I had written in time’s past about issues within The Church that confuse many of The Brethren. Some issues are gray. Most are black and white. These “Bible Q&A” posts that I had written are not necessarily grounded in vague theology and unclear biblical context. For most of the time it is rooted in The Believer’s inability to let go of The World. Instead of asking the question “Now that I am a Christian, what can I do to glorify Jesus and live my life to the fullest for Him?”, they ask “Now that I am a Christian, can I still…?”. Some of these topics include getting tattoos, smoking, drinking alcohol, and cussing. I even had written about whether women are permitted to be Pastor. An issue that should not have to be addressed if the Christian would not try to embrace feminism and Scripture at the same time. Trying to marry two things that are unequally yoked. However, I never thought in a thousand years that I would have to address the issue that I am about to address. To answer a rhetorical question that should have an obvious answer. Unfortunately I have come across a challenge to the obvious answer.

“Is church a Sin?”

Let me take a moment to explain what I mean by “church”. I mean the building. The grounds. The nursery. The children’s church. The youth group. The youth pastor. The secretary. The deacons. The elders. The associate pastors. The senior pastor. And finally, tithing and giving of money. The whole of the thing that almost all of Christianity partakes in every Lord’s Day and (sometimes) Wednesday for several centuries. The Church as a body of believers is not what is on trial today. Just the “system”. So why would I ask this question? If it is a sin and under the blade of God’s judgment?

Recently I had come across a post on Facistbook. And since I had read the post, the algorithm assumed that this is my new obsession and had started feeding me more. Every post was different. Different words written by different authors. From what I could tell they appeared to be real people. They seemed to not be a “bot” or one from The Artificial. None of them had any claim to being a Bible teacher or Pastor. They all went to school somewhere and studied something other than Theology. They all work a regular 9-5 just like the rest of us. Assuming, of course, that these are real humans. No sermons preached. No books written. These posts, however, had one thing in common- the message. A misinterpretation of Scripture to be exact.

The photos that accompanied these posts were A.I generated. One was a panel of photos telling a story. A story of a pastor guilting his congregation to tithe. Almost as if he was abusing his position and authority with greedy gain as he donned a sinister look upon his face. His congregation donning looks as well of desperation and sorrow. Almost as if they were begging him for mercy. Or begging the reader for help. The other post showed a photo of a pastor standing above a large golden plate overflowing with money. A big greedy grin upon his face. Again much to the bewilderment and dismay of desperation. The foundation of these messages was against tithing. At least on the surface that is how it appears. But upon further reading it was a message against giving any money as a whole. To the church. To ministry. To Pastor. Through further investigation of the author’s views and the comment section (as well as questioning the author myself), I had found that the message was more than proclaiming that giving is unbiblical. But that church itself is as well.

Their (because it was posts by separate authors) argument is that we are not supposed to give money. That the Old Testament prescribes that the Israelites were to tithe food to The High Priests. Not money. Nothing more. This is correct. More on that later. But when questioned about giving for the sake of keeping the church building going, paying for the needs of the church ministries, and paying the pastor(s), this is where their argument took an interesting turn. They claim that the church is wrong and unbiblical. Even as far as insinuating that it is a sin. Because if there was no church and no pastor, then there would not be a need to give financial support. The foundation of the argument circling back into the idea that you should only give to the poor and needy. Not ministry.

Believe it or not these fringe beliefs are not alone. Evidently this is a movement. There were many comments on these posts of people supporting this view. Many were thanking the author for waking them up. Many were speaking of leaving their church because it was a lie. That the idea of church in and of itself is a deception. Many people were acting as if God was going to condemn every church and every believer that goes there. One man even stated that he did not trust ANY pastor in a suit standing behind a pulpit. 

Beloved… we have a problem.

I feel the need to refute this heretical travesty. Because people are being deceived and led astray. Not necessarily in Faith. But they are being led to resent the church. To lead a revolution in thought and speech that has the capacity, if allowed to spread, to decimate the church. Allow me to refute their position one argument at a time.

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come… So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

-Paul, to The Church in Corinth

1. “It is unbiblical for the church to tithe/give” and “Tithing was only food for the priests”. This is somewhat of a true statement. Israel was commanded to give 10% of their goods to the priests. However, culture was constructed around agriculture then. Everything from produce to meat was farmed. In our modern culture, not everyone is a farmer. We are no longer a self sustaining and bartering society. We work. We earn. We buy. This is why people choose to give money to sustain their church and ministry. And in most biblically sound churches they give voluntarily. Not by coercion. Also, in biblical times, there was no electricity or plumbing. Therefore there was not a need to financially secure the ability to pay for these things. In our current society the church is a building that still has to answer to the same needs as any other structure.

Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

-Paul, to The Church in Colossae

…and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house…

-Paul, from his epistle to Philemon

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.

