Christianity without a local church

[McCulloch]

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

There are a number of people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians who do not recognize the need to assemble together regularly with other Christians.

Are they really following the teachings and examples of the New Testament? Is being an isolated Christian really a viable choice?

[rusty]

I have certain misgivings about not being a member of a church, but my presence in many churches has provoked a lot of criticism and uncomfortableness. Rather than making true friends, I get, "You need to repent of your criticism of the church." What do I do when I run into walls?

I hope that somehow, something will happen to open up the hearts of churchmen so that they will be open to someone who is not schooled by seminaries, etc. Butting heads is not very pleasant.

Wake up church! Claw your way out of the fog and take God with you. Do not look at those around you, look at the Word of God. Look for God's confirmation of your understanding and conduct. We all make mistakes in our conduct, but we can certainly learn from them and keep them understood in the perspective of God's word.

Walk toward God. Do not fall back content in the fog.
rusty

[MikeH]

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

There are a number of people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians who do not recognize the need to assemble together regularly with other Christians.

Are they really following the teachings and examples of the New Testament? Is being an isolated Christian really a viable choice?

Good topic, McCulloch. There is a large movement in modern Christianity not towards forsaking assembly, but towards non-corporate assembly such as simply gathering in local homes, and giving tithes directly towards those in need instead of towards a corporate church entity.

[McCulloch]

Good topic, McCulloch. There is a large movement in modern Christianity not towards forsaking assembly, but towards non-corporate assembly such as simply gathering in local homes, and giving tithes directly towards those in need instead of towards a corporate church entity.

Yes, but simply gathering in local homes is still assembling yourselves together.

Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

I see nothing unbiblical in house churches. The issue I am addressing is the Christian who somehow thinks that it is right to go it alone, to avoid regular association with other Christians, to miss out on collective worship, teaching, fellowship and mutual aid.

[MikeH]

Good topic, McCulloch. There is a large movement in modern Christianity not towards forsaking assembly, but towards non-corporate assembly such as simply gathering in local homes, and giving tithes directly towards those in need instead of towards a corporate church entity.

Yes, but simply gathering in local homes is still assembling yourselves together.

Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

I see nothing unbiblical in house churches. The issue I am addressing is the Christian who somehow thinks that it is right to go it alone, to avoid regular association with other Christians, to miss out on collective worship, teaching, fellowship and mutual aid.

Oh, ok sorry for the misunderstanding. Yeah, I agree, I think it's impractical to try to be anything without involving yourself with others of similar interest. If you want to be a great musician, you probably need to get together and play with great musicians. If you want to be a great businessman, it will help greatly to form solid business relationships. Going it alone is possible, but will be much more difficult.

[Beto]

Good topic, McCulloch. There is a large movement in modern Christianity not towards forsaking assembly, but towards non-corporate assembly such as simply gathering in local homes, and giving tithes directly towards those in need instead of towards a corporate church entity.

Yes, but simply gathering in local homes is still assembling yourselves together.

Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

I see nothing unbiblical in house churches. The issue I am addressing is the Christian who somehow thinks that it is right to go it alone, to avoid regular association with other Christians, to miss out on collective worship, teaching, fellowship and mutual aid.

Oh, ok sorry for the misunderstanding. Yeah, I agree, I think it's impractical to try to be anything without involving yourself with others of similar interest. If you want to be a great musician, you probably need to get together and play with great musicians. If you want to be a great businessman, it will help greatly to form solid business relationships. Going it alone is possible, but will be much more difficult.

But then there's something called "group mentality". It's much harder for me to get upset during a soccer match at home than it is at the stadium. It's harder to put things in personal perspective. You can't really develop your own guitar style if you never practice alone. Eventually one doesn't need anyone to practice with, and the other styles may seem inadequate or lacking.

[MikeH]

But then there's something called "group mentality". It's much harder for me to get upset during a soccer match at home than it is at the stadium. It's harder to put things in personal perspective. You can't really develop your own guitar style if you never practice alone. Eventually one doesn't need anyone to practice with, and the other styles may seem inadequate or lacking.

Great points, and I didn't mean to dismiss the importance of personal exploration. A good balance of influence and individualism is what brings about the best results.

[rusty]

I think Beto has placed me on "ignore," but it looks like he might be sticking up for me.

Question: Does God set people a-side, leaving them alone to grow spiritually without undue influence from those who may not have aspired to as much?

rusty

[MagusYanam]

There are a number of people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians who do not recognize the need to assemble together regularly with other Christians.

Are they really following the teachings and examples of the New Testament? Is being an isolated Christian really a viable choice?

I think that to be a Christian is ultimately to be alone - as Kierkegaard put it, 'the single individual as the single individual' in a defining relationship with the absolute. And we have our own trials, as Abraham had his, and none but ourselves as individuals can undertake them, since they show who we are. We each have our own Mount Moriahs that need scaling.

At the same time, I think people do have a true need for community; if not for religious reasons, then certainly for secular ones - one can only be free in a political sense if that freedom is lived out with other people. Community is beneficial, as long as it isn't just a 'given' in which five people who could be any five people could partake, but something in which McCulloch and MikeH and rusty and Beto and MagusYanam all participate - as individuals. I've said this before, but in a real sense, paradoxical though it may be, we're all alone together.

[realthinker]

I believe that what you are discussing with respect to Christianity is at its heart a question regarding the definition of religion itself. Religion is a form of spirituality, a need for an individual to understand existence and mortality. Religious belief and practice, as an unprovable part of the shared truth of the social collective, has served as part of the necessary glue that holds communities together. So from my perspective you are asking if the exercise of personal spirituality remains religion if its not part of a social experience.