What are some of the reasons people don’t like going to church buildings or institutionalized churches?

[NotTheRock]

Hebrews 10:25 commands believers not to forsake assembling together,

It was a suggestion, not a commandment. Paul was encouraging them, not commanding them.

 

[PS95]

Hebrews 10:25 commands believers not to forsake assembling together, but it does not say this must happen in a church building. The focus is on the gathering of believers for mutual encouragement, worship, and exhortation as the return of Christ approaches. In the New Testament, believers often met in homes (Romans 16:5, Acts 2:46, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2) and sometimes in public places (Acts 5:42, Acts 20:20). The “church” in the Bible refers to the people, not a specific building (1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:19–22). Nowhere are Christians commanded to build or attend a specific type of structure. What is commanded is that believers gather regularly for the teaching of the Word, breaking of bread, prayer, and fellowship (Acts 2:42). So while assembling is biblical and essential, the idea that it must occur in a designated church building is not found in Scripture.

I agree about gathering - Jesus said "where 2 or more are gathered in MY Name I am there" good enough for me!
but what about elders, bishops in the scriptures?

 

[doctrox]

I agree about gathering - Jesus said "where 2 or more are gathered in MY Name I am there" good enough for me! but what about elders, bishops in the scriptures?

To say that we are violating Scripture unless we also "attend church" in the building of an ecclesiastical corporation with a credentialed seminary graduate in the spotlight, is simply preposterous, a remnant of Roman Catholic teaching. There is not a shred of evidence to support such an ecclesiastical requirement, and the whole of Scripture seems to go against it. The movement in the Bible is away from ceremony and limited special priesthood, and toward decentralization, an every-believer priesthood, and a return to direct communication with God through His Spirit.

Our failure as believers to implement this truth comes from our friendship with the world, and conformity thereto (Romans 12:1-2; James 4:4). It seems strange to us to think of a household communion. In our culture, Grandparents live in their own house, Aunts and Uncles are likewise separated from their Nieces and Nephews, and it is "trendy" for children to move out of their parents' house as soon as they possibly can. In our day "the Family" has been described as one or two working parents and (maybe) 2.2 children (recently down to 1.8).

If we were to take a first-century believer (or even a modern-day member of a number of non-western cultures) up into an airplane over Southern California, and showed them city after city of single-family dwellings, all packed in like sardines, row after row, with parents in one house, children in another, grandparents in another, aunts and uncles in still another, and the poor and homeless wasting away in the abandoned section of industrial parks and urban ghettos (where the suburban dwellers have coercively zoned them) our passenger would cry. Then he might become enraged: "This is sick! This is an abomination! I could never have imagined such atomism and selfish isolationism!" Little does he know that even among those houses where parents and children dwell together, it is little more than a motel, with students and commuters simply dropping in to sleep at night. In this land there is no property -- genuine property -- over which fruitful, honest dominion can be exercised unhindered by banks or landlords. It is a nation of slaves. Where in our land is an Abraham, with hundreds of adopted children, hundreds of domestic apprentices, hundreds of the poor and needy receiving shelter, hundreds of illiterate orphans being educated and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and several generations of Family in blessed contact and harmonious community? Well, if we believe the churchmen, that ideal is clearly unattainable: we live in the New Covenant, and we do not have the Spiritual resources which Abraham had under the Old Covenant. Right?

Does Ephesians 5:19 - 6:24 command anything that cannot be fulfilled in "informal" Family-gatherings? The idea of Family communion is in our (atomistic, self-centered) day rightly ridiculed. We are not Patriarchs; we are children. How we cherish the churchmen, who only require us to "worship" in their church one day each week, and then dismiss us to watch our TV's in isolated silence.

We should always be conscious of Christ's Presence "where two or three are gathered in My Name." Whenever we obey the command to assemble together for praising God, Scripture reading and study, exhortation and comfort, prayer and singing, and remembering the Lord's death in the communal meal, we are clearly engaging in a very special activity.

Remember, the "Church" does not save anybody, only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can save us (John 3:17; 10:9, Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:31, Romans 10:9,13).

