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Announcer (00:00:00): It is time to think about the Bible like you never have before. This is Christian Questions. Experience more episodes, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Today's topic is, "Do Christians Have to Go to Church?" Now, be a good Christian and go to church. This will make God happy and you'll feel better as well. It sounds so simple, but is it? Is going to a church every week one of the keys that unlocks a future in heaven? The Bible has a lot to say about this, but its answers may not be what you expect. Here's Rick, Jonathan, and Julie.

Rick (00:00:38): Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over twenty-five years, and Julie, a longtime contributor is also with us. Jonathan, what is our theme scripture for this episode?

Jonathan (00:00:50): Revelation 3:22: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches."

Rick (00:00:57): When Jesus ascended to heaven, he told his disciples in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all the nations. He told them to baptize these disciples and teach them all that he had taught and commanded them to know and do. Ten days later, God's spirit came upon the apostles and this is where the Christian church had its beginning. Fast forward two thousand years and we find Christianity divided into countless denominations. We see an apparent decline in Christianity as church attendance seems to be steadily decreasing. Is going to church a significant marker for being a true Christian? To have a real answer for this question, we need to establish a clear understanding of the scriptural relationship between church and its role in a true Christian's life.

Julie (00:01:49): According to a recent article in The Atlantic magazine, 40 million Americans have stopped attending church in the last twenty-five years. That's approximately twelve percent of the population. To quote, "Participation in a religious community generally correlates with better health outcomes and longer life, higher financial generosity, and more stable families--all of which are desperately needed in a nation with rising rates of loneliness, mental illness, and alcohol and drug dependency." Rick and Jonathan, the people who study such things are trying to figure out why. Abuse and moral scandals certainly come into play. Many people simply got out of the routine during COVID and they just haven't come back. But a lot of it has to do with our burned-out lifestyle. The majority of us have to work, go to school, take care of family. Spending optional hours in church on Sunday is time we just don't have. But people are looking for meaning and their connection, and they're looking outside of church.

Rick (00:02:46): That's a sad thing. That's a sad thing because as we will see, we are looking for connection, but we're not willing to put the effort into getting the connection that can actually build us up.

Jonathan (00:02:59): Let's begin by establishing what the church is and therefore what it is not. The word for "church" is pronounced in English, "ecclesia." It means "a calling out; concretely a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation."

Rick (00:03:15): This is a very specific word, "a calling out, a religious congregation." Jesus himself introduced this specific word into Christianity when he described what the basis of true discipleship would be once he finished his earthly ministry. Let's go to where Jesus introduces this word, Matthew 16:15-18:

Jonathan (00:03:40): "He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church."

Julie (00:04:01): Jesus tells us he's going to build his church, this ecclesia, upon this rock, this foundation. What foundation? The one he's praising Peter for understanding; that basis for who he is. "You are the Christ, the son of the living God," he said. Jesus is the foundation. We see that further in 1 Corinthians 3:11. It says, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." One more; Ephesians 1:22 in the New Living Translation says, "God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. Christ alone is the head of his church." This "I will build my church" starts at Pentecost, making it something completely different from the Jewish faith of the Old Testament.

Rick (00:04:48): This is an important factor because Jesus is saying, "I will build my church upon the foundation of who I am." How did he do that? Well, let's trace the steps. After Pentecost, the development of this church began with the guidance of the holy spirit. You have Pentecost and the spirit coming down upon the apostles. This is right after those events. Acts 2:46-47:

Jonathan (00:05:17): This is from the King James version: "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Now, several translations leave the Greek word for "church" out by saying "the Lord was adding to their number day by day." But the thought is the same.

Rick (00:05:45): It is, and it's important; the number. What we're looking at is the formulation of this church. "Upon this rock I will build my church." Jesus wasn't talking about a building, he's talking about the people. That's what the Acts 2:46-47 is really bringing out. They added to their number. The church was adding, being added to. Let's go a little further. We've got this set up. Julie, what happens next?

Julie (00:06:11): So again, we're looking to see what "church" means scripturally. In this next example of how this word in Greek is used for the word "church," the Apostle Paul tells people what he had done back when he was known as Saul of Tarsus. His objective had been to destroy the church. Galatians 1:13-14:

Jonathan (00:06:29): "For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions." Saul of Tarsus wasn't tearing down buildings, he was going after people.

Rick (00:06:53): Everybody knows that, but we don't think about that. When he is talking about he's going to persecute the "church," the "ecclesia," that's the word. He's going after the group of people who are standing for Christ. Of course we know that Saul of Tarsus didn't stay that way. He is converted. Once he's converted, the Apostle Paul's new objective as an apostle was to build up the church for God's glory. You want to talk about a complete total 180 degree turnaround? He's going to destroy it, and then he spends the rest of his life sacrificing himself to building it up. Ephesians 5:22-27:

Jonathan (00:07:40): "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, so that he may sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."

