Is it
possible to be a Christian without the church? This seems to be a hot-button
question lately. Almost every time I tune in to a Christian radio station, the
pastor is telling me how important it is that I get my butt into a local pew, else
I ain’t no real Christian. So are they right? Is it possible to be a
Christian without a church?
When
considering this question we must clarify what we mean by ‘the church.’ During
apostolic times, the body of Christ and the church were one and the same, but
the same cannot be said today. The body of Christ is the community of believers
devoted to God’s Word, living lives of humble service to mankind, especially to
those who believe (Galatians 6:10).
Pastors
these days fail to acknowledge that churches can and often are corrupt and full
of false teachings. While attending and contributing to a loving church
dedicated to following God’s Word and educating us in the knowledge of God can be a
wonderful experience, the truth is that not all churches are like this. The
church is comprised of people, Christians, sure, but people. Like all people,
they are corruptible. Leaders and teachers in the church often act and teach as
though they are above human deficiencies, as if the church as an institution is
immune to the weakness called sin, that whatever it does and whatever it teaches is good. Humans are fallible—that includes Christians
and church leaders.
It is
partially because of the church, its Christians and leaders, that my father no
longer attends church. Their corruption and judgmental attitude towards one of
their own drove him out. Perhaps once, in apostolic times, the church was a place
of almost universal integrity and righteousness, but today it is a breeding
ground for the greedy and the ambitious. Those with enough charisma and a sly
tongue can slither into the pulpit and twist God’s Word to suit their purposes,
teaching lies and corrupt versions of the truth (2 Tim 4:4), while padding their
bank accounts.
Don’t get me
wrong, there are many good churches out there, small places where God’s Word is
taught by humble, righteous men. But there are just as many dens of thieves and
megachurch millionaires.
In the Bible
we find numerous verses referring to the church as the body of Christ.
Here’s where
the devotees of the You-can’t-be-a-Christian-outside-the-church theory make
their mistake. The ‘body of Christ’ indicates the kingdom of believers, each
individual a member of the body, and each blessed with their own gift, a
manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). Now, there
are many members but one body, each member equally vital to the function of the
body. The Word emphasizes the importance of believers communing and working
together with other believers, being of one mind, admonishing us to walk worthy
of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge
of God (Colossians 1:10). This can
mean the local church, but it does not discount believers (members) outside the
local denominational house of worship.
If the local
church does not itself walk worthy of the Lord, and fails to increase our
knowledge of God, then it is no longer a functioning member of the body of
Christ, and we are faced with two choices.
We can leave
the local church (and search for one that loves the Lord and boldly teaches His
Word), thereby liberating ourselves from false teachings and from the poor
examples of lukewarm religious folk, or remain and strive to be the example its
people obviously need. Striving as one small voice in a large crowd can be
intimidating, and more often than not your voice is drowned by the masses, and
teaching may not be your particular gift in the Spirit anyway. Still, it is a
sad thing to have to walk out of a church. This is where prayer, and waiting on
the still small voice of God comes in handy (1 Kings 19:12).
1
Corinthians chapter 14, Ephesians chapter 5, and Colossians chapters 1 and 4
provide richer and wiser guidance than I can ever hope to offer. In conclusion
I will say this: you can be a Christian outside the local house of worship, but
attempting to be a Christian apart from other Christian’s (members of the body)
altogether is a fool’s errand, like grasping for wind. We need fellow believers to keep us upright (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10), to
sharpen each other’s Christian minds (Proverbs 27:17), to exhort and encourage
one another in the faith (Hebrews 3:13) lest we be deceived and fall to sin.
A fortune
passes through the church; as an institution it is therefore prone to greed and
deceit. Just look at the scandal of 2002 with all those priests, or take a peek
into the lives of your church deacons; are they taking numerous vacations,
lavishing themselves with expensive toys like luxury cars and boats? Money is a
root of all kinds of evil, for which some stray from the faith (1 Timothy
6:10).
Attending
and contributing to a loving church dedicated to following God’s Word and
educating us in the knowledge of God is a wonderful experience. On the flip
side, a church whose members have grown complacent and prideful can be not only
unpleasant, but it can endanger your spiritual welfare.
Don’t let
the local church cow you into thinking you are not a Christian just because
you’re not a member of its elite congregation. You are a member of the body of
Christ, who is the head of His Church, if you abide in God’s Word, obey His
commands, and seek out the company and companionship of other true members of
His Church.
But don’t take
my words as gospel. Turn to the scriptures outlined above and decide for
yourself the answer to the question.
