The Importance of Church Membership

A Response to Todd Friel and Paul Washer

Re: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcw4830tKQA

Mr. Washer says some really great things in this video, and very true, but the foundation of where he is coming from is flawed and incorrect. He is approaching the subject from the belief, and false assumption, that the local institutional "church" is what is in view. His position comes from denominational tradition—not from the Scriptures themselves. What is your authority? Is it church history? Is it church tradition? Is it your creed? Is it your confession? Is it your constitution? Is it your statement of faith? Is it your system of theology? Is it what the “experts” tell you? Is it your "experiences"? Is it your subjective feelings or opinions? Or is it Scripture alone? Scripture—not pragmatic considerations—should be our absolute and final authority.

Imagine I were a counselor of some kind, like a marriage counselor. Imagine that throughout my career I had written many letters to both groups of people and single individuals. But after I had died, only 9 letters written to groups could be found, and 4 letters written to individuals. Some time later, someone has the idea to add chapters and verses to my letters. If you were to take one sentence from one letter and try to tie it together with another sentence from another letter, unless the context surrounding the one agrees with the context surrounding the other, you have just created a false teaching from my letters. The two sentences are in no way, shape, or form related or complementary.

This is precisely what Christians have done with the Bible ever since the addition of chapters and verses 700 and 500 years ago. They continuously proof-text the Bible in order to support all sorts of ridiculous and unbiblical teachings. They treat each individual verse as if it, by itself, is the Word of God wholly, which is simply untrue.

The best way for you to avoid proof-texting the Bible yourself is if you obtain a Reader's Bible without chapters and verses, or any other additives. Chapters and verses are a distraction to the natural structure the biblical authors intentionally included in their works, and they subconsciously inform readers of false starting and stopping points. Ever since chapters and verses were added into the Bible, Christians have proof-texted Scripture for their own particular doctrines, ripping random, isolated verses out of their immediate contexts and forcing them together with other random, isolated verses by use of Collapsing Context in order to form teachings that the Bible does not support (e.g., Tithing).

When we understand the epistles in their chronological placement in relation to the book of Acts, and the social-historical context surrounding their writing, figuring in the other side of the conversation that is unavailable to us (we are only hearing one side of a phone conversation), our interpretations will change—as they must. When people begin to understand the full picture, the distorted pictures they have held onto for years, handed to them by their particular denominations, can no longer be sustained. When reading the epistles (or any book), we need to be asking who, what, where, when, and why questions about the writing. This must be our goal if we want to understand and interpret Scripture correctly. When it comes to studying God's Word, I live by three rules:

1. Context, context, context! You need to consider the immediate (surrounding verses), sectional (surrounding chapters), and/or canonical (other passages) contexts, as well as the language, cultural, geographical, and historical gaps (or contexts).
2. Compare Scripture with Scripture! Even when expositing Scripture verse-by-verse, you need to consult the whole counsel of God’s Word, otherwise isolating a passage to the book it is contained in can lead to some very bad interpretations.
3. Wrestle with and submit to what the text actually says, and conform your beliefs accordingly. When you study Scripture openly and honestly, you are inevitably going to challenge some of your presently held beliefs. You need to be obedient to the Lord and to his Word, reforming your beliefs and conforming them to Scripture accordingly, regardless of your emotions. Anything less is disobedience, which is rebellion.
   

 

Here is the transcript to the video in the link above (My answers will follow in blue.):

Todd Friel: Would you agree, Paul, that American evangelicalism has a lower view of the church than, say, the Protestant reformers?

Paul Washer: Absolutely, and more importantly it has a lower view of the church than what we see in Scripture. This is simply no way I can exaggerate the importance of the local church in the life of a believer. If you are not involved in a local church, under its authority, under its care, under its teaching, then you are at present not in the center of God's will.

