Do we need the Church buliding today?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
laymen

laymen

Senior Member
#1
Apr 6, 2014
680
102
43
faithlife.com
#1
The influence of the synagogue was important. The Scriptures and Christian documents (such as Paul’s letters) were read and expounded (1 Thes. 5:27).1 1 Marshall, I. H. (1996). Worship. In D. R. W. Wood, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 1250). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Reason's they had to go to the church was for info but had they of had the internet like we do today , would they of had the need for a synagogue? Most were only meeting in their homes anyways.

What would be the need for a church building today? or should we just meet in homes instead like the old church did for the most part? Because some lived to far from a synagogue, and they did not have the Bible in print like we do today and they did not have the internet.

Meany online churches have come up Due to COVID 19.
 
Corban

Corban

Banned
#2
Jun 11, 2020
1,370
424
83
73
#2
laymen said:
The influence of the synagogue was important. The Scriptures and Christian documents (such as Paul’s letters) were read and expounded (1 Thes. 5:27).1 1 Marshall, I. H. (1996). Worship. In D. R. W. Wood, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 1250). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Reason's they had to go to the church was for info but had they of had the internet like we do today , would they of had the need for a synagogue? Most were only meeting in their homes anyways.

What would be the need for a church building today? or should we just meet in homes instead like the old church did for the most part? Because some lived to far from a synagogue, and they did not have the Bible in print like we do today and they did not have the internet.

Meany online churches have come up Due to COVID 19.
Click to expand...
Good question. The answer is of course that the Greek word for "Church" is "Ekklesia". "Ekklesia" means "GATHERING of the called-out ones". In Ephesians Chapter 4 and 1st Corinthians Chapter 14 we can see that the Church is only built when the gifted ones work "when we come together". That's why God made one Church - one LOCALITY. The Church is GEOGRAPHICAL. Now, the Church is very robustly built. It can GATHER in a big building, which is correctly called "a meeting hall." The Church can gather in a house. Or it can gather in a tent. But its construction is so that it can gather on a snowbound slope in Siberia, if the right clothes are worn.

But however convenient zoom.us is, it is not a GATHERING. It is a "staying away" from the Gathering. The next thing we have to discuss then, is; Is the Lord in a zoom.us video "non-gathering"? He said that where "two or more are GATHERED in my Name - I am there. Nobody is GATHERED at a zoom conference. They are scattered.
 
laymen

laymen

Senior Member
#3
Apr 6, 2014
680
102
43
faithlife.com
#3
Paul went to meany church's but also wrote meany letters that we still enjoy today. few times he even says that even though he is not with them in person he was in spirit.
1cor 5:3 "For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit"
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Co 5:3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Same could be said on the internet.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#4
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
#4
laymen said:
What would be the need for a church building today?
Click to expand...
A home can only accommodate a handful of people. Hence the need for a building where many can gather.

As to the COVID restrictions, all churches should ignore them and challenge them (as some have already done). The COVID Scamdemic was used to take away the freedoms of the general population and establish state control.
 
laymen

laymen

Senior Member
#5
Apr 6, 2014
680
102
43
faithlife.com
#5
Nehemiah6 said:
A home can only accommodate a handful of people. Hence the need for a building where many can gather.

As to the COVID restrictions, all churches should ignore them and challenge them (as some have already done). The COVID Scamdemic was used to take away the freedoms of the general population and establish state control.
Click to expand...
Granted the Old church was threatened with death by Jewish leaders but they still went to church. And Covid is not much different
But the fact was they went house to house so no need to be in one house.
 
GraceAndTruth

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
#6
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
#6
laymen said:
The influence of the synagogue was important. The Scriptures and Christian documents (such as Paul’s letters) were read and expounded (1 Thes. 5:27).1 1 Marshall, I. H. (1996). Worship. In D. R. W. Wood, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 1250). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Reason's they had to go to the church was for info but had they of had the internet like we do today , would they of had the need for a synagogue? Most were only meeting in their homes anyways.

What would be the need for a church building today? or should we just meet in homes instead like the old church did for the most part? Because some lived to far from a synagogue, and they did not have the Bible in print like we do today and they did not have the internet.

Meany online churches have come up Due to COVID 19.
Click to expand...
Home churches are great...small groups caring and sharing......but you need a leader grounded in scripture.
HEBREWS 10:24 and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
 
GraceAndTruth

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
#7
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
#7
Home churches were all the
Christians had in the beginning.....I see nothing wrong in using the bible as the Master's plan.
 
laymen

laymen

Senior Member
#8
Apr 6, 2014
680
102
43
faithlife.com
#8
GraceAndTruth said:
Home churches are great...small groups caring and sharing......but you need a leader grounded in scripture.
HEBREWS 10:24 and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Click to expand...
As far as needing a leader, the man should the head of the house as Christ is the head of the church.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#10
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
#10
laymen said:
Granted the Old church was threatened with death by Jewish leaders but they still went to church. And Covid is not much different
But the fact was they went house to house so no need to be in one house.
Click to expand...
What if there are a hundred or a thousand?
 
