (hillside for acoustics and visibility), and at the seashore (same reasons).

There is no sin in not having a fixed format.  Singing is mentioned only at the last Passover of Christ, and never at synagogues.

As for taking up tithes and offerings. Christ never did that.  The disciples never did that.  The tithes were off limits to them anyway. Money could not be collected or exchanged on the Sabbath.

As the followers of Christ were often persecuted out of the synagogues, the practice in the first century was to meet in private homes (Acts 12:12, 16:32, 18:7-11, 20:20, 28:30, Rom. 16:3-6, 1Cor. 16:19, plus others).

There has been a increasing movement toward house churches over the past ten years, to the point that some mainstream organizations are trying to connect umbilical (unbiblical?, lol ) cords to them to keep their numbers and income up.  
Their marketing approach is "enjoy the best of both worlds".  The reality is that it is "best" only for the organization, which can count the home church as members, take the money, and not have to fellowship with them.

However, surveys taken by religious survey organizations show, among the main reasons that people are currently leaving mainstream churches, are: hypocrisy, disagreement with the doctrines, social cliques, refusal to allow newcomers to the "inside circle" of local administration, disagreement over the money and social snobbery, among others.


There are web sites available on line with suggestions for starting a home church. [I don't have those at the moment, but I can search if you need them.]

We have attended several and attempted to start a couple, but they didn't last because different people are looking for different things.  

Leaving the mainstream churches does not mean leaving all the problems of human nature behind.  Some people will bring with them, the desire for "titles, authority, and the tendency to politic" to get what they want.  We can discuss this further at another time, if you wish.


We are not trying to discourage you from starting a home church.  Just the contrary.  We simply want you to understand that there are difficulties and that they do not always succeed, not because of the idea, but because of the people involved.

One approach is to worship in your own home as you see fit, and begin to invite others to visit and, if they are comfortable, or can be made comfortable without sacrificing the purpose and benefit of small group worship, and if they are interested, then invite them to be regular attendees.  Or, take turns with others, meeting in each other's homes and letting the host set the format.  

Formats can be as formal as a mainstream service (which pretty much nullifies the purpose) or as informal as possible while still accomplishing some kind of worship, or study or learning experience.

This should not take the place of individual study, prayer and meditation.  

That is the main problem with mainstream services.  A personal relationship with God is crowded out by a lecture, an entertainment program, rituals, ceremonies, and social programming that leaves no time on the Sabbath day for personal conversation with our Father, or private meditation on his words.  It often leaves no time for rest, which was God's purpose in creating the Sabbath to begin with.


There is much more that we can discuss or suggest, but you question was can it be done and the answer is, absolutely, YES.

If we can be of help with additional questions, feel free to ask.
Sincerely,
Mel and Guyna