American "evangelicalism" (and the Protestant Reformers) also has an incorrect view of the Church. Why are there so many different denominations, and why does each one think that they are the only true "church" and that their beliefs and practices are completely biblical? In fact, if your "church" believes that everything they do is "by the Book," I accuse your "church" of being a liar! In less than 30 seconds, I can prove that your "church" does not do everything "by the Book." Not only does much of the rituals and practices of your denomination's liturgy, or service, retain their foundation from the Catholic system (sometimes with moderate tweaks or changes), but their roots can be traced back to both the pagan religions and the Greco-Roman culture. All the corruptions your "church" embraces and practices every week were set in stone by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century (who, by the way, did not become a Christian; he was a superstitious pagan until his dying breath). If you want to attempt to debate these facts, I suggest you pick up a copy of Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices. It has well-documented footnotes.
The early Church turned the world upside down, but from the 4th through 7th centuries, the Church was turned upside down. She absorbed many elements from paganism. Current "church" practices originate from three main periods of time: the Constantine and post-Constantine era; the Reformation era; and the Revivalist era. The majority of elements every denomination practices largely originate from the Constantine and post-Constantine era, and have their roots in pagan religions and the Greco-Roman culture.
Again, what is your authority? Is it what the early church Fathers and Reformers said? Or is it what Scripture says, which we see practiced in the early Church before it began to get corrupted by the early Fathers, whose corruption eventually led to Catholicism? By the way, the Reformers failed to reform biblical Church life and practice. Because they came out of the Catholic system, they still believed that much of the practices were "biblical," while tweaking the odd element here and there. If you study history, Calvin was not much better than the Pope. He basically set himself up as Pope in Geneva. It was his way or the highway there. Let us not romanticize any period of history, but see it with open eyes, and to see our heroes of the faith with open eyes, too, so that we do not attempt to gloss over or deny their obvious and abundant sins. (Checking Our Heroes of the Faith)
Here, Mr. Washer is speaking of the institutionalized "church," which is not at all what the apostles spoke of in their epistles. "Church" is a terrible translation for the Greek ekklesia (ἐκκλησία), which literally refers to "a gathering," "an assembly," or "a congregation" of those "called out" from the world and to God. Every single one of the 114 occurrences of ekklesia in the New Testament refers to an assembly of people—not a place (e.g., the church [assembly of believers] in So-and-so's house; the churches [assemblies of believers] of Galatia). The word "church" is derived from the Greek kuriakon, which means "belonging to the Lord." So, yes, technically you can be a church all by yourself, because you belong to the Lord. You cannot, however, be a "congregation" all by yourself. But I digress. Eventually the word came to mean "the Lord's house" or "God's house," referring to a building. Clement was the first person to use the phrase "go to church," which would have been foreign to first-century Christians, and he also used it incorrectly to refer to the meeting place (A.D. 190). You cannot go to something that you are!
The word ekklesia designated the assembly of a Greek city-state, in which only citizens could participate. The Church is not "a hospital for sinners." The Church is for believers only! Go ahead. Read through the entire New Testament (especially the book of Acts) and find a single instance of sinners in the Church. Oh, and in case you were not aware of it, once a person has been born again, even though they might stumble into sin from time to time, the Bible refers to them as saints—never as sinners. They are a new creation! You would never call a butterfly a "caterpillar saved by grace," so why do you use the ridiculous phrase, "sinner saved by grace"? Again, I digress. So how do you get the lost into the Church? You go out into the world, you make disciples, and then you bring them into the Church. Not the other way around!
Lastly, there is more to being in the center of God's will than simply being involved in a local "church." This argument is a highly over-simplification of being in the center of God's will. You can be involved in a local "church" and still not be in the center of God's will. According to Jesus, being in the center of God's will involved being obedient to the Word (both Christ and the Scriptures)—not the commandments of men. Most denominations "teach as doctrines the commandments of men," "neglect the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men," and "reject the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition."

Todd Friel: Many people hear that and they think that that was an extreme statement because they've never had the joy of experiencing what you're describing. So talk to the person who has maybe never been immersed in a church at this level so that they can see, Wow! there's some sweet fruit that I am missing.

Paul Washer: The reason why you should do it, first of all, is not for the benefit that you would immediately receive; the reason why you should be a part of a local church is because, first of all, it's commanded in Scripture. So whether we think we're receiving some sort of benefit that we witness or not is not the point. First of all, it is the command of Scripture. Also, when we look at the New Testament, particularly the letters of Paul, we don't see any reality of his work outside of the local body of believers. Now, another thing, though, is when we learn, for example, before I was married, I was really spiritual, and then I got married and I discovered that I was a very immature, selfish little boy. When we live in the community of the church, and they actually get involved in people's lives, we begin to see what true sanctification is; we learn how to grow, how to respond, and how to live as one with other people in Christ. You see, one of the things about living with people who don't meet all the conditions as you learn unconditional love, you learn mercy, you learn grace. You know, I've been a Christian for 33 years. I couldn't even conceive of myself outside of the fellowship of the church I belong to and the care of the ministers in my life who when I go to them they are wise in the scriptures. They help me, they guide me, they rebuke me. Everyone needs the same thing I need. That type of care, and it's only found in a local church.