Rick (00:08:18): The Apostle Paul uses that word "church" in these verses one, two, three, four different times. He's looking at the people. He wants the church to be presented in all of her glory without spot or wrinkle before Christ. There's a beautiful picture of the individual followers of Christ being combined together to be the church. These verses clearly teach us, they tell us that the church is the people, it's the congregation, it's the group of called-out ones, whether they're in one local area or spread out throughout the world. Their common ground is following Jesus as his disciples and being given God's spirit. "The church" is used to describe small groups of people, small congregations, the congregation of Christians at large at one point in time, or congregations overall. Understanding this helps us to see the depth of the message that was given to the seven churches in Revelation. Now, in these Revelation chapters, many Christians see these messages as general prophetic warnings and guidance for Christians, and rightfully so.

Julie (00:09:33): In the first three chapters of Revelation, Jesus instructs John to write messages to the churches at Ephesus Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and finally Laodicea. These are seven real places; they're all located in present-day Turkey. We can learn a lot from the specific message that was sent to each in the context of their actual history. However, we understand these seven churches to have a prophetic meaning as well, corresponding to seven successive periods of time during which the gospel message went forth. This started at Pentecost, like we said, with the church at Ephesus, and it ends with a message to us now represented by the last church at Laodicea. The followers in each timeframe receive this specialized message. Jesus addresses all seven churches throughout this whole time period with the same final words in Revelation 3:21-22:

Jonathan (00:10:33): "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches."

Julie (00:10:46): Again, the message is not just to those literal seven churches, but were also messages to all of Jesus's followers in each timeframe of development.

Rick (00:10:57): You notice how the phraseology is, "to the churches." It's showing us that in different periods of time, you're looking at the people as God's called-out ones. It's really important for us to realize that. When we talk about, "Well, are we supposed to go to church?" Maybe we need to rethink that question. Instead of asking, "Do Christians have to go to church?" Knowing what we know now about the church being the people, the congregation made up of people, now and in different places and throughout history, maybe our question should be, "What should true Christians do to be disciples of Christ and be true members of the church?" Do Christians have to go to church? We're looking at that question and the answer is, "Yeah, yeah, you really should, absolutely, positively should." However, that's not the big point here. That's not what we're focusing on here. What we're focusing on is something much bigger, much, much more significant. Jonathan, "Am I just going to church, or am I striving to be part of the church?"

Jonathan (00:12:10): The understanding that the church is the people and not a building is profound. This means that we don't simply enter the church on Sunday, but we in fact should live as a part of the church every day of the week. This fact significantly redefines our responsibilities and privileges.

Rick (00:12:31): Let this sink in. We should live as parts of the church all the time if we're Christians. That's what these few verses that we've talked about thus far with this word for "church" actually means. It is a much bigger picture than many of us may have thought previously. Being a faithful Christian is not about showing up or going to church. Rather it's about being one who is a part of the church.

Jonathan (00:13:03): True Christians ARE the church. How do we break this knowledge down into pieces that will help us clearly understand it?

Rick (00:13:12): Having a truth opened up to you, well, that's just the beginning. Now is when the work begins. Now we need to pay close attention as to how the scriptures show us what this truth is built upon so we can learn how to live it in faith. It is no surprise that the Bible is full of wonderful, powerful examples and applications of what being the church really means.

Julie (00:13:43): We talked about how church membership here in the United States is rapidly declining, but just on some interesting news, there is a $100 million marketing campaign going on right now called "He Gets Us" you might've seen advertised. Lot of money going into that; Super Bowl ads and ads on TV, etc. Their goal is to separate Jesus and his teachings from Christians who say one thing but do another, and who have created, as this movement is saying, "a distorted or incomplete picture of his radical compassion and love for others." I've got more to say on this later, but by focusing on learning about Jesus and not necessarily going to church, they hope more people will live out his teachings.

Rick (00:14:26): That's a very, very good hope and approach. We want to live the teachings of Christ and we want to do it every single day because that's what being part of the church is. So good, kudos to that effort. We'll expand on what we believe that that effort really should bring us to. Let's delve a little bit deeper. As the apostle Paul worked on building up the church for God's glory, he did so by illustrating the very significant relationship between Jesus and the church in a few powerful ways. All of what he taught had its basis in Jesus' own teaching. Now we're going to begin to unpack some of the things that the Apostle Paul taught us about the church.

Jonathan (00:15:09): Rereading a few verses of Ephesians 5, we see Paul's first illustration. Ephesians 5:25-27: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."

Julie (00:15:38): The connection between spouses is both significant and inspirational. It's a picture of how the church is supposed to be connected to Jesus, and we're going to build on this unmistakable connection of marriage.

