I haven’t been to church in a long time.

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Nancy

Well-Known Member
Apr 30, 2018
16,806
25,450
113
Buffalo, Ny
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
So what. When my cousin writes to us from England my husband and I don't have to be in the same room when we read it! We are family...which is what the church is...family ...the body of Christ.
Some are in Russia, some in China and scattered through the world...we don't all have to be gathering in the same room to read it!!

:D
BTW- We are spiritually connected...
 

Anthony D'Arienzo

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
2,585
2,084
113
70
georgia
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Helen,

Question...what on earth is a "sinful view" o_O
scripture ? TY

Hello Helen, good question!

The Lord Jesus Christ is building His Church as we speak.

Hebrews 3 King James Version (KJV)
3 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.


God has always given instructions as to how he is to be approached in Worship;
Ex:25;

40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

In the Nt, it is the same;

1tim3;
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The word ought, is the word MUST in vs.15

God gave pastors and teachers to the church, this is not optional.
These men are God given gifts to local churches, pastors and teachers eph4:11-16, that means there are learners, ie, church members.
On this thread these gifted persons were spoken of as"
some guy" standing up to speak or give a sermon???
 

Anthony D'Arienzo

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
2,585
2,084
113
70
georgia
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
So what. When my cousin writes to us from England my husband and I don't have to be in the same room when we read it! We are family...which is what the church is...family ...the body of Christ.
Some are in Russia, some in China and scattered through the world...we don't all have to be gathering in the same room to read it!!
You might be confusing individual kingdom members, with the church.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Helen

bbyrd009

Groper
Nov 30, 2016
33,943
12,081
113
Ute City, COLO
www.facebook.com
Faith
Christian
Country
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Paul wrote two letters to the church in Thessalonica and Corinthians is addressed to the church in Corinth.
sure, and i even understand that we assume an edifice, as imo we are led to do, but imo there is no reason not to assume that the Church in those places was in fact the people? The Living Stones there?
 

theophilus

Well-Known Member
Nov 13, 2012
433
366
63
83
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
What "day" do you think is meant in Hebrews 10?

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.
The reference is probably to the day when Jesus will return to judge the earth.
 

2 Chr. 34:19

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2020
777
445
63
Chester ish
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
Helen,



Hello Helen, good question!

The Lord Jesus Christ is building His Church as we speak.

Hebrews 3 King James Version (KJV)
3 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.


God has always given instructions as to how he is to be approached in Worship;
Ex:25;

40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

In the Nt, it is the same;

1tim3;
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The word ought, is the word MUST in vs.15

God gave pastors and teachers to the church, this is not optional.
These men are God given gifts to local churches, pastors and teachers eph4:11-16, that means there are learners, ie, church members.
On this thread these gifted persons were spoken of as"
some guy" standing up to speak or give a sermon???
That guy is a curate in a ‘family’ Church of England church promoting jk Rowling and other pagan literature as good reading-gifted? I am free from ‘sinful views’ as I told the guy where he was wrong. Be not deceived...
 

2 Chr. 34:19

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2020
777
445
63
Chester ish
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
That guy is a curate in a ‘family’ Church of England church promoting jk Rowling and other pagan literature as good reading-gifted? I am free from ‘sinful views’ as I told the guy where he was wrong. Be not deceived...
Rant aaah
 

Waiting on him

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2018
11,674
6,096
113
56
North America
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
@Rylan Moffitt

No need to feel guilty Rylan, I see your profile says you are from Tennessee, my dad, grandpa, grandma, great grandpas, great grandmas, great greats, were born in Tennessee on dad's side of the family, great grandpa was a Methodist circuit preacher.

Anyway I am sure you will find something there in the Bible belt state of Tennessee. :D
Ok, now I get the whole bluegrass affiliation.
 

Giuliano

Well-Known Member
Aug 4, 2019
5,978
3,676
113
Carlisle
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
The reference is probably to the day when Jesus will return to judge the earth.
I think you're probably right or close to it. That means people back then could see that day approaching. Yet we are often taught they waited in vain for that day.

What is meant by assembling or coming together? It can't mean physical meetings only. It likely did involve people getting together physically but with the purpose of"coming together" spiritually to form the Body of Christ. I see very little advantage in going to a church when people sit passively to be entertained. The various members of the Spiritual Body need to come together in unity, working out any difficulties or problems. This is not talking about entering a physical church:

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised; )

Nor can the following mean the congregation spends all its time being preached to.