Yes, being part of a local church is commanded in Scripture, but not in the way that Mr. Friel, Mr. Washer, and others think. Their thinking is based on their experience, knowledge, and understanding. When believers assembled together in the New Testament, how did they do so? First of all, the early Christians did not meet in a temple of any kind. They met in houses (Acts 2:2, 46; 5:42; 16:40; 20:20; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phile. 1:2 [and if you would like to eisegete it, you can include Matt. 18:20 here]); the same prescription we see in countries today where there is hostility against Christianity. Christians did not have temples to meet in until the 4th century under Emperor Constantine. He gave Christians temples to worship in in order to legitimize the religion. He gave to them what every other religion had: a sacred temple, a sacred priestly caste, and sacred objects (he took relics from pagan temples and adorned his "Christian" temples with them). Christianity is not based on, or to be based on, the Judaistic system or any of the pagan systems. In case you missed it reading through the New Testament, Jesus did away with such systems. Jesus set His Church apart from such systems, and made it different from them in both structure and practice. The "Moses model" is not only unbiblical, but it is also extremely dangerous! Second of all, the early Christians did not have an authoritarian hierarchical structure within the local body, with "clergy" being superior to "laity"; that developed later through the idea and false teaching of apostolic succession. They functioned with complete equality. No one led from the front, and everyone was accountable to everyone else. That is what all the "one another" statements in Scripture make clear. Elders were just as accountable to everyone else as everyone else was accountable to elders. The authoritarian view of needing "permission" from your elder(s) in order to do something developed under the early Fathers; it does not exist anywhere in the New Testament! Such behaviour is actually akin to being in a cult!
Yes, when we live in the community of the Church, we do learn how to grow, how to respond, and how to live as one with other people in Christ. We do learn unconditional love, mercy, and grace. But what is the community of the Church? The fellowship and community of the Church is any gathering of God's people—the saints—together in order to worship God, share with each other, encourage one another, rebuke each other, and hold one another accountable. The early Christians did this daily, but they also had their Sunday gatherings; all of which took place in houses. There was no poor stewardship in maintaining large, expensive, unwarranted buildings!
The community of the Church is not limited to institutional "churches," nor does it have anything to do with institutional "churches." Institutional "churches" are not biblical in the least. For a number of reasons. First, their liturgy, or service, is entirely unbiblical, every single element thereof being traceable back to the pagan religions and the Greco-Roman culture. For example, the way many denominations dress their clergy is based on how the Roman senate used to dress. Their building layout and the elements in their liturgy, or service, are patterned after pagan temples and rituals. Second, Christians should not be giving money in order to sustain the institution they meet in. Christians were not required to tithe (which was Israel's taxation system), and when they voluntarily gave, it was, first of all, not about money, and, second of all, it was given to the poor and needy. It was not given to the "local church," nor was it given to the "pastor" (a title and position that the Scriptures are unequivocally against) or a staff of people. Where do you see "weekly giving" in the New Testament? First Corinthians 16:2? Please! Give me a break. How about you try reading that verse in context?!? Paul was collecting a relief fund to aid the Jerusalem church who was suffering through famine. And it likely had nothing to do with money (Old Testament tithing sure did not—it was about food). Proof-text and eisegete the Bible much, preachers? Institutional "churches" are nothing but businesses and it is always about their bottom line! Find that model anywhere in the Bible! I dare you.
You see, when you change something beyond what it was originally designed to be, such as marriage between one man and one woman for life, you make it completely other than what God had intended (two men together or two women together is not a "marriage"). This results in it being dysfunctional. "Churches" that are not based on the teaching, traditions, and practices of the Lord Jesus and His apostles are unbiblical, dysfunctional "churches." The New Testament knows nothing of "church services" as you and I have experienced!