-The Book of Acts

2. “But that’s the point! There shouldn’t be a church building. In the Bible they worshipped in homes”. If you want to convince yourself that it is wrong to have church in a physical building, then you certainly will find it. However, you will not find a direct statement in The Word because no such thing was ever written. First, the early church did worship in the homes of Christians. But that is not because a building was forbidden. It is because the church was underground because of persecution. It was out of necessity. There was not a building for formal Christian worship. In foreign countries where Christianity is forbidden, they still worship in secret. Mostly in homes. Second, we must remember that God ordained the Jewish temples, synagogues, and tabernacles. Even as far as designing them and choosing the materials for its construction. If God was against the establishment of a building for the sake of worship, then this would not be.

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

-From The Book of Acts

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons…

-Paul, to The Church at Philippi

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you…

-Paul, from The Epistle to Titus

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

-Paul, from The Epistle to Timothy

3. “There should not be one pastor. There should be a plurality of elders. If there are multiple elders, then they could share in the ministry and there would not be a need to pay a single pastor. They could all have day jobs to support their families”. This is in fact a true statement. To an extent. There certainly is a great benefit to having multiple men serve as elders in the church. We see this in many churches of our day. Where there is a senior pastor, and then one or more associate pastors. In many instances they share the message and duties of the pastoral ministry. There is not just a system of shared burden and responsibility, but there is a system of checks and balances. Where, if one pastor develops a god complex or is abusive, then he is held accountable. Of course, in sharing these duties, there is not a need for a single pastor to dedicate his time to the church. Therefore he can have a day job to provide for his personal life and will not need a dime from the church. However, there are some issues with this idea that are overlooked by our heretics. First, The Bible tells us that, regarding gifts, some men are meant to teach. Some to preach. Not every church has multiple men that are gifted and called to do this. Not every man called to do this is capable to pile into a church with other elders. Not every man can be taught to be if he is not gifted and called. So, by default, the lot falls on the lap of the sole man in the church that can lead in this capacity. There may be a greater chance of multiple elders in a mega church, but what about the small church in the country? The one with maybe 30-40 members? Mostly senior citizens? Are all the other men in the church called and equipped to lead in ministry? Should such a church shutter its doors because they cannot gather multiple elders under their roof, despite the fact that the sole senior pastor is fully and successfully equipped to lead, teach, minister, and preach? We must also consider the fact that many churches that have only one pastor elect “elders”, which act in some capacity as a “board”. Not just do they work with Pastor to make decisions regarding the church and the congregants, but they also hold the pastor accountable and in many cases can initiate releasing him from the ministry if they (along with input from the congregation) see that he is no longer fit or disqualified from leading. These “elders” also typically preach or bring in an interim preacher when Pastor is either away, ill, or has been let go. This approach has been my own experience in many of the churches that I had been a member of. So essentially it is the same. They are just not considered “pastors”. Second, in his epistle to Timothy, Paul speaks of rendering unto The Elders “double honor”. Especially those that teach and preach. Right after Paul mentions this in 1 Timothy 5:17, he goes on to say in verse 18 “For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’”. The original language for “honor” implies payment. Therefore it becomes apparent that “double” means not just respect, but compensation. The same conclusion that thousands upon thousands (if not millions) of Biblical scholars and Theologians have come to for 2000 years. People far more trained and gifted in Scriptures than our anti-church heretics. Besides, is it fair to not pay a wage to The Elder that he must seek full time employment? That he must balance crafting sermons, studying the Scriptures, ministering to the congregation, tending to his own home and family as well, and working a full time job, while the laymen of the church only have to balance work and home? To put such weight upon the shoulders of The Elder would most certainly break him or burn him out of ministry. And then who would suffer besides him? His position as Pastor, Elder, and Overseer is of utmost importance to The Church. Something and someone would suffer terribly if such a tragedy would happen to him because he was not given the “double honor”.

It is quite the mistake to assume that it is wrong, even sinful, to actually have a church building that requires upkeep, simply because The Word never mentions or lays out the framework for such. To say that the absence of its mention is evidence that God is against it is to assume His position on the matter and put words into His mouth. It is even more dangerous to be these heretics that I speak of, who are making it their life’s work to convince everyone to leave their church or to shut it down. As they completely ignore that He sanctioned tabernacles, temples, and synagogues. Why then would the Jews be allowed a place for worship, but not the Bride of Christ? It is quite the mistake to assume that the only God ordained model for church is home worship because it was the only option for the early church. Again, God never once said that believers are only to worship in homes. It is quite the mistake to assume that pastoral roles are to ONLY be given to a body of elders and not an actual pastor. That otherwise such a church should not exist. That the role of Senior Pastor is unbiblical and sinful and therefore should be abolished. Not everyone is called. Not everyone is equipped. I do realize that, yes, we are all called to minister. But not all ministries are pastoral. We are all called to preach The Gospel. But not all gospel preaching is the same as the preaching and teaching of the pulpit. The Word makes it clear that certain people (women and new converts) should not be leading a sermon. The Word makes it clear that worship should be done in order and there not be multiple people speaking up and over top of each other because they have something that they would like to share. The Word makes it clear that it is The Holy Spirit that grants the gifts of the pastoral role. Not everyone is granted this gift and not everyone is called to be a pastor. In some churches a few may be called. Some churches only one. But to say that the office of Pastor/Shepherd/Overseer is unbiblical is to call God, the author of The Word, a liar.

