Is there a BIBLICAL argument for attending church services?

[K9Buck]

On another note, I have to laugh at the paranoia of people who think I have some ulterior mission by asking if there is a biblical argument for attending church services.

There are some learned people here with far greater knowledge of the bible than I, therefore I posed the question.

 

[FA_Q2]

Acts 2:42

English Standard Version

The Fellowship of the Believers
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Hey, an actual relevant verse.

Can you elaborate though. It seems that the chapter is about what the fellowship did and that they followed the apostles. That does not translate directly into advocating for attending church which is more structured, not headed by an 'apostle' unless I am incorrect in the meaning of that term and certainly does not justify the rather elaborate structure (both physical and hierarchical) that the church represents.

So far, I see a few salient verses that advocate for gathering but not necessarily for attending an actual church. I think that attending church has a lot more to it than simply gathering.

The Fellowship of the Believers
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[d] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Sigh..

I know, I read the chapter right after you posted the single verse because a single verse does not explain much. That is why I elaborated on what the chapter said and how I interpreted it when I asked the question. I was looking for your interpretation and why you think it is relevant to the OP's question.

Why does this seem difficult to understand?

 

[FA_Q2]

For many centuries, the only way to hear the word of God from a person knowledgeable about the bible was to attend church.

I was raised Catholic and attended mass (the name of a Catholic church service) every Saturday/Sunday for many years. I was bored out of my mind. I haven't been to a mass in years.

Within the past year, I have listened to Baptist Pastor John MacArthur, who does a phenomenal job of explaining various verses. I get FAR more out of listening to his sermons on YouTube than I ever got from going to Catholic masses.

I was wondering if there is a biblical argument for actually attending services because, to my knowledge, there isn't one. It seems that my understanding is accurate.

The internet has removed the necessity to attend services in-person in order to hear a preacher discuss God's word.

I am getting that distinct impression as well. I thought it would have been a rather simple argument to post as there is zero chance you are the first to ask such a question yet thus far no one has bothered.

 

[FA_Q2]

Why do you ask?

People pay tithes and church taxes, but Jesus made a whip of cords, and drove the money-changers, alms-collectors, and booksellers out of the temple of Jerusalem.

Bible Gateway passage: John 2:15-17 - King James Version

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his...

www.biblegateway.com

And then he rode on the back of a scorpion across the water. Alas, the scorpion bit him anyway. But he rose from the dead 3 days later, just in time to remove a thorn from a lion's foot. As a way of thanking Jesus, the lion didn't eat him when they recreated the famous scenes from the Ridley Scott epic 'Gladiator'.

If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers.

I doubt the OP's question was to mock believers. The facts are, whether you believe them or not, that Covid -19 is a serious virus and it is passed from person to person.

Telling anyone to "get out" for being an agnostic or an atheist is anti-American.

....
Was this a response to the OP? No. Was she telling anyone not a believer to get out? No.

The meaning was pretty clear, if you are here to mock people then get out. That is not anti-American in any shape or form.

It's anti-TOS for this website.

To tell trolls to get out?

I doubt that and if it is it certainly is not an enforced one. Particularly outside the Politics forum which seems to be the only one actively moderated.

 

[Rye Catcher]

Why do you ask?

People pay tithes and church taxes, but Jesus made a whip of cords, and drove the money-changers, alms-collectors, and booksellers out of the temple of Jerusalem.

Bible Gateway passage: John 2:15-17 - King James Version

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his...

www.biblegateway.com

And then he rode on the back of a scorpion across the water. Alas, the scorpion bit him anyway. But he rose from the dead 3 days later, just in time to remove a thorn from a lion's foot. As a way of thanking Jesus, the lion didn't eat him when they recreated the famous scenes from the Ridley Scott epic 'Gladiator'.

If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers.

I doubt the OP's question was to mock believers. The facts are, whether you believe them or not, that Covid -19 is a serious virus and it is passed from person to person.

Telling anyone to "get out" for being an agnostic or an atheist is anti-American.

....
Was this a response to the OP? No. Was she telling anyone not a believer to get out? No.

The meaning was pretty clear, if you are here to mock people then get out. That is not anti-American in any shape or form.

I mocking is such a crime, more than half of the posters on the USMB would be anti-American.

Why do you ask?

People pay tithes and church taxes, but Jesus made a whip of cords, and drove the money-changers, alms-collectors, and booksellers out of the temple of Jerusalem.

Bible Gateway passage: John 2:15-17 - King James Version

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his...

www.biblegateway.com

And then he rode on the back of a scorpion across the water. Alas, the scorpion bit him anyway. But he rose from the dead 3 days later, just in time to remove a thorn from a lion's foot. As a way of thanking Jesus, the lion didn't eat him when they recreated the famous scenes from the Ridley Scott epic 'Gladiator'.

If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers.

I doubt the OP's question was to mock believers. The facts are, whether you believe them or not, that Covid -19 is a serious virus and it is passed from person to person.