 

[PS95]

To say that we are violating Scripture unless we also "attend church" in the building of an ecclesiastical corporation with a credentialed seminary graduate in the spotlight, is simply preposterous, a remnant of Roman Catholic teaching. There is not a shred of evidence to support such an ecclesiastical requirement, and the whole of Scripture seems to go against it. The movement in the Bible is away from ceremony and limited special priesthood, and toward decentralization, an every-believer priesthood, and a return to direct communication with God through His Spirit.

Our failure as believers to implement this truth comes from our friendship with the world, and conformity thereto (Romans 12:1-2; James 4:4). It seems strange to us to think of a household communion. In our culture, Grandparents live in their own house, Aunts and Uncles are likewise separated from their Nieces and Nephews, and it is "trendy" for children to move out of their parents' house as soon as they possibly can. In our day "the Family" has been described as one or two working parents and (maybe) 2.2 children (recently down to 1.8).

If we were to take a first-century believer (or even a modern-day member of a number of non-western cultures) up into an airplane over Southern California, and showed them city after city of single-family dwellings, all packed in like sardines, row after row, with parents in one house, children in another, grandparents in another, aunts and uncles in still another, and the poor and homeless wasting away in the abandoned section of industrial parks and urban ghettos (where the suburban dwellers have coercively zoned them) our passenger would cry. Then he might become enraged: "This is sick! This is an abomination! I could never have imagined such atomism and selfish isolationism!" Little does he know that even among those houses where parents and children dwell together, it is little more than a motel, with students and commuters simply dropping in to sleep at night. In this land there is no property -- genuine property -- over which fruitful, honest dominion can be exercised unhindered by banks or landlords. It is a nation of slaves. Where in our land is an Abraham, with hundreds of adopted children, hundreds of domestic apprentices, hundreds of the poor and needy receiving shelter, hundreds of illiterate orphans being educated and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and several generations of Family in blessed contact and harmonious community? Well, if we believe the churchmen, that ideal is clearly unattainable: we live in the New Covenant, and we do not have the Spiritual resources which Abraham had under the Old Covenant. Right?

Does Ephesians 5:19 - 6:24 command anything that cannot be fulfilled in "informal" Family-gatherings? The idea of Family communion is in our (atomistic, self-centered) day rightly ridiculed. We are not Patriarchs; we are children. How we cherish the churchmen, who only require us to "worship" in their church one day each week, and then dismiss us to watch our TV's in isolated silence.

We should always be conscious of Christ's Presence "where two or three are gathered in My Name." Whenever we obey the command to assemble together for praising God, Scripture reading and study, exhortation and comfort, prayer and singing, and remembering the Lord's death in the communal meal, we are clearly engaging in a very special activity.

Remember, the "Church" does not save anybody, only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can save us (John 3:17; 10:9, Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:31, Romans 10:9,13).

My question is unanswered. The apostles has set up bishops or whatever you want to call them... and elders and deacons. So does that sound like a small group gathering of 2 or 3? Not to me. How do you explain that? It is clearly not small groups. They put elders in every city.

If we all abandon churches they will collapse. Is that what you want? Or is that what globalists want? What about a seeker who goes looking for God in a church. Where do they go? To false churches like the JWs or Mormons. People think. Please.
There are many small decent gospel preaching churches- seek those out. Leave the mega money social club churches. Look at things like Samaritans purse and all all of the good we accomplish every day by knowing one another. This idea is not thought through.
Take fellow members and go to your pastors if you seek changes! Pastors are not gods and if he is teaching wrong, we need to set that straight. Find members who agree and get it done. We don't need to hide in our houses like the early church did. we are not in Commie china yet. We stand up not like cowards hiding in our homes like we are scared of a virus!
Stand up- take your churches back- stop teaching falsely. Pastors can be replaced. Who said they need a degree from a corrupted seminary? OH Please. They need the HOLY SPIRIT not a degree!
THIS IS WHAT SATAN WANTS- empty churches.

 

[doctrox]

My question is unanswered. The apostles has set up bishops or whatever you want to call them... and elders and deacons. So does that sound like a small group gathering of 2 or 3? Not to me. How do you explain that? It is clearly not small groups. They put elders in every city.