Rick (00:15:50): That is a very, very powerful way to look at the church. Keep that in mind as we go forward here in this segment. John the Baptist, before Christianity began, when Jesus is just on the scene, John the Baptist revealed that this connection was in place even as Jesus was just beginning to preach. Let's look at John 3:28-30:

Jonathan (00:16:19): "You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent ahead of him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease." John the Baptist, the greatest prophet was saying, "Jesus is the bridegroom. I'm his friend, cheering on this wonderful event that's happening. I have the privilege of introducing the bridegroom, the bride of Christ. The church will increase and I will decrease." Observe the humility of John in pointing out his cousin Jesus, according to the flesh, as the "Lamb of God" whose rising popularity must soon eclipse his own.

Rick (00:17:12): There was a lot in what John the Baptist said here. These very few words describe his recognition of who he was, what he was sent to do, and what he was not. He's pointing to Jesus as the bridegroom. Where the bridegroom is, you know that there's the calling for the bride. This gives us the basis for the Christian connection between the bride of Christ being the church, and then Christ being the bridegroom. Such a connection can only have a grand and glorious end result in the spiritual sense once this age is over and the bride has been completed. What we're saying is, this bride of Christ is being developed throughout this whole Christian age. How does it culminate? Where's the fruition of this? Well, let's look at Revelation 19:7-8:

Jonathan (00:18:06): "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

Rick (00:18:22): There's a powerful thought here. "The bride has made herself ready." This is a heavenly picture. You've got all of the faithful ones through all of the Christian age now in heaven in this picture in Revelation, ready for this marriage of the Lamb. It is a magnificent, magnificent scene. It talks about the fact that "the bride has made herself ready." The true church, the church, not a building, not a place to go to, but something to be part of that's described as the bride of Christ. Should you go to church? Yeah, yeah, you should. But the whole purpose of going to church is to be part of the church. Is that why we go? We've got to ask ourselves those questions. Jonathan, "Am I just going to church, or am I striving to be part of the church?"

Jonathan (00:19:15): To be a prospective part of the bride of Christ should have a mind-boggling effect on us. This is saying that Jesus's true and faithful disciples are in line for an eternal connection and relationship with Jesus. The best part is that this is only one picture of the destiny of the church in heaven. This made me think of John 14:3: "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Julie (00:19:48): To have a relationship with Christ described as personal, as being a bride, that's an amazing opportunity. But I have a question. Are you required to be part of a particular denomination in order to be part of this bride class?

Rick (00:20:02): That's a good question. Denominationalism is not something that existed originally in the true church. Human beings formed denominationalism, so just by definition of how it came into being, the answer is no. No, it's not part of any particular denomination. It is the calling out to follow Christ, to be a footstep follower of his, that is the most important thing. So no, denominationalism has no part, no part in this. That's an important aspect of the bride of Christ.

Julie (00:20:36): Okay, and I bet you're going to say that donating a lot of money can't buy my way in, right?

Rick (00:20:40): I'm going to say that. Donating a lot of money cannot buy your way in. It just can't, because it's not about the outward. It's about the development of the heart and mind to be in line and walk in Jesus' footsteps. Jesus didn't donate a lot of money. He donated all of himself. That's the footsteps that we follow. Let's go back to Revelation 19:8 for another description of what being a part of the church entails. Again, we're going to reread Revelation 19:8:

Jonathan (00:21:16): "It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

Julie (00:21:24): Okay, so the saints are the bride, but this made no sense to me. I had to read it in the Contemporary English version. It says this: "She will be given a wedding dress made of pure and shining linen. The linen stands for the good things God's people have done." In other words, the bride is wearing this special linen representing her as being righteous. "The fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." So "the saints" is describing those who make up the bride. Do I have that right?

Rick (00:21:53): You absolutely have that right. Here's what we have. We have the church, being the people. We have the bride of Christ as an example of the relationship between Christ and the church. Now we have this other thought that they're clothed with the righteous acts of the saints. This is now going to expand our understanding of being part of the church in a very profound way.

Jonathan (00:22:24): This word for "saint" in the New Testament is a special word. "Saint" means "sacred, physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonial, consecrated." This is the same word used for "holy" as in "holy spirit". The righteous acts of the holy ones or the saints. How lofty that is! Now, "holy," as in "holy spirit," John the Baptist's words read in Matthew 3:11: "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove his sandals; he will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire."

Rick (00:23:06): "He will baptize you with the holy spirit." Now folks, we all understand the holy spirit is God's power and influence. It's holy, it's sacred, it's different. The word for "saint" is the exact same word. Understand the profound responsibility of being called holy, just like God's holy spirit. That's what this is talking about. Again, going to church, that's nice, but it's got to be transformative to becoming holy in that same way. This word that's used to describe the sacredness of God's spirit is used to describe the sacredness of Jesus' true disciples. That's really what we're saying here. In some churches, the word "saint" is used as a title for those who are few and far between and are recognized as worthy by those in power in those particular denominations.