24 4 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
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.

I conclude then that there is more to this than filling a church pew once a week. Indeed the early churches didn't have pews.
 

farouk

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2009
30,790
19,232
113
North America
I think you're probably right or close to it. That means people back then could see that day approaching. Yet we are often taught they waited in vain for that day.

What is meant by assembling or coming together? It can't mean physical meetings only. It likely did involve people getting together physically but with the purpose of"coming together" spiritually to form the Body of Christ. I see very little advantage in going to a church when people sit passively to be entertained. The various members of the Spiritual Body need to come together in unity, working out any difficulties or problems. This is not talking about entering a physical church:

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised; )

Nor can the following mean the congregation spends all its time being preached to.

24 4 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
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.

I conclude then that there is more to this than filling a church pew once a week. Indeed the early churches didn't have pews.
@Giuliano
Malachi 3.16 has a similar principle in the Old Testament. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."
 

Waiting on him

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2018
11,674
6,096
113
56
North America
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
I think you're probably right or close to it. That means people back then could see that day approaching. Yet we are often taught they waited in vain for that day.

What is meant by assembling or coming together? It can't mean physical meetings only. It likely did involve people getting together physically but with the purpose of"coming together" spiritually to form the Body of Christ. I see very little advantage in going to a church when people sit passively to be entertained. The various members of the Spiritual Body need to come together in unity, working out any difficulties or problems. This is not talking about entering a physical church:

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised; )

Nor can the following mean the congregation spends all its time being preached to.

24 4 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
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.

I conclude then that there is more to this than filling a church pew once a week. Indeed the early churches didn't have pews.
The day reference could be the day one comes into the unity of faith.
After all salvation is today.
 
Last edited:

Waiting on him

Well-Known Member
Dec 21, 2018
11,674
6,096
113
56
North America
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
@Waiting on him The activities of Acts 2.42 are a good guide ...
Koinonia can therefore refer in some contexts to a jointly contributed gift. The word appears 19 times in most editions of the Greek New Testament. In the New American Standard Bible, it is translated "fellowship" twelve times, "sharing" three times, and "participation" and "contribution" twice each.
 

mjrhealth

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2009
11,810
4,090
113
Australia
Faith
Christian
Country
Australia
Jesus loved the church and gave himself for it.
He is the head of any true church.
He informs us of our duty to worship,serve, and praise him.
It is not optional but mandatory.
No Christ is the Head of His Church,

[MKJV] Acts 17:25
22 And standing in the middle of the Areopagus, Paul said, Men, Athenians, I see that youare fearful of gods in everything.
23 For as I passed by and saw the things you worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Not knowing then whom you worship, I make Him known to you.
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25 Nor is served with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life and breath and all things to all.
26 And He has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling,
27 to seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though indeed He is not far from each one of us.
28 For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.
29 Then being offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man's imagination.
30 Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now He strictly commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.

The only thing mandatory in Christianity is

[MKJV] Mark 11:22
And answering Jesus said to them, Have faith of God.
 

Anthony D'Arienzo

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
2,585
2,084
113
70
georgia
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
No Christ is the Head of His Church,

[MKJV] Acts 17:25
22 And standing in the middle of the Areopagus, Paul said, Men, Athenians, I see that youare fearful of gods in everything.
23 For as I passed by and saw the things you worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Not knowing then whom you worship, I make Him known to you.
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25 Nor is served with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life and breath and all things to all.
26 And He has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling,
27 to seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though indeed He is not far from each one of us.
28 For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.
29 Then being offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man's imagination.
30 Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now He strictly commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.

The only thing mandatory in Christianity is

[MKJV] Mark 11:22
And answering Jesus said to them, Have faith of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of every true local church
 

Anthony D'Arienzo

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
2,585
2,084
113
70
georgia
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
That guy is a curate in a ‘family’ Church of England church promoting jk Rowling and other pagan literature as good reading-gifted? I am free from ‘sinful views’ as I told the guy where he was wrong. Be not deceived...
There are many false churches, many of apostates, no one is saying to sit in the assembly under an uncalled person.