S

soggykitten

Well-known member
#11
Jul 3, 2020
2,322
1,369
113
#11
laymen said:
The influence of the synagogue was important. The Scriptures and Christian documents (such as Paul’s letters) were read and expounded (1 Thes. 5:27).1 1 Marshall, I. H. (1996). Worship. In D. R. W. Wood, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 1250). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Reason's they had to go to the church was for info but had they of had the internet like we do today , would they of had the need for a synagogue? Most were only meeting in their homes anyways.

What would be the need for a church building today? or should we just meet in homes instead like the old church did for the most part? Because some lived to far from a synagogue, and they did not have the Bible in print like we do today and they did not have the internet.

Meany online churches have come up Due to COVID 19.
Click to expand...
Fellowship in person is important.
However, we the faithful are the church, not a structure built by human hands.

Stephen's Address to the Sanhedrin
Acts 7:47 But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. 48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: 49‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?
 
S

soggykitten

Well-known member
#14
Jul 3, 2020
2,322
1,369
113
#14
laymen said:
Going house to house is person to person ;)
Click to expand...
I think what we're witnessing on a state by state basis, blue states especially, during this Covid 19 lock down mess is an open attack on the Christian faith. Using the excuse of social distancing protocols and safety.
Churches need to do as that of Pastor John MacArthur in California. Remain open and operating and lock the doors once services start to keep out the state storm troopers!

The first amendment of the Constitution is an unalienable right not a privilege. We the people need to remind leftist government officials of that fact when they attempt to circumvent our rights using public safety as the excuse.
What's the bigger virus? The flu? Or Authoritarianism?

Here are 4 signs that a democracy could be moving towards an authoritarian regime - USA Today Video
 
laymen

laymen

Senior Member
#15
Apr 6, 2014
680
102
43
faithlife.com
#15
soggykitten said:
I think what we're witnessing on a state by state basis, blue states especially, during this Covid 19 lock down mess is an open attack on the Christian faith. Using the excuse of social distancing protocols and safety.
Churches need to do as that of Pastor John MacArthur in California. Remain open and operating and lock the doors once services start to keep out the state storm troopers!

The first amendment of the Constitution is an unalienable right not a privilege. We the people need to remind leftist government officials of that fact when they attempt to circumvent our rights using public safety as the excuse.
What's the bigger virus? The flu? Or Authoritarianism?

Here are 4 signs that a democracy could be moving towards an authoritarian regime - USA Today Video
Click to expand...
Babylon in the time of Daniel used music to have everyone do what they wanted when they wanted.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#17
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
#17
breno785au said:
Then you have a gathering in a house on a lot streets in the neighbourhood.
Click to expand...
Really? Then the church in that locality would not be gathered TOGETHER into one place for the Lord's Supper. And that itself has spiritual significance.

Paul was criticizing the Corinthians while reminding them to "come together INTO ONE PLACE" (1 Cor 11:20): When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper [since you do not observe it properly].
 
laymen

laymen

Senior Member
#18
Apr 6, 2014
680
102
43
faithlife.com
#18
Nehemiah6 said:
Really? Then the church in that locality would not be gathered TOGETHER into one place for the Lord's Supper. And that itself has spiritual significance.

Paul was criticizing the Corinthians while reminding them to "come together INTO ONE PLACE" (1 Cor 11:20): When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper [since you do not observe it properly].
Click to expand...
To tell you the truth there is not a big enough church that the whole world could come together in anyways so not having a big enough house is kinda silly really. To think we all have to be in one place is silly. Tell that to the 7 churches they need all one place. And tell Paul because he would not of had to go to each one by one.
 
S

Scribe

Guest
#19
#19
You make a mistake if you think about a home church in the first century as your living room group meeting in the 21 century. Houses had courtyards, and some were capable of hosting a couple of hundred people in their courtyard. This was a common type of home church in the first century. Surprise! This is the value of reading New Testament Survey books designed for Bible College. Learning the culture and customs of the first century will shed light on many scriptures.

When Paul talked about teaching them from house to house it did not mean he went door knocking like a Jehovah Witness. It meant that he taught them in these Church gatherings that met in individual houses in the court yards. It does not mean that the group was automatically small because it was in a house. If it was one hundred or two hundred people meeting in the house courtyard it was very much like any local church today. There were leaders, elders, overseers. There was worship, doctrinal teaching.

They did not meet at synagogues. Jews taught the Law in synagagoes on the sabbath. Paul when first going to a new town to evangelize (where there was not yet a church) would go there to persuade them that Jesus was the Christ but was eventually asked to stop coming and was banned from the synagogue, by then he usually had made some converts, these converts meet on the first day of the week, wherever they could find a convenient meeting place. A business, a school, a house with a large courtyard.

Christian churches did not meet in Jewish synagogues. They may have adopted some similar form of structure of the meeting service based on the synagogue but it was generally based on singing of hymns, teaching the scriptures, which included Pauls letters, and other New testament writings as they were developed. Very much like todays Spiritual churches that are continuing to be planted world wide.
The true church is undergoing a revival. God's method has always been the church, particularly the local assembly and it is a time in history to get involved in one and not watch it on the internet.

The 1st church was not a place one went for information. It is the family of God living this New Life together and includes all of the real life rubbing shoulders stuff that your natural family requires. It can't be done on Facebook alone.
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#20
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
#20
Do we need the Church buliding today?
Never have needed one before...so why today?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.