Julie (00:24:04): Many people pray to saints even though scripturally we aren't specifically told to do so. But one argument for it is that in this life we're told to pray for others and we ask them to pray for us. So why Rick, wouldn't that be even more effective if one of our friends or family were faithful and they're in heaven in the presence of God and Jesus? Can't they put in a good word, as they would say?

Rick (00:24:26): Nice thought, but entirely inappropriate from a scriptural perspective. Because, because, because there is one God and there's one mediator between God and men, and then there's one advocate between the true church and God, and that's Jesus. There are lots of angels in heaven. Do the scriptures ever tell us to pray to the angels so they can get to God? No.

Julie (00:24:49): No, never.

Rick (00:24:51): So why would we even remotely begin to think that praying to an individual who was faithful even unto death and went to heaven is appropriate? When all of the scriptures, all of the scriptures, and I just want to stress, all of the scriptures say we pray to our Heavenly Father through Jesus. That's the model. That's all we have. Anything other, to me, and this is a Rick opinion, is I think is blatant idolatry. We cannot go down that road. So no, it is not an appropriate circumstance to be praying to somebody who you think had been faithful. By the way, what makes them faithful? What makes it so that they're in heaven? How do you know? Do we vote on it? Isn't that God's decision? I mean, Julie, there's so many pieces to this, so no, not a good idea, okay? Let's move on. In the Bible, this word is used, this word for "holy," this word for "saint" is used to describe each and every true follower of Jesus. Again, this is profound, folks. 2 Corinthians 1:1:

Jonathan (00:25:56): "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:"

Rick (00:26:07): It's interesting that when you look at the beginning of the Apostle Paul's letters, he frequently says "to the saints, to all the saints, to the church, with the saints, the holy ones," with those who are consecrated according to the definition of the word; set apart for God's holy purpose, that's who he is addressing. This is big. This is very, very, very responsible. This is almost scary when you see how big it is, to see how you're supposed to be viewed in the eyes of others because this is how you're viewed in the eyes of God. Ephesians 1:18 tells us this, just in a slightly different way:

Jonathan (00:26:46): "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."

Rick (00:26:58): His inheritance in the holy ones, in the called-out ones. This is what true Christianity is called to be. These saints have much work to do regarding attaining and maintaining their purity in Christ. Let's look at Ephesians 5:1-5. Jonathan, let's just stop though very quickly after verse 2:

Jonathan (00:27:22): "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

Rick (00:27:36): You think about it. It says "be imitators of God." Why does it say that? Because you are holy. You are looked at with the eyes of reverence because you are trying to be like our heavenly Father. Now obviously we can't even come close to that, but the point is that this is what we strive for, to leave our humanness behind and raise up to higher levels of spirituality. In verses 3-5, give us a perspective on that.

Jonathan (00:28:04): "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." Basically we need to continually clean our character.

Julie (00:28:36): That's right. These words, "immorality, impurity, filthiness, covetousness;" when you closely study these words in the Greek, the Apostle Paul is talking about sexual sins and even being inappropriate and careless in the way we talk and how we joke. Bible commentary from David Guzik said this: "We must notice the theme of the moral appeal. It isn't 'avoid these things so that you can be a saint.' Rather it is 'you are a saint. Now live in a manner fitting for a saint.' The sort of behavior Paul says is not fitting for saints was pretty much completely approved by the culture of his day (and our own)." We're supposed to be transformed by following the footsteps of Jesus and rising to this spiritual level.

Jonathan (00:29:21): And it's not about going to church to feel like you're a good person, like you're checking a box off so you can go to heaven. It's much higher than that.

Rick (00:29:31): It is. We need to understand that this is a way of life in every aspect that we can possibly imagine. The saints as members of the church will be members of God's household. Again, how do you get there? You act in the saintly fashion. Ephesians 2:19-20:

Jonathan (00:29:51): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone..."

Julie (00:30:06): Up to this point, we've been referring to the church more in a prospective sense, those striving to be part of the heavenly church, this bride of Christ. But here there's two different categories of people. You said Jonathan, "but you are fellow citizens with the saints." What's the difference?

Rick (00:30:22): That's a really good question and that's a subtlety that we want to draw attention to. What's the Apostle Paul saying? You are fellow citizens. He's writing to the holy spirit-begotten individuals in Ephesians, "you are fellow citizens with the saints." What he's saying is you are on your way to be faithful like those who have already proven themselves. He's drawing that subtle difference between being on the road to faithfulness and having already been proven faithful. The apostle does that several times in his writings in the New Testament. It's important to realize that he's recognizing that just because you claim the name of Christ and you may be begotten by God's spirit doesn't mean you're the saint. It means that you are on the road, you are in the developmental process. That's how big this is. Jonathan, "Am I just going to church, or am I striving to be part of the Church?

Jonathan (00:31:18): To be a saint according to scripture is to be a called-out and faithful disciple of Jesus. It is to be recognized as sacred before God and therefore ultimately sacred before all of the world In the future. What higher privilege can any human being ever be given? Wow. This goes well beyond just going to church on Sunday. It's so much bigger. We need to be serious about our calling and individual responsibility in developing Christlikeness.

