A Biblical approach to church community
The biblically stated purpose of gathering as local churches is found in the book of Hebrews. It’s about community.
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are doing, but encouraging one another.” – Hebrews 10:24-25
God gave community (church) to help us encourage one another relationally and reciprocally as we follow Christ.
The writer of Hebrews could have included many things in this appeal to gather. Other Bible passages show how every believer has insights, talents, and wisdom to share in the gathering (Ephesians 4:4-12, 1 Cor. 12:4-11, Romans 12:4-8).
Hebrews focuses on the reason to gather. Encourage one another, building the whole body up through fellowship.
Christ’s Church is something we are together, not a place or event we attend.
In the New Testament, communities of Christ believers exhibit specific traits:
Christ over buildings or human leaders (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Enriching relationships over programs (1 Peter 2:5-9)
Every member is valued and included (Rom. 12:5-8, 1 Cor. 12:4-6)
Participative growth through shared teaching, prayer, and worship (Matt. 5:19, Col. 3:16)
Shared servant leadership (1 Peter 5:1-2, Matthew 20:25-28)
Leaders who give freely and model Christian character (Matthew 10:8, 20:25-28, 1 Corinthians 11:1)
Focus on deep substance instead of fancy environments or empty theatrics (Matthew 6:5-13, Colossians 2:8).
It’s not always easy to follow Jesus on our own. We all have times of droughts, doubts, and fears. In harder moments, we are prone to forget God’s goodness and even the personal ways He showed up for us (Isn’t that odd of us? It happens!).
In those times, friends can encourage us by sharing their encounters with God. We can do the same for them!
We can also help one another understand and apply harder Bible passages.
We can even celebrate big life moments with each other and lend ears or hands during harder times.
All this helps us grow in Jesus and follow Him better!
Notice something important. For these benefits to happen, leaders must care enough about members to include them as active participants rather than making them passive spectators. At BASIC, we do this by facilitating learning as conversations and by sharing leadership.
If you would like an encouraging, interactive community, let’s connect and help each other grow in Christ.
There are forms of church that don’t operate as a community for helping one another grow in Christ.
Business, corporate machine churches
Hyper-grace churches
Corporate machine churches don’t serve Christ's intent and hinder the point of gathering.
By turning “churches” into commerce buildings where “for pay” clergymen (ĸλῆρος, “special inheritance person”), perform while elevated above silenced laity (λαϊκός “common people”), self-ambitious religious leaders steel from members their very purpose for gathering. Community gives way to spectatorship.
Many lonely and burdened people, desiring what Christ’s Church should provide, try to get it by attending a “church service”. After staring at the backs of heads for an hour, they leave equally lonely and burdened.
Others come, having lived selfishly all week, happily get their religious fix. They neither grow nor contribute, because the system allows them to forfeit responsibility and growth.
Worse, these churches oppose Christ’s removal of class divisions by adding unbiblical and hierarchies (Gal. 3:28). They divide people between “special” and “common”. Often, they benefit the “special” people financially, socially, or both through the continuing suffering of the “common” people. After all, if people learned to help each other understand the Bible and grow in Christ, they wouldn’t need full-time “career” pastors.
Further, if people didn’t exhaust themselves driving career-minded pastors’ programs or prideful ambitions (visions), they would have time to help each other grow. But then, these pastors would receive less veneration and may even need “marketplace” jobs (like their members and the disciples).
Religious leaders of such “churches” have rebuilt the corrupt religious systems Jesus replaced with Himself and, at least in part, died to eliminate.
When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened… my yoke is easy”, He was contrasting Himself with the day’s professional religious leaders, who imposed heavy burdens and used others for personal gain (Matthew 11:28-30).
Of these leaders, He also said “They tie up heavy loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is for show… they love the places of honor… to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi (Bishop/Pastor)” (Matthew 23:3-7).
He followed with “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters… you have one Instructor, the Messiah” (23:8-10).
Further contrasting Himself against the religious leaders, Jesus called them thieves and Himself the source of abundant life.
“A thief comes to steal. I came to give abundant life.” - John 10:10
It’s fair to consider widespread immorality, abuse, cover-ups, and financial impropriety among top leaders of religious institutions to be thievery.
Hyper-Grace churches insult Jesus.
These churches operate under the notion that “since Jesus saved you, anything you do is okay”.
Here, leaders advocate throwing out all guardrails of restraint and living an “accountable to no one” free-for-all life. This approach hurts many people, who become victims of empty indulgence seeking.
The Bible clearly does not support the idea that Jesus gave His life to save sinners so we can keep on sinning.
When Jesus encountered the woman who had been caught in adultery, He ended their conversation with “I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
The apostle Paul said it like this:
“Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” - Romans 6:1-2
“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Biblical community means supporting each other in Christ.
Christ’s Church was never meant to become a business for professional “clergy” who steal away every member’s priesthood.
Jesus initiated gatherings of equals who could help each other grow in Christ and share Him with the world.
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. – I Peter 2:4-10