Seeds were being planted.

If we all abandon churches they will collapse. Is that what you want?

"Churches" have already "abandoned" their responsibility; evangelical Christianity is in freefall AS WE SPEAK. Others here have elaborated on what passes for a church and what constitutes an authentic church. I submit that you and I, right here, right now, are of the true church rather than of any co-opted shingle hanging on the street...

We must first scripturally identify what constitutes the real thing before we can effectively identify the pretenders.

Or is that what globalists want? What about a seeker who goes looking for God in a church. Where do they go? To false churches like the JWs or Mormons. People think. Please.

Two wrongs never make a right. It's never too late to do the right thing.

There are many small decent gospel preaching churches- seek those out. Leave the mega money social club churches. Look at things like Samaritans purse and all all of the good we accomplish every day by knowing one another. This idea is not thought through.

This is good!

Take fellow members and go to your pastors if you seek changes! Pastors are not gods and if he is teaching wrong, we need to set that straight.

Pastors are as accountable as anyone. It's to our discredit that we have allowed the "superstar syndrome" to infect our shepherds.

Find members who agree and get it done. We don't need to hide in our houses like the early church did. we are not in Commie china yet.

Not yet. But such time is fast approaching. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:16).

We stand up not like cowards hiding in our homes like we are scared of a virus!

Amen! (There is no virus, but there are RF's (radio frequencies) that we are being attacked with that "they" are calling infectious disease.)

Stand up- take your churches back- stop teaching falsely. Pastors can be replaced. Who said they need a degree from a corrupted seminary? OH Please. They need the HOLY SPIRIT not a degree!

Indeed. Men are dying by "degrees."

THIS IS WHAT SATAN WANTS- empty churches.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. (2 Cor. 6:14-17).

 

[Stumpmaster]

Why? It did not say all believers must meet every week in a multi million dollar building.

The term "out of fellowship" also haunts me.

 

[dad]

The term "out of fellowship" also haunts me.

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord

Philippians 2:1
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin

It looks like having fellowship with God is the important thing and that in walking in this light we then have fellowship with other believers. No giant buildings that are bottomless money pits needed. Also, no fellowship with evil governments and payoffs from them needed. We are told if we wish some godspeed, then we are partakers of their bad deeds. By taking the cash from government it seems to me you are becoming partakers of what they are and do. Being separate from the world, as far as I can see, does not mean being joined to them for your very existence to be able to happen. If we took away all tax shelters from churches, could they continue to exist? If some churches spoke the truth to their people about the covid vaccination restrictions that were mandated by governments were to be absolutely disobeyed, would they continue to exist? In a few cases yes, they managed to get through it, though some landed in jail and were fined heavily etc. Even those few depend on the tax deductions etc though.

The bigger risk these days is going to some churches which gets one out of fellowship with Him. Out of obedience to Him. Out of fellowship of the Spirit.

Oh, and by the way 'fellowship of His Son' does not involve building made with hands either. One commentary example:

"
Unto the fellowship of his Son - To participate with his Son Jesus Christ; to be partakers with him; see the notes at John 15:1-8. Christians participate with Christ:

(1) In his feelings and views; Romans 8:9.

(2) In his trials and sufferings, being subjected to temptations and trials similar to his; 1 Peter 4:13, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings;”Colossians 1:24; Colossians 1:24; Philippians 3:10.

(3) In his heirship to the inheritance and glory which awaits him; Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ;” 1 Peter 1:4.

(4) In his triumph in the resurrection and future glory; Matthew 19:28, “Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;” John 14:19, “Because I live, ye shall live also;” Revelation 3:21, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

(Immediately on our union to Christ, we have fellowship with him, in all the blessings of his purchase. This communion or fellowship with him is the necessary result of our union to him. On the saint’s union to Christ, see the supplementary note at Romans 8:10.)"

1 Corinthians 1 - Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org

1 Corinthians 1, Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible, Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible provides Christians with deep insights into the Scriptures, emphasizing original texts and historical context.

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