So then, what are we to make of these heretics? These people who have misinterpreted Scripture and have spun a web of deception? Is it possible that their ignorance equals innocence? That they have stumbled upon what they thought was the answer to a two thousand year old question that no one ever proposed? That they came upon a great revelation and thought that they were doing God a favor by initiating a cease and desist order to The Church, that millions of believers would be spared the hot kindled wrath of God? “Thank you for opening my eyes!”. “The church is corrupt and needs to be done away with!”.”Nowhere in The Bible does it say that we should worship in a building or have a paid pastor!”. Or are they one of the many Antichrists that we have been warned about that will step out of the shadows during The End? Do they know that they deceive and have every intent to drive the brethren away from church and see it be shut down? Are they Darkness posing under the veil of Light? With a wicked grin and crooked smile? I would say that it is evident that they could be either or. However, Scripture proves them wrong either way. Therefore we should lend them no ear and no platform to speak. Awaken or destroy them with The Truth. 

We then should carry on as we have done. Lift up and support our pastors any way that we can. Attend our church service in the church building. Our focus should not be to destroy that which has been blessed by God for thousands of years. If our hearts should be burdened by The Church, then let it be burdened by the heresy of the day. Of The Modern Church that dilutes The Gospel with entertainment and inspirational messages. Of the church that seeks to build million dollar compounds in order to house their worship and their comforts. Of the pastor that is only in it for the money and compromises to line his pocket. Of the Joel Osteens and Kenneth Copelands, telling you that you have the power to use God to bless your riches and health. Of the Benny Hinns and Andrew Wommacks that claim to heal the sick and raise the dead, all the while they not set foot into a hospital for the sick and the dying. Of the Joyce Meyers and Paula Whites, that not just teach the Word of Faith Movement but also completely disregard God’s command of women not standing in the pulpit. Of the Creflo Dollars, begging their congregation to give until it hurts that he may have a new private jet. Of the Steven Furticks that spit in the face of Sacredness and Reverence in the sanctuary, only to turn church into a Sunday Morning House of Fun. There are many other names. Too many to mention, sadly. But these are those that should be of concern. Leading millions astray from The Gospel. Teaching a new one that cannot be found in Scripture. Distorting the minds of supposed Christians, giving them a false sense of Salvation. Confusing them into not knowing and understanding what The Church is truly about. Maybe it is these criminals that have perverted the pulpit and have left the sour taste in the mouth of our “Church is a sin!” heretics. Maybe to them the old pastor in the small country church with ten congregants is just as greedy as the grinning man in the Armani, standing on camera with a twinkle in his eye. Maybe to them both are cut from the same cloth. “I don’t trust ANY pastor in a suit standing behind a pulpit.”

We have to understand that if church is a sin, then God would not have ever blessed the endeavor. He will not bless that which He opposes. That which stands in opposition to The Word. But have not ministries been blessed that have been grounded in a building and a pastor? In the church “system” as a whole? What has C.H. Spurgeon and John MacArthur accomplished for The Kingdom? Adrian Rogers? Baucham? Have they had great success in teaching and preaching The Word? Has their ministries led men to Christ? Has their teachings edified The Church? These Senior Pastors that were the primary elder of their church building? 

So what can we conclude from this? Yes, the Scriptures that I have shared in this post can be applicable to a home church. One that has multiple men leading in the role of Elder. Yes, such a church would not have a need for overhead such as building maintenance and a paid pastoral staff. But these Scriptures can also be applied to a church structure that involves a building and a paid pastoral staff. Whether it would be a paid Senior Pastor with paid Associate Pastors, a paid Senior Pastor with unpaid Associate Pastors, or a single paid Pastor. It makes no difference if it is a small home church where multiple men take turns bringing a message and give to the needs of the brethren, widows, orphans, and the destitute. It makes no difference if it is a church that meets within a building and pays one man, gifted by The Holy Spirit, to minister to the flock while tending to the needs of others. To dedicate his time exercising these gifts and doing what God has called him to do.

We can see from history and experience that God has blessed both the home church that lacks a pastoral staff, and the church building that has one or more pastors. Where His judgment rests is upon the doctrines and theology that is being taught in any church. In time those that pervert His truth will stand face to face with The Truth. To assume anything more than what is found in The Word is to speak for God what you believe are His opinions on the matter. 

It is a dangerous thing to put words into God’s mouth and then say “Thus saith The Lord…”