Rick (00:31:50): There is a seriousness here that most of us don't take the time to pause and consider. That's why asking such a simple question as "Do Christians have to go to church?" opens the door for understanding what the church truly is and the part we're supposed to play. All we can be is humble, as we see the descriptions and privileges of being prospective members of the church accumulate.

Jonathan (00:32:17): Being the church and not just going to church, being prospective members of the bride of Christ and being saints; what more could there possibly be?

Rick (00:32:27): Well, I'm glad you asked. As is usually the case with scripture, the gold being mined here is rich and plentiful. Our next "being the church" discovery is directly linked to the last link to being prospective saints. We've got all of these different pictures, all of these different links, and what we're going to find is they're all integrated together.

Jonathan (00:32:56): Let's reread Ephesians 2:19-20, and then add a few verses as this will open up another connection to what it means to be a part of the church. Ephesians 2:19-22. Here's what we've read so far: "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone..." Now we add verses 21-22: "...in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirit." "Holy" in this verse is the same word used for "saints." We ARE the building. We are being fitted and shaped, trimmed and polished for a position in God's glorious temple in heaven. We are living stones cut out of the quarry of humanity. But we can't forget our purpose, which is to bless all the families of the earth.

Rick (00:34:04): Now we have the church which is made up of those called to be members of the bride of Christ, as we've already discussed, who are sacred in God's eyes and called saints, as we have already discussed. Now the same group of individuals are likened to a building, a holy temple in the Lord. Such a temple is a dwelling place for God in the spirit. That's what the scripture says. It's a dwelling place. This is an entirely different picture that teaches us more about what being "the church" really means.

Julie (00:34:40): This goes beyond just entering a building with a pretty cross on top. You ARE the building, one of the building blocks of this metaphorical holy temple. A temple is where religion is kept. It's a place of sacred meaning and worship.

Rick (00:34:54): It's so important to realize that each one of these pictures adds dimensions to what it means to be part of the church. Again, we're saying, do Christians have to go to church? That's a good thing. But look at how important it is to BE the church. That's the point. Going to church is supposed to be for the purpose of enhancing being the church. Let's go into this temple a little bit further. The Apostle Paul knew that he was responsible to contribute to the building of this temple. We talked about him building up the brotherhood. Now he's focusing it on the building of this temple. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, and then Jonathan, go to verses 16-17:

Jonathan (00:35:42): "According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Let me pause there. Remember, we talked about that before; "Upon this rock--that I am the Christ, the Son of the living God, I will build my church." Continuing: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." Let me get this straight because if we have this right, this is huge. We are God's representatives for the benefit of all humanity!

Julie (00:36:35): This is reinforced with 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. It says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body." You hear people, if they're really into exercise or eating right, they'll say, "My body is a temple." They probably don't even realize this comes directly from scripture.

Rick (00:37:01): It does. It's an important aspect of what being a true Christian is. It's an important aspect of the question of, do Christians have to go to church? Why do we go? Is it to feel good or is it to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can be the representation of God's spirit here and now in our world? Think about that as the responsibility. Being part of this temple, this church, means being very different than those around us. Again, let's go to 2 Corinthians 6:14-16:

Jonathan (00:37:37): "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" Let me pause here. "Belial" means" worthless or wicked," or this could possibly be another name for Satan. Let's continue: "Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

Julie (00:38:14): There are such extremes here. You've got believers/unbelievers, righteous/lawlessness, light/darkness. There's no walking in the middle of the road. We're either "the temple of the living God" or it says we are idolatrous. So this means we really need to understand what it means to be "the temple of the living God," because we certainly don't want to be the other one.

Rick (00:38:35): This scripture shows us the vast differences that we should have with the world around us. "Do not be bound with unbelievers," and it goes into all of these different kinds of examples. It is telling us, "You are different. You must live differently, not just on Sunday, every day of every week of your life because you're a disciple of Jesus Christ." Because of all of this, our going to church becomes a very active, very engaged aspect of our lives. 2 Corinthians 13:11-14:

Jonathan (00:39:11): "Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the holy spirit, be with you all."

Rick (00:39:32): I love these verses because it talks about "greet one another with a holy kiss." That's the word. "All the saints greet you." That's the same word. "The fellowship of the holy spirit." That's the same word. The point is, "be like-minded, live in peace," be different. Be living on a higher level. Folks, look, if we're going to church and feeling good about it, that's nice. But does that sound anything, anything like what we've been describing according to scripture here? You've got to ask yourself that question as we move through this because this is the biblical explanation and understanding of the church. Our "church interactions" are to be with the highest respect as we seek to build one another up. Ephesians 4:29-32:

Jonathan (00:40:22): This is from the Young's literal translation. "Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers; and make not sorrowful the holy spirit of God, in which ye were sealed to a day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice, and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God and Christ did forgive you." That's why the holy spirit is referred to as a comforter. This clearly indicates a necessity for such comfort coming from the prospective church members, for other footstep followers of Christ; and yes, this is a daily responsibility.

