Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Debelak
The push is NOT to say there shouldn't be congregations or that there shouldn't be various gifts manifest in an assembly. The "default" position is that there will be. The question is how open we are to those who don't fall into that mode?
Understandably there is skepticism about the spiritual health of those who are not "members" of a formal congregation. But the question in this thread, I think, is:
What sort of basic requirements for a healthy spiritual living exist, according to the Word? Is it possible one still lives in fellowship with others, even submitting to one another - perhaps attending formal congregations occasionally, without being a "member" of a "congregation".
Does the Scripture take a position on this. If so, why? If not, why not?
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IMHO I think the authors of the NT basically assume assemblies exist or are being brought into existence. And there is the admonishment in Hebrews not to forsake the assembly of ourselves together. It is assumed that community is part of the Christian experience and for good reason: it is harder to go it alone.
But to my understanding the idea of formally joining a congregation as a member cannot be found anywhere in the NT. There is not even a formal official prescription of how an assembly should operate.
Personally I have no skepticism about those who don't belong as members of a congregation. If God is leading them down another path: Praise the Lord! Who am I to judge? If they go to a home meeting twice a week and once a month to a bigger church in their neighborhood what's wrong with that? If they meet in a basement with 10 believers on Tuesdays at 8 pm what's wrong with that?
Anyway IMHO American Christians need to wake up and snap out of our comfort zone. Millions of Christian in China meet in underground informal house churches. What's wrong with that? In Saudi Arabia Christians have to meet in secret with black curtains over the windows. Should we be skeptical about their experience? I'm not!