Telling anyone to "get out" for being an agnostic or an atheist is anti-American.

....
Was this a response to the OP? No. Was she telling anyone not a believer to get out? No.

The meaning was pretty clear, if you are here to mock people then get out. That is not anti-American in any shape or form.

You and me read a different post. Post 11, above was my response to Gracie's post:

"If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers."

 

[Meriweather]

The internet has removed the necessity to attend services in-person in order to hear a preacher discuss God's word.

What are you contributing to the online community? How does your presence assist them?

 

[FA_Q2]

Why do you ask?

People pay tithes and church taxes, but Jesus made a whip of cords, and drove the money-changers, alms-collectors, and booksellers out of the temple of Jerusalem.

Bible Gateway passage: John 2:15-17 - King James Version

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his...

www.biblegateway.com

And then he rode on the back of a scorpion across the water. Alas, the scorpion bit him anyway. But he rose from the dead 3 days later, just in time to remove a thorn from a lion's foot. As a way of thanking Jesus, the lion didn't eat him when they recreated the famous scenes from the Ridley Scott epic 'Gladiator'.

If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers.

I doubt the OP's question was to mock believers. The facts are, whether you believe them or not, that Covid -19 is a serious virus and it is passed from person to person.

Telling anyone to "get out" for being an agnostic or an atheist is anti-American.

....
Was this a response to the OP? No. Was she telling anyone not a believer to get out? No.

The meaning was pretty clear, if you are here to mock people then get out. That is not anti-American in any shape or form.

I mocking is such a crime, more than half of the posters on the USMB would be anti-American.

Why do you ask?

People pay tithes and church taxes, but Jesus made a whip of cords, and drove the money-changers, alms-collectors, and booksellers out of the temple of Jerusalem.

Bible Gateway passage: John 2:15-17 - King James Version

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his...

www.biblegateway.com

And then he rode on the back of a scorpion across the water. Alas, the scorpion bit him anyway. But he rose from the dead 3 days later, just in time to remove a thorn from a lion's foot. As a way of thanking Jesus, the lion didn't eat him when they recreated the famous scenes from the Ridley Scott epic 'Gladiator'.

If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers.

I doubt the OP's question was to mock believers. The facts are, whether you believe them or not, that Covid -19 is a serious virus and it is passed from person to person.

Telling anyone to "get out" for being an agnostic or an atheist is anti-American.

....
Was this a response to the OP? No. Was she telling anyone not a believer to get out? No.

The meaning was pretty clear, if you are here to mock people then get out. That is not anti-American in any shape or form.

You and me read a different post. Post 11, above was my response to Gracie's post:

"If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers."

I know you were but my mistake, I missed this part
"believe in church or God"
And I have no idea how I missed that part

I do, however, understand frustration with those that come in any particular thread to be trolls rather than add to the discussion and do not see how berating them or telling them to get bent is somehow wrong and certainly not as bad as trolling itself. But just my 2c there.

 

[Meriweather]

I was bored out of my mind. I haven't been to a mass in years.

What were your expectations of going to church?

 

[FA_Q2]

Why do you ask?

People pay tithes and church taxes, but Jesus made a whip of cords, and drove the money-changers, alms-collectors, and booksellers out of the temple of Jerusalem.

Bible Gateway passage: John 2:15-17 - King James Version

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his...

www.biblegateway.com

And then he rode on the back of a scorpion across the water. Alas, the scorpion bit him anyway. But he rose from the dead 3 days later, just in time to remove a thorn from a lion's foot. As a way of thanking Jesus, the lion didn't eat him when they recreated the famous scenes from the Ridley Scott epic 'Gladiator'.

If you cannot address the post or believe in church or God or gods...get out. Thats what is wrong with this forum. Too many invade it to make fun of believers.

I doubt the OP's question was to mock believers. The facts are, whether you believe them or not, that Covid -19 is a serious virus and it is passed from person to person.

Telling anyone to "get out" for being an agnostic or an atheist is anti-American.

....
Was this a response to the OP? No. Was she telling anyone not a believer to get out? No.

The meaning was pretty clear, if you are here to mock people then get out. That is not anti-American in any shape or form.

It's anti-TOS for this website.

To tell trolls to get out?

I doubt that and if it is it certainly is not an enforced one. Particularly outside the Politics forum which seems to be the only one actively moderated.

To tell any other member that they should not post in a thread. She's not a moderator.

Uh huh.

 

[K9Buck]

What are you contributing to the online community? How does your presence assist them?

Irrelevant and not the topic of this thread.

 

[beautress]

Thanks in advance.

The ten commandments are pretty clear to remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy. It is intended to give mankind one day to not have to do labor since God created the world and all its inhabitants in 6 days, but he rested on the 7th day, and he thinks we need time off to rest from all the work we have to do to survive in the first 6 days of the week. Christians understood that Christ represented a new covenant, and his burden was so easy everyone would benefit by remembering his holy life should come on the first day of the week and believed in gathering together to ask the Lord's blessing once a week, on the first day. Some Christians think every day is the Lord's day, and that in addition to meeting together on Sunday, that we should live each day of our lives rejoicing in all the good things God has done.