Julie (00:41:11): Part of that is you've started reading "Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth." That means no evil speaking, no slander, or something even with a gossipy flavor. Sometimes that flavor can taste pretty good because you have the power to corrupt others. You can stir up trouble, you can degrade others. But rather, again, we are to take that extreme opposite position. Our speech should make peace. It should build others up. It should be encouraging, it should be full of praise and blessings. We reverence God by respecting His people. This is how we build up the other parts of this temple, these prospective members in the bride of Christ. Christianity, and boy, we're saying it a lot, it's more than going into a building on the weekend.

Rick (00:41:57): You think about Jesus when he cleared the temple out a few days before his crucifixion. He said, "You've taken my father's house and made it into a den of thieves." Do we take the privilege of being the temple of God's spirit and make it into that den of thieves? It's the same kind of thing. We are a personification of the holiness that represents God Himself. Folks, that's a big thing. So Jonathan, "Am I just going to church or am I striving to be part of the church?"

Jonathan (00:42:32): To be prospective members of this church of God through Christ means that we are being built into a figurative temple; a place for God's spirit to permanently dwell. Such a privilege requires far more than just showing up. Maybe we have to ask ourselves, are we really going to church? Are we going to where the church is? If you're going to church but not getting what the bride of Christ needs, maybe you're going to a place that just calls itself a church.

Julie (00:43:04): Wow. Source. I read an article at theguardian.com and here's what it said: "Churches are closing at rapid numbers in the United States. Researchers say as congregations dwindle across the country and a younger generation of Americans abandon Christianity altogether...As the U.S. adjusts to an increasingly non-religious population, thousands of churches are closing each year in the country--a figure that experts believe may have been accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic." Here's my question. How can we have interactions with these other temple stones if churches all around our neighborhood are closing?

Rick (00:43:44): That's an issue. That's certainly an issue. We need to seek out those that have that same desire, that same "like precious faith." Look for those who are looking at this in a higher way. They're out there. There's not a lot of them, likely, but they're out there. Engage in fellowship with those. You know what? Sometimes it's not easy to find. All of this comes down to individual situations and circumstances, but you want to understand it's a personal responsibility. If you are driven, if you are driven by God's spirit and you believe that the holy spirit is showing and opening up God's word, we need to do something about it. Because that means stepping up to a higher level than, like Jonathan you said, maybe you're going to a place that calls itself the church, but maybe it's just not showing you spirituality. Maybe it's showing you comfort. Comfort and spirituality, folks, I'm sorry, but oftentimes they just simply don't mix. One of the foundation scriptures we began today's episode with was Ephesians 5:22-27, which highlighted the powerful teaching of Jesus as the head of the church. This was a catalyst for seeing so many other scriptural ways that we as his disciples are described. Let's continue in Ephesians 5, and we will see another, another powerful illustration.

Jonathan (00:45:10): We last left off with 5:27. Let's continue with Ephesians 5:28-32, starting with verses 28-29: "So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church..."

Rick (00:45:33): This reference, as we had discussed previously, to loving a spouse as you love your own body is the second part of Paul's teaching. He's taking that spousal relationship and now he's adding another dimension, talking about loving your own body. Let's go to verses 30-32:

Jonathan (00:45:54): "...because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church."

Rick (00:46:09): The Apostle Paul here is pointedly using the illustration of a body, a human body as another way of comprehending the role the church plays in God's plan, here and now as well through eternity. We've opened that door, we're going to go through it just in a moment. Going from being recognized as saints as holy before God and being recognized as part of the body of Christ makes perfect sense together.

Jonathan (00:46:40): What more is required now that we see ourselves as prospective members of the body of Christ?

Rick (00:46:47): Being part of "the church" shows us a calling-out to a new life. Being part of "the bride of Christ" shows us the necessary purity that our life should reflect. Being "saints" shows us the importance that we have in God's eyes. Being "a holy temple of God;" that shows us that God is using all of Jesus' faithful disciples as an evidence of His plans and His purposes. Now we look at being "the body of Christ" to see how we individually fit in as part of this magnificent whole. This next description of "the body of Christ" models the individual role that each and every faithful individual disciple of Jesus plays. This adds a dimension that we have not really spoken about yet.

Jonathan (00:47:43): All are equally important in the body of Christ, even if our natural perspective tells us otherwise. If we come from a lesser background, our natural inclination is to see ourselves as lesser. Let's read 1 Corinthians 12:14-19, starting with verses 14-16: "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body."

Julie (00:48:22): We might get discouraged because we are just the spleen and someone else is clearly the more prominent and effective mouth who can preach all these wonderful things to help people. We might be inclined to minimize our talents and what we are called to do when we think that someone else is so much obviously better than us in all the important ways. We get discouraged.