Todd Friel: Let me share the excuses that people will give to your, "You should really be immersed, not just regularly attending, but joining a local church." There are no good churches to join.

Paul Washer: Well, first of all, there are no perfect churches, that's for sure. The church I belong to, it's not perfect. But it is healthy, and it is beneficial. Now, with what they're saying, in one part there's some truth to it. There is a dearth of biblical churches in America. That is true. But if I'm very, very sick and I have to find a cure, if I'm very cold, if I'm freezing outside and I have to find shelter, I'm going to do everything possible to find shelter, to find that cure, and a person needs to realize, first of all, even though there may be a dearth of what you would call biblical churches in your area, you must do everything possible to be a part of the church that is most biblical in your area. And even if you feel the need to move, I mean, I would move if I had to in order to find a biblical church. But we also need to be very, very careful. There are doctrines that define a biblical church. But then there are also doctrines regarding character. And I have met some ministers, that when I looked at, maybe, their ways of doing some things, I would say they need to clean up their act with regard to Scripture, they need to limit themselves to what is written in things, but when I look at the men and I see their character, I realized, yes, I could be a part of that simply because these men are men of character and they genuinely love Jesus. So we're not going to find something that is tailor-made to each one of us. I love the idea I teach in marriage when you have a bicycle wheel and you have the axis in the middle, that those spokes they never touch each other. But the closer they come to the axis the closer they come to one another. And our goal is that for churches, for people, for individuals, our spouse is everything. Not for everyone to be conformed to us, but for us to all conformed to Christ as he's revealed in the scriptures, and as that happens, then we're going to find a lot more unity.

Mr. Washer's advice here is very dangerous. Yes, we should be assembling together with other believers and sharing in fellowship. However, this does not necessitate attending an institutionalized "church." You do not necessarily need to "move" in order to "find" biblical church. Perhaps God wants you to open the doors of your home and have biblical church for others to come and join.
Mr. Washer is correct in stating that there are doctrines that define a biblical Church. Let us look at what those are:

• New Testament churches met once a week on the first day of the week (Sunday; which for Jews began immediately after sundown on Saturday evening at 6:00pm) to partake of the Lord's Supper.
• New Testament churches assembled in houses. Temple courts, such as Solomon's Porch, as public gathering spaces, were used for mass gatherings for teaching, evangelism, prayer, etc. They were used for multi-church gatherings.
• New Testament churches were completely open, spontaneous, and participatory in their corporate worship and sharing for the spiritual well-being of everyone present. No one was to control the proceedings, leading from the front. The format for how they were to function is outlined in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 29-31. The key to a healthy body is that each part function properly according to its design.
• New Testament churches ate the Lord's Supper as a full meal as part of their proceedings, which was commonly referred to as a "love feast." It was not a tiny little cup and piece of bread, as we see in practically ever denomination.
  
• New Testament churches were extended family units; living organisms—not institutions/organizations/corporations, and they practiced non-hierarchical, plural, co-equal, indigenous male leadership (not controlling, subjugating, dominating) that had arisen from within the church they would subsequently shepherd. Eldership was understood to be purely functional and not positional (as a title or an office). Decision making was consensual and collective, made by the whole company of believers and not simply the “officials.”

These are the non-negotiable, irreducible, bare minimum requirements that determine whether a church is biblical or not. If you really had to, if there were extenuating circumstances, you could still maintain the nature and function of a church while meeting somewhere other than in people's homes. Nevertheless, however, you would still need to meet all the other requirements of a biblical church. This means that you should sit in a circle so everyone can see and hear each other, and that worship should remain entirely open, spontaneous, and participatory. No one should be leading the proceedings (least of all from the front, elevated above everyone else as if they are somehow more important than everyone else). The meeting is to be a dialogue, as prescribed in 1 Corinthians 14:26, and not a monologue. If anyone understands the last three parts of the pattern, why would they want to play around with the first two parts (meeting on Sundays, and meeting in houses)—unless there were extenuating circumstances?
You think your "church" is "biblical"? You think it does everything "by the Book"? What are your teachings/practices with regard to baptism? the Lord's Supper? membership? tithing? I will guarantee that your "church" does not meet the biblical standards of a single one of these. Your teachings/practices are derived from the words of the early Fathers and the Reformers, man-made traditions handed down to you; not from the Scriptures themselves!

