What constitutes “faithful to church?” What says Scripture? Hebrews 10:25 clearly states: “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.” This verse says that we should never miss. Never? Never. Let’s look at the verse carefully to understand even better how airtight this teaching is in the Bible.
First, the context. Hebrews 10 continues arguing before Jews (Hebrews) the superiority of the new covenant to the old, that is, the system of Christ since His death, burial, and resurrection versus the Old Testament priesthood and sacrificial system. Of course, for anyone who cared, Christ is not only far better, but He also fulfilled the old. Old Testament Israel had a very involved, prescribed manner of worship. That regular practice had engrained itself in the Jewish culture. That was tough for any Jew to give up. What would a Hebrew do with that all gone? With Jesus as our high priest, we replace the old worship with the new worship, the assembling of our selves together. This makes the New Testament worship at least equal, but even greater than the Old Testament system of rituals, sacrifices, ceremonies, festivals, sabbaths, and sabbaticals. Would the Old Testament Jew ever be excused from any prescribed worship of the Old Testament? No. Was there any room for a Jew under the old covenant missing a congregation of the nation Israel? Of course not. So the context itself is a powerful argument for faithfulness to every meeting of God’s institution in which we live, the church.
Second, the verse itself. The verse itself has several arguments internally that are devastating to someone who thinks it’s OK to miss church. Let me enumerate them.
1) Not forsaking. Some might argue that “forsake” means abandonment. I remember a guy that once attended our church who was unfaithful to services. I encouraged his faithfulness by teaching him what this verse meant. He had never even heard the abandonment argument, but once I told him people had used that point, it became his as well. That is a perfect example of fitting the interpretation to the lifestyle instead of vice versa. In Matthew 27:46, the Lord uses this exact term on the cross, when He cried out: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Had the Father abandoned the Son? No way. Certainly in other usages of the “word,” the understanding of abandonment could be made, but we also see that the word can be used as a practice of missing something as well. The context helps us see that “abandonment” is not the meaning here.
2) The assembling. The nature of this noun, “assembling,” guides our interpretation of this verse. It is the assembling itself that we are not to forsake, that is, the actual act of gathering with the rest of the congregation.
3) As the manner of some is. “Manner” is a habit or practice. Abandonment cannot be characterized as a habit or practice, but a one-time act. This speaks of a regular performance of a particular deed. Some were in the habit of missing the assembling of the church.
4) Exhorting one another. In order to exhort one another, one must be in attendance. To participate in exhortation of another brother or sister, one must see the person, know what the problem or crisis or deficiency is, so that one might say the appropriate words of strength, admonishment, warning, or support.
5) So much the more, as ye see the day approaching. The “day” is the day of the return of Christ, which was imminent, any moment. The NT teaching on the timing of Christ’s return was imminence. 2 Peter 3:12, “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Luke 12:37, “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching.” If the Lord could return at any moment, then He could return while you were not assembling with God’s congregation. The person who thought Christ could come at any moment would want to be in the place that he knew Christ wanted him to be if the Lord were to return. Any time we aren’t assembling could be the time when Christ returns.
Many other reasons could serve in addition to these from this one verse: not being a stumbling block, in order to be a good testimony to unbelievers, because we love God, because we love the Word of God, because we love God’s people, because the church is a body and the body doesn’t function as well with a missing body part, and many, many more. With all of these reasons combined, don’t you think that you should never miss church?
These are powerful verses. I’d like to see how they work out practically. For instance, who tells a church how often to assemble (1,2,3-10 times a week)? I know we have our traditions of First day morning and evening, and midweek service. Is there biblical warrant for these specifically or for more or less. What about men’s prayer meeting and ladies’ Bible studies? Do these all carry the same power of these Scriptures?
Of course, I’m not trying to get out of going to church. Just trying to figure out when someone is sinning and when they’re not.
Amen! Great post. It is so sad that so many ‘Christians’ have made a habit of missing church. Some even go church-hopping. We need to esteem the church the Bible way, we need to at least treat her as the bride of Christ. Thanks for this helpful post!