Jonathan (00:48:42): This illustration helps us see the importance of what we are called to do regardless of our preconceived lack of abilities. We don't want to compare ourselves to others in a negative or discouraging way.

Rick (00:48:57): That is such a trap because there's always somebody that can do it better than I can. You've got to look at that and say, oh man, no, you look at it and say, wait, wait, wait, I have been called to be a part of this, and it doesn't matter what they're called to be. What matters is the grace that God has bestowed upon me. What am I going to do with it? Paul goes further with this. He then explains how damaging it is for any Christian to minimize their contribution to this body. Jonathan, let's go to 1 Corinthians 12:17-20 now:

Jonathan (00:49:29): "If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body." We are placed exactly where God needs us to be. Let's appreciate the whole reason we're here. It's not what we can't do, but what the Lord sees in us.

Rick (00:49:59): Amen. It is absolutely what the Lord sees in us. The way to understand that is to stop looking at ourselves through our own eyes. Look at ourselves through the eyes of one who has been called out and look through the eyes of the heavenly Father. He called you not because you're great, but because you are important to His overall plan. That should be what we focus on. Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 12 by explaining that those with higher backgrounds who may be more successful, may be more eloquent, must be careful to not have the highest honor of all body members. In fact, he tells us that those who are less noticeable are those with the absolute highest importance. It's exactly the opposite of what humanity looks at.

Julie (00:50:52): It reminds me of Jesus washing the feet. Here he is the master, and yet he becomes the servant. It's a balance. We can't have our self-esteem that's so low that we won't allow ourselves to be used by God in His service. But if we think too highly of ourselves, we take the focus off of God and Jesus and make it all about me. We all have this contribution to the whole, but we aren't the only body part. All parts work together for the whole health of the body of the church.

Rick (00:51:19): Isn't that a great thing? Thank goodness the whole body isn't the same, because you don't have the ability to function as a unit if you were all the same. You've got to ask yourself, "Okay, so why is it set up this way?" Just go back to the Apostle Paul because he's going to tell us exactly why in 1 Corinthians 12. Jonathan, let's do now 24-26:

Jonathan (00:51:44): "...But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." There is no hierarchy of status in the body of Christ.

Rick (00:52:09): No hierarchy of status. There's no division, there's no social order, there's no influencer that stands above and beyond everyone else. There's nobody who is ordained to be in a different position than the rest. There is no division because all are equal. That's the message here. Let's go a little further. Ephesians chapter 4:11-13:

Jonathan (00:52:32): "And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."

Rick (00:52:55): We all must be contributors to this body no matter what member we may be. It's interesting in this verse, you talk about "apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers." How do they get there? Well, a lot of denominations make this appointment thing and they say, we're going to decide who your pastors and teachers are. That's not what the Bible told us. The Bible told us that the congregation, the church, is supposed to work on establishing its own leadership from within. That's a very novel idea in today's Christianity, and the beauty of that...look, let me give you a personal example. I am an elder, a minister in our local group. We have our elections from within because that's the way the scriptures tell us to do it. We try very hard to do it that way. That means, that means, Jonathan and Julie, that at some point with the next election, the least member of our group could end up being the vote that casts me out of the position of elder. I say to that, thank God, thank God for that setup. Because what that shows is absolute equality of each member of the body. Folks, look, you may go to church, but are you being part of the church? Are you following through on all of these things that we're learning in terms of understanding the function of the body? If you're not getting it where you're going, you have to ask yourself, why do I go there? What should I do instead? So as we begin to wrap this up, what we want to do now is look at personal contributions. Remember we're talking about the body and how each member is different. There's lots and lots of ways that we can, as individuals, be contributors to this body of Christ. We're going to touch on just a few. So Jonathan, let's get us started with that please.

Jonathan (00:54:48): We contribute by being spiritually stimulating to one another. Rick, twenty-five years ago we started Christian Questions, and this was our theme text, Hebrews 10:24-25: "...and let us consider how to stimulate (or provoke) 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."

Rick (00:55:14): Very quickly in the question, do we Christians have to go to church? What did it say in the scripture? "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." What's that telling you? Be together. You can say, well, we can do it on Zoom. Sure you can. But if you have the option to be in person, what do you think Jesus would tell you to do? Do you think he'd tell you to sit at home and say, "Hey, just get on Zoom because it's more convenient?" Or do you think he'd tell us to go be amongst one another to build one another up in this most holy faith? Think about that. Julie, what's next in terms of contribution?

Julie (00:55:47): We contribute by loving one another, and that doesn't work well if we don't ever associate with each other. John 15:12-14 says (this is Jesus): "This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." I think what this tells us is we want to be individually present for others whenever we possibly can. Part of that love, we've got to learn to love each other. That's a whole other topic about how big that love has to be.