Todd Friel: Excuse number two; The church is not a building, it's people.

Paul Washer: It's not a coffee shop either. It is a group of people, but when you look in the New Testament, it's a group of people with a specific order. There are elders who are qualified to be elders according to 1st Timothy 3 and Titus 1; they bear those characteristics. There is the exposition of the Word going on, there is devotion to prayer, there's things like church discipline, there's ministry in the body. So, those are the things that define a church. Meeting just with a group of believers all of the same age, it's not a church.

Mr. Washer is predominantly in error here, making assumptions based on his experience of "church" and the proof-texting of Scripture handed down to him through his denomination. First, what makes him think that a group of believers assembling together who are approximate in age is somehow not a church? I have attended institutional "churches" where well over 90% of its attendees were seniors of relative age. Very few young people. Was that not a "church," according to Mr. Washer's denunciation? I have also attended institutional "churches" where the majority of attendees were in their 30s and 40s with extremely few seniors. Was that not a "church," according to Mr. Washer's denunciation? I will give Mr. Washer the benefit of the doubt that his answer was focused on and envisioned a particular type of people rather than considering the whole picture. Second, the New Testament Church nowhere has a specific order. First Corinthians 14:26, 29-31 makes it clear that "when you assemble," their corporate worship was open, spontaneous, and participatory. This is how Paul taught "all the churches" (1 Cor. 7:17; 14:33). The authoritarian hierarchical structure came later through the early church Fathers, whose only means of combating the false teachings of the Gnostics who claimed to be led by the Holy Spirit, was to invent the equally false teaching of apostolic succession (rather than placing their authority upon the Scriptures).
There is no function of "elder" in the New Testament. If there were, why does Paul not mention such a function in Philippians 1:1, where he makes reference to those saints who were functioning in the roles of watchman (episkopos) and servant (diakonos)? Why does Paul not list the characteristics for such in 1 Timothy 3 along with the characteristics he lists for watchmen and servants? The use of the word presbuteros in 1 Tim. 5:1, 2, 19; 1 Pet. 5:1, 5; 2 John 1:1; and 3 John 1:1 is an adjective! An adjective is a word or phrase that names an attribute. It is added to a noun in order to modify it, such as "red car" or "blue hat." The use of "elder" (presbuteros) in Scripture does not prescribe a function (and least of all a title or a position); it describes a person. This term is frequently used along side that of watchman (Titus 1:5-9), but never alongside that of servant. Watchmen are elders, but not in the authoritarian hierarchical view of things. They were entirely co-equal with their peers, yet had the responsibility of tending to the safety and welfare of the "flock" voluntarily in reference to its spiritual life (Heb. 13:17). Take careful note of what 1 Peter 5:1-3 says. It is unequivocal and irrefutable.
Jesus said, "...I will build My Church..." (Matt. 16:18). He quite obviously had very specific ideas as to how His Church ought to look and function in actual practice. Jesus made it clear that we are not to call ourselves "Pastor" or "Reverend" (only God deserves our reverence), or to call other men by such titles (Matt. 23:8-10). We are to be equal to one another (Matt. 20:25-28), serving one another. Paul's discussion of 'the body' in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (and Romans 12:3-8) ought to have made this abundantly clear. "Churches" today consist of one mouth and many ears. That is a theatre, where you go to passively watch in silence the performance of a single individual giving a monologue. Did Paul not make it clear? "If they were all one member (ear), where would the body be?" The Body does not exist in your institutional "churches." Are you allowed to interrupt the service if the Lord directs you? Go ahead, see what happens. First Corinthians 12-14 makes it clear that every member has the right and privilege to minister in a church meeting so that the entire Body may be edified by everyone! First Peter 2 makes it clear that every member is a functioning priest! (The Anabaptists, in spite of their many erroneous teachings, recovered this aspect of Church life and practice, and were murdered by Catholics and Reformers alike.) The audience in an institutional "church" is limited to the gifts, knowledge, and experience of a single individual. This structure teaches Christians to value lesser things, and effectively strangles the headship of Christ and stifles the functioning of the Body. That is not a body; that is not a church!