For instance, who tells a church how often to assemble (1,2,3-10 times a week)? THE CHURCH HERSELF DECIDES HOW MANY TIMES SHE WILL MEET. ONCE THE ASSEMBLY DECIDES, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERYONE ELSE IS TO FIT IN. THE TRADITIONS ARE A PRACTICE AMONG MANY LOCAL CHURCHES. THEY HOLD NO AUTHORITY, BUT THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BROUGHT THEM TO THESE POSITIONS OVER YEARS, SO THEY SHOULD BE DIFFICULT TO LESSEN AT LEAST. IF ANYTHING, ADDITIONS WOULD BE GOOD. Is there biblical warrant for these specifically or for more or less? ONE CAN FIND MEETING MORE. What about men’s prayer meeting and ladies’ Bible studies? IF THE CHURCH DECIDES THESE ARE NOT TO BE MISSED, THEN THEY TOO SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE ASSEMBLINGS. Do these all carry the same power of these Scriptures?
IF THE CHURCH DECIDES.
WITH OUR CHURCH, IN THE BULLETIN, IT SAYS “OUR ASSEMBLINGS” OR “OUR GATHERINGS” AND IT LISTS THOSE FOUR. I OFTEN MENTION THAT WITH CHURCH AUTHORITY WE MEET THESE FOUR TIMES.
Thanks, that makes sense!
Pastor B
I did extensive research on this verse. I also talked with our Greek Scholar at the college. I am sure you know Mr. Armacost.
Forsake does mean abandonment.
Now the reason I did research is because of dealing with arrogant people that have told me that I was in sin for missing church because of work. I work every 3rd weekend, and sometimes on midweek. I don’t work overtime on those days, I also don’t purposely schedule myself to work during a church service.I also have children and sometimes they are sick thus I have to miss. I don’t think Pastor V would enjoy me bringing my girls to church, when they are puking up their guts. It isn’t as if I am looking for an excuse to miss. I love being at church and enjoy the exhortation of God’s Word and I do know I miss and isn’t that I am church hopping.
Sometimes there are valid avoidable reasons. I heard the argument that work isn’t valid. Well it is if you are an ER nurse, trauma’s and illness don’t stop just because it is Sunday. I guarentee if you were having a heart attack you would be in the ER no matter what time of the day or night it is. You woulod be thankful someone was there to sacrifice their church service to save your life.
Let me say I HATE missing, especially because of work, it doesn’t make me a church skipper because of that, nor does it make me to be in sin.
Cathy,
Thanks for your letter. I think it is easy for someone like you to take these kinds of things personally, but I believe this text means this if you or I ever existed. We can’t go to passages with our situations and hope to conform it to them. I’m not there to get the feedback from Mr. Armacost, but I think he would understand that the word must be viewed in its context, and I gave at least one time in which it does not mean abandon, and there is another in Mark. I think some missing is permissible in certain situations in line with Matthew 12:11, “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?” Certain professions fit this verse, but I also think that God’s standard for believers is faithfulness to the assembly, working their schedules to fit church. We have nurses in our church, at least five of them, and they do that. I’m not saying any of this in a condemnatory (judgmental) way, but your nursing situation is someone else’s unique situation in another area, ad infinitum. Ultimately, we’ve got situational ethics. For that reason, I don’t change this interpretation to fit your situation, at the same time empathizing with you.
Well I noticed you didn’t add my last comment. Guess you will never seek medical attention on Sunday.
Let me ask is FORSAKING this in the Greek?
The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon
Strong’s Number: 1459 Browse Lexicon
Original Word Word Origin
ejgkataleivpw from (1722) and (2641)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Egkataleipo None
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
eng-kat-al-i’-po Verb
Definition
abandon, desert
leave in straits, leave helpless
totally abandoned, utterly forsaken
to leave behind among, to leave surviving
Cathy,
I’m not trying to become your favorite preacher in the world, but I am going to tell you what I think you need to hear. I published everything you sent me, including your “I guarentee (sic) if you were having a heart attack you would be in the ER no matter what time of the day or night it is” and your “puking” children comments. That kind of argument is called a “strawman,” because it does not deal with the actual passage. It deals with a hypothetical, which is much easier. It also ignores the Matthew 12:11 text I gave you, which makes it also either extremely careless or dishonest.