Rick (00:56:20): Yeah. This is that selfless kind of love, that love that puts others just way before you. But you know that love also, there's a different aspect to loving one another. Jonathan, let's get into that.

Jonathan (00:56:33): Yeah. Our love for each other is both a brotherly love as well as a selfless love. 1 Peter 1:22-23 from the Young's Literal Translation: "Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly, being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God--living and remaining--to the age."

Rick (00:57:01): There's a lot in this scripture, but the point that we're really, really driving at is "brotherly love unfeigned." That's the philadelphia love, that's the family kind of love. That's the being in the foxhole together kind of love versus that selfless love. Both of them are really important. Folks, how do you develop that brotherly love and that selfless love unless you're interacting with one another? This, as the apostle Peter says, is one of the responsibilities throughout the end of this age until the true church is complete. Julie, what's next in terms of contribution?

Julie (00:57:35): Well, we contribute by knowing who our brother and sister are and selflessly serving them. Galatians 5:13 says: "For you are called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." In context, Paul is telling the Jewish Christians that they're no longer under the rituals, the ceremonies, and heavy obligations of the Law. They now would have liberty from the Law. But Paul warns that that doesn't mean that you get to do anything that you want. Don't make this Christian liberty an excuse for self-indulgence. Ironically, we're to use this freedom to go back into servitude in the unlimited serving of the brotherhood. In this way we serve Christ.

Rick (00:58:21): That's a beautiful picture of servitude that comes from freedom. It's freedom with a very pointed and sacred responsibility.

Jonathan (00:58:33): My wife and I are in an environment with our brethren that has an infectious desire to help and support each other. It makes me want to work even harder because I see the beauty and blessing that comes from that.

Rick (00:58:46): That's why we need to get to together. Do we need to go to church? Yes. Be with those of that same sense of faith that can help build you up, build them up, and then help those who are in the greatest need. It's such an important factor here. Jonathan, what's next?

Jonathan (00:59:05): We contribute by continually encouraging each other. We all need encouragement. Hebrews 3:13-14: "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firmly until the end..."

Rick (00:59:29): It's from beginning to end that this process has to work. Encouraging one another day after day after day. Be engaged, mutually encouraging. Julie, one last contribution:

Julie (00:59:41): We contribute by being involved in each other's lives in a compassionate and upbuilding way. We'll read Colossians 3:12-13, 16:

Jonathan (00:59:50): "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, and with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Julie (01:00:21): How are we--think about this--how are we individually and collectively reflecting Christ? There's a quote that's often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but it's more likely from an Indian philosopher in the mid 1920s. Here's the quote: "Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians, you are not like him." A recent survey asked, "What causes people to doubt Christianity among those with no faith or from other faiths?" The number one answer was "the hypocrisy of religious people." Among Christians themselves, it was the number two reason why they themselves doubt Christianity. The first was having no explanation for human suffering; another topic. But individually, we really need to stop and consider if, as Jonathan you read, "the word of Christ is richly dwelling in us." Are we holy with that heart of compassion, kindness, humility, and so forth? Collectively, this gospel message has been perverted somewhere along the way. We have this opportunity only by God's grace. Are we taking it seriously enough?

Rick (01:01:27): That is an important question. There are so many ways to contribute. There's so many descriptions. Am I taking this seriously enough each and every day of my Christian walk, without exception? You know what? This is one thing from which there is no vacation. You do not vacate discipleship. It is a part of you. It drives you and it transforms you. That's what being part of "the church" is. So Jonathan, one last time, "Am I just going to church or am I striving to be part of the church?"

Jonathan (01:02:01): Having a prospect of being part of "the church," part of "the bride of Christ," "saints", "a holy temple of God" and a member of "the body of Christ" is an unearned privilege that can only come from God calling us and from being acceptable through Christ and his sacrifice.

Julie (01:02:21): When we think about going to church, let us be clear that such an activity is an important but small detail when compared with the responsibility of being part of "the church."

Jonathan (01:02:33): Let us maximize our privileges and contribute to our fellow disciples.

Rick (01:02:37): Folks, this ends up being a personal decision based on how you see your Christianity. Do you feel like God's spirit is guiding you? Then shouldn't it be guiding you to those who are living these principles rather than to an environment that's just having fun or being happy? Nothing wrong with happiness. There's nothing wrong with fun, but it all has to be done within the context of "I am a living disciple of Jesus Christ, begotten by God's spirit. I am called to be part of the church as a saint of God. What am I doing with it?" Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode. "Who is God? (Part I)." Talk to you about that next week.

Final Notes (01:03:36): copyright @2023 Christian Questions. In addition to this transcript, we provide comprehensive CQ Rewind Show Notes for every episode. They include every scripture quoted during the podcast, as well as graphics, illustrations and bonus material. Click the "CQ Rewind Show Notes" button near the audio player or sign up to receive these weekly at ChristianQuestions.com. This transcript was created using artificial intelligence. While we believe it to be accurate, we apologize for any errors that may exist.