In America, believers have the freedom to exercise our lives and shoot for keeping God's Kingdom close, no matter what befalls us. And our teacher. Jesus showed us how to earn the kingdom by his example of asking God to forgive those who killed him on the cross they nailed him to. It behooves us to at each day's end, to ask God to forgive those who spitefully misuse us. It's a good thing Christ taught us back then to love as God loves, and he did just that. Amen.

 

[K9Buck]

What were your expectations of going to church?

I had none. My parents took me to church every week. As a married adult I went less, but still went. After getting divorced, I stopped altogether. Like I said, I was bored out of my mind and gained little insight into Christ's teachings. As I said, I've learned FAR more form listening to John MacArthur online.

 

[Meriweather]

Irrelevant and not the topic of this thread.

Church is community. All of us, no matter if we, or if we do not, belong to a local church community can always go online, by ourselves, and listen to another priest, rabbi, or minister. And, yes, sometimes we can get more out of that sermon or homily than we did in our own church. You asked about going to church. The question wasn't about listening on our own to speakers via the Internet, but about having to attend a community gathering (i.e., church).

My point is that an individual listening to a speaker of faith on line is not church or community. Church includes a sermon/homily, but it is not only the sermon/homily.

 

[Meriweather]

I had none. My parents took me to church every week. As a married adult I went less, but still went. After getting divorced, I stopped altogether. Like I said, I was bored out of my mind and gained little insight into Christ's teachings.

Boredom is the result of having no expectations.

 

[JimH52]

Hebrews 10:25

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching.

But, watching the service on-line is a modern day version of attending the service. Keeping up with your brothers and sisters by telephone and such is also a modern day version of fellowship and exhorting one another.....IMHO

 

[Moonglow]

Jesus broke the need for worshiping in a temple...

 

[FA_Q2]

Thanks in advance.

The ten commandments are pretty clear to remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy. It is intended to give mankind one day to not have to do labor since God created the world and all its inhabitants in 6 days, but he rested on the 7th day, and he thinks we need time off to rest from all the work we have to do to survive in the first 6 days of the week. Christians understood that Christ represented a new covenant, and his burden was so easy everyone would benefit by remembering his holy life should come on the first day of the week and believed in gathering together to ask the Lord's blessing once a week, on the first day. Some Christians think every day is the Lord's day, and that in addition to meeting together on Sunday, that we should live each day of our lives rejoicing in all the good things God has done.

In America, believers have the freedom to exercise our lives and shoot for keeping God's Kingdom close, no matter what befalls us. And our teacher. Jesus showed us how to earn the kingdom by his example of asking God to forgive those who killed him on the cross they nailed him to. It behooves us to at each day's end, to ask God to forgive those who spitefully misuse us. It's a good thing Christ taught us back then to love as God loves, and he did just that. Amen.

And how does any of that establish a biblical argument for attending church?

 

[The Irish Ram]

Thanks in advance.

Yes, several.
For moral support:
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Matt. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

For teaching:
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
^ Notice who Jesus spoke to in Revelation. "To the angel of the church of XXXXXX." "To the angel of the church of XXXXX." There is a direct line to God there.

Because Jesus did it:
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.

To reap the rewards of tithing. God said if you don't believe me, test me on this matter and see:
Malachi 3:10
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
^ Before you do it, learn how to do it and what constitutes a proper tithe.

Having said that, our churches have become about as corrupt as our government. At this point it might be better to find some small Bible studies and prayer groups to attend instead. Pray for discernment so you can recognize any false doctrine when it shows up, and correct it or shun it. There are false prophets everywhere, so take care...

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Be sure and tell the next President because he will have prayers at his inauguration just like every President does.

I'm not saying it should never be done. A presidential inauguration is fine, as long as it's done faithfully and isn't a circus. What I dislike are the pictures and videos of Trump surrounded by preachers participating in some public prayer display. Trump probably doesn't know better, but those preachers definitely should know better.

I have never seen Trump participate in a public prayer display. He has never been a highly religious churchgoing person.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Thanks in advance.

Yes, several.
For moral support:
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Matt. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

For teaching:
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
^ Notice who Jesus spoke to in Revelation. "To the angel of the church of XXXXXX." "To the angel of the church of XXXXX." There is a direct line to God there.

Because Jesus did it:
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.

To reap the rewards of tithing. God said if you don't believe me, test me on this matter and see:
Malachi 3:10
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
^ Before you do it, learn how to do it and what constitutes a proper tithe.

Having said that, our churches have become about as corrupt as our government. At this point it might be better to find some small Bible studies and prayer groups to attend instead. Pray for discernment so you can recognize any false doctrine when it shows up, and correct it or shun it. There are false prophets everywhere, so take care...

More

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www.openbible.info