Have you considered 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:29-35? I suggest meditation on those. I can handle your questions, but how it looks when we are doing it; that might be something else, to put it nicely. Men are going to deal lightly with you for obvious reasons. You should take that into strong consideration. I appreciate your cutting and pasting Strong’s Concordance, but you should know that Strong’s is not a very thorough lexiconal dealing with any word, so though you may think you really got something with that, perhaps you could look at something like BDAG. You know what BDAG is, or Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the NT? Also consider that I took 8 years of Greek and taught it four different years, including advanced grammar and syntax. So when I talk about context, I know what I’m talking about. Did the Father abandon the Son? Answer yes or no. If it always means abandon without the context, then that’s what it means there too. If not, then based on the context, it can mean something different. Did you read the rest of my initial post? If someone ABANDONS assembling and ABANDONS a manner, a habit, this is different than forsaking the church. It is forsaking the action of assembling, and getting out of a habit. There are verses about abandoning the church itself (1 John 2:19), but that is not what this is about. The primary way we find out what a word means is through the usage, Cathy. Yes, a word may mean something primarily, but that does not conclude that it can’t mean something slightly different somewhere else based on the context.
Here’s a hypothetical. I play basketball very well. It’s a way I can earn a living and help my family, so I play professional basketball and half my games are on Sunday. Usually a chaplain comes in and gives a voluntary devotional before games. I also tithe what I earn. Since the Bible doesn’t teach anywhere that I have to be in every church service, it just says not to abandon the church, well, then I know it isn’t a sin for me to play on Sunday. I’ve also found that since I started playing, more people listen to me preach the gospel.
Okay PastorB….you and Cathy have me really confused now..Are you are a preacher? teacher? basketball player? I thought (following your links) that you were the pastor if the church; taught somewhere. Help me with this. And, by the way Cathy..not being terribly intellectual..you lost me with the “heart attack & puking thing”..It may be me, but I think that is a common sense call..
ILA
ILA,
I’m a pastor. That was a hypothetical, although I had the opportunity at one time to play professionally and didn’t take it, so it is a realistic decision for someone too.
Hey Anon you would think that it was a common sense call, but according PB if you miss church you are forsaking God and are in sin, thus next time guess i’ll bring my puking kid to church and I will put in my 2 weeks notice and move in with Pastor Voegtlin :0)
BTW PB I will answer you when I have time. All except Hypotheicial stuff cause I dont play the what if games
Cathy, where did I say you were in sin for missing church? Please read carefully. I told you that certain exceptions exist and even provided you a verse for it. Do you remember the verse? Don’t you understand that your whole argument is a hypothetical. You say you don’t answer hypotheticals, but your whole argument is a hypothetical. Know this too. I won’t allow you to comment on this site if you continue doing what you know you are doing on another internet site. I will ban you.
Well done Pastor B….and BTW thanks for the great article. I belive not being in church is the exception and not the rule. There are many good reasons (as you pointed out) to miss…but they should be legitimate. And BTW Cathy, please do bring your child to church…they will need it and so will you!!
God Bless,
ILA
ok, now this is getting really good. As an objective observer, I would say to Cathy that perhaps you are over-reacting. I don’t think Pastor B is disagreeing with you.
I also don’t believe God considers it a sin if you have to miss church for a legitimate reason. I think the issue is what reasons are truly legitimate. I believe there are some. God knows your heart and doesn’t expect you to bring sick children to church. I also believe that a profession that provides aid to the afflicted and reduces the suffering of men is a worthy reason.
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” – Matthew 10:8
You make some good points here, Kent, especially how the word “forsake” is used in Matthew 27:46 – Jesus was forsaken then, not ongoing over a period of time.
Would you mind if I posted this on one or two message boards to get some feedback and discussion on it? (Also, would it be possible to use it as one of the Daily Devotionals I send out?) Thanks for your consideration.
Yes, Jerry. And thanks.
I’ve considered this blog most of this week and the scripture. The blog combined with the message during our Wednesday eve service brought a question to my mind. Are we “forsaking” if we are physically attending every service and largely maintain non-spiritual conversations at church, routinely sing the hymns without realizing what we just sang, and routinely have our mind on other things during the preaching?