Should One Who Forsakes The Assembling Teach A Bible Class? [Not long ago I received the following question from a good friend, and wanted to share his question and my response for your consideration. – p.a.o.]
Dear _______________:, Relative to your question, the passage says, "…not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another,…"(Heb. 10:25) Some try to negate the force of the passage by saying this only condemns an ABANDONING (meaning of word "forsake") of the faith, that it condemns one who gives up on the Lord, His church, and makes NO EFFORT whatsoever to do right. Obviously, if one has completely abandoned the Lord, His church, he has certainly forsaken the "assembling together." There might be some validity to that argument if the passage stated, "not forsaking our own ASSEMBLY," emphasizing the noun assembly which would mean abandoning the church itself. Instead it says "not forsaking our own ASSEMBLING" which emphasizes the ACT OF ASSEMBLING or gathering together. Therefore, one could fail to assemble on some occasions, yet still claim to be a Christian and be guilty of violating Hebrews 10:25. Other Associated Sins Involved However, forsaking the assembling is not the only problem because there are a number of other individual responsibilities that accompany the assembling together. First, the person fails to sing(Eph. 5:19) which is to be a reciprocal activity, and pray with saints.(I Cor. 14:15) Second, Hebrews 10:24 says we are to "CONSIDER (or take careful thought of) one another to provoke unto love and good works." One way this is done is through our assembling together, offering words of help and encouragement before and after services, and by being edified during the assembly through worship and teaching.(I Cor. 14:26ff) Third, a person sets a bad example when he forsakes the assembling together. In essence he says "this is unimportant, unnecessary, and I don’t need it." Jesus said our influence is important.(Matt. 5:13-16) Furthermore, Paul said we are "to give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God."(I Cor. 10:32) The influence of one consistently forsaking assembling certainly provides an "occasion of stumbling" both to non-believers as well as "the church of God." It discourages people from doing what is right. Fourth, it violates Matthew 6:33. Obviously one is not seeking first the kingdom when he consistently forsakes the assembling. In scheduling our lives the church should take precedence in all matters. This includes precedence over work, school, sports and recreation, vacation, hobbies, and all other matters occupying our time and energy. If one attends a ball game when the church is scheduled to assemble, sports is first with that person, not the church. If one schedules or attends some school event when the church meets, the church is not first with that person, but school. If one attends some show or goes to some entertainment when the church assembles together, the show or entertainment is first, not the church. Which Assembly Can You Forsake? The New Testament church assembled for: 1)Worship and instruction—Acts 2:42; 2)Teaching—Acts 11:26; 3)Prayer—Acts 2:42; 12:12; 4)Hearing how the gospel fared in foreign lands—Acts 14:27; 5)Discussions of controversial issues dividing the church—Acts 15:22; 6)Breaking bread—Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:17-34; 7)Disciplinary action taken against an immoral member—I Cor. 5:4; and 8)Singing, prayer, and preaching—I Cor. 14:15,23,26. Certainly several of these activities overlap, and in one assembly many of these activities (perhaps all of the above) might occur. However, if one believed he could forsake the assembling together of saints with impunity, which ones could he miss? Which ones are essential and which are non-essential? On the Lord’s day the Lord’s supper is eaten, we give, sing, pray, and have spiritual instruction. Could one forsake this and please God? On Sunday nights and during gospel meetings prayer, singing, and Divine instruction through preaching is given as in I Cor. 14:15,23,26. Would forsaking these gatherings please God? On Wednesday evenings worship and instruction occur as in Acts 11:26. Could one forsake these and be acceptable to God? An assembly could be given over to singing and making talks on Bible subjects as per I Cor. 14. Could forsaking such please God? The word "forsaking" in Heb. 10:25 means "to leave behind,…to desert."(Strong, Vine, & others) If a person "misses"(leaves behind, deserts) JUST ONE assembly when he could attend, wouldn’t that be forsaking that assembling together? How many times does a person have to lie to be guilty of the sin of lying? Brethren should be concerned about ONE unforgiven sin. It is just as damaging and damning as ten thousand.(James 2:10; Num. 20:10-12) I believe forsaking the assembling is not only a sin that needs to be repented of, but it is also a public sin that should be publicly confessed and prayed about.(James 5:16) Therefore, to the first part of the question, I believe it is wrong. To your other question: "Should one who does that be teaching a class on Sunday morning?" No! For the reasons given above, and for the poor example he sets. For elders to ask anyone to teach a class, they not only show some confidence in the person’s Bible knowledge, but they also place his life as an example for his students to follow. While this might not be true in every minute aspect, generally speaking it is. James 3:1 teaches greater responsibility is placed on a teacher. Further, I Tim. 4:12 & 16 teach one’s life must be consistent with sound doctrine for it to have the proper result. While those passages are addressed primarily to preachers, they would also have application to Bible teachers, especially in the context of your question. If one is careless as to these earlier matters mentioned, he shows himself unfit to instruct in spiritual matters. If I were an elder, the example you mention in the church member is exactly opposite of what I would want others to follow. I heard of a church that wanted to "encourage"(?) an unfaithful member to be more faithful by giving him the treasurer’s job. The result? The church began receiving "late" notices on its bills! While discussing another subject, the principle in the following verse is applicable here: "He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much."(Luke 16:12) It would be hoped the elders and other members could encourage the man to change his lifestyle, help him understand why he should be faithful, and grow to the point where his example could be followed. Only after this should he be considered to teach the Scripture. Fraternally, Phillip A. Owens
Strength & Gentleness My father had to do hard manual labor when he was a young man raising a family. His work made him strong, but it didn’t take away his gentleness. No one around thought of my father as weak even though he was gentle with my mother and the children. A person is a little bit afraid to call a man weak who could put two railroad cross-ties on his shoulders and walk away with them. Why? Because very few men could do it. I tell this story to try to get our young men to see that there is strength in gentleness. The man who has physical strength and gentleness together in his life is a real man. I believe that a failure in gentleness in the marriage relationships in our modern age is destroying many marriages. It seems that young husbands today have to constantly prove their headship in the home and in doing this they become abusive and overbearing. Many good women get tired of this sooner or later and then the husbands wonder, "What’s wrong?" The cause in many, many divorces can be traced back to this, man’s failure to treat his wife in the way he should. When a man loves his wife as Christ loves His bride (the church) he will never ever be abusive or overbearing in that relationship. --John Brewer, Griffith, Indiana
Members of the church of Christ have often been labeled, "Campbellites." However, they cannot be "Campbellites" because the church of Christ did not originate with Alexander Campbell. There is a tombstone in the Cemetery near the old log church building in Cane Ridge, Kentucky with the following inscription: "William Rogers born in Campbell County Virginia July 7, 1784 removed with his father to Cane Ridge, Bourbon County, April 1798. United with the church of Christ at Cane Ridge in 1807. Died February 15, 1862 in the 78th year of his age. He was the friend of God." Alexander Campbell did not come to this country as a Presbyterian until 1809. The ancient tombstone states that William Rogers was united with the church of Christ in 1807. Thus, Alexander Campbell did not begin the church of Christ. Members of the church of Christ are not "Campbellites," but Christians. (unknown, submitted by David Riggs) In Psalm 19:11, David says the servant of god is warned by the Scriptures. He is warned of the
dangers of sin, warned of the deceptiveness of sin and we are warned of the brevity of life, and of the uncertainty of
life. We are warned of the length of eternity and of the pleasures of heaven and the horrors of hell. So the Scriptures
warn us concerning all the things about which we need to be warned. -- Roy H. Lanier |