Todd Friel: I don't need a church.

Paul Washer: One answer is, God disagrees with you entirely. It's revealed clearly in the Word. It's like arguing with the wall. I mean, you do need a church.

Yes, you do need the Church. What you do not need is the institutional "church" with its many slightly altered resemblances to the Catholic system. You need a biblical body of believers who meet according to the non-negotiable, irreducible, bare minimum requirements:

• New Testament churches met once a week on the first day of the week (Sunday; which for Jews began immediately after sundown on Saturday evening at 6:00pm) to partake of the Lord's Supper.
• New Testament churches assembled in houses. Temple courts, such as Solomon's Porch, as public gathering spaces, were used for mass gatherings for teaching, evangelism, prayer, etc. They were used for multi-church gatherings.
• New Testament churches were completely open, spontaneous, and participatory in their corporate worship and sharing for the spiritual well-being of everyone present. No one was to control the proceedings, leading from the front. The format for how they were to function is outlined in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 29-31. The key to a healthy body is that each part function properly according to its design.
• New Testament churches ate the Lord's Supper as a full meal as part of their proceedings, which was commonly referred to as a "love feast." It was not a tiny little cup and piece of bread, as we see in practically ever denomination.
• New Testament churches were extended family units; living organisms—not institutions/organizations/corporations, and they practiced non-hierarchical, plural, co-equal, indigenous male leadership (not controlling, subjugating, dominating) that had arisen from within the church they would subsequently shepherd. Eldership was understood to be purely functional and not positional (as a title or an office). Decision making was consensual and collective, made by the whole company of believers and not simply the “officials.”

Todd Friel: What is the danger if I don't join the church?

Paul Washer: If we had the time, I could go back through my life for 30 years. Now, as a believer, I feel like I feared the Lord, and I have had an appreciation for Scripture, and I've studied the Scripture. But I could go back and show you that there were points and times in my life where, if I had not been influenced by a godly minister, I won't say that I would have departed from an orthodox Christianity, but I would have gotten confused in certain doctrines and certain extremes. And we need each other. We need people speaking into our lives. No man is an island. We were created to feed ourselves, to feed others, to be fed by others, to rebuke ourselves, to rebuke others, to be rebuked by others. We need the community, that's all there is to it. You know, we can sit there and argue all day long, but it's the clear teaching of Scripture. There's no doubt about it. You cannot be in the will of God apart from participation in a local church.

There is no danger if you do not join a local institutionalized "church." There is a danger if you do not assemble regularly with fellow believers in the faith (Heb. 10:23-25), but it does not have to be in a local institutionalized "church." Are you aware that in the early Church, the only qualification for membership was a life changed by the Holy Spirit? Now look at all the unbiblical nonsense attached to "church" membership (which is nothing more than a country club): membership applications, membership classes, waiting periods, voting, approval boards, or any other such practices. None of those things are required for you to become a member of the Church! None of them! If a local institutionalized "church" wants to impose such restraints upon you, then do not become a member; but continue assembling with fellow believers as the Lord calls us to and continue fulfilling the "one another" responsibilities we have toward each other. You do not need to be a member of an institutionalized "church" in order to fulfill those responsibilities. You do not need to be a member of an institutionalized "church" in order to teach, bless, encourage, rebuke, and hold each other accountable. In fact, if you are attending a house church, you can, and should, exercise those responsibilities even to brothers and sisters from institutionalized "churches." Their use is not limited to those of our own circle. If you call yourself a Christian and we encounter each other somewhere, we are accountable to one another precisely as Scripture prescribes.
Yes, we do need each other. Yes, we do need people speaking into our lives, and we need to speak into the lives of others. Yes, we were created to feed ourselves, to feed others, and to be fed by others. Yes, we were created to rebuke ourselves, to rebuke others, and to be rebuked by others. Yes, we do need community. All of that is entirely biblically sound. It is the interpretation of how this ought to look that is the problem. Institutional "churches" want you to become members so that they can exert their unbiblical authority, their dominance, over you, demanding you abide by their law, regardless of what convictions the Holy Spirit may bring upon you through God's holy Word. Look at how many of them tie a commitment of "tithing" (Israel's taxation system) in with their membership in order to line the preacher's pocket and support the existence of a large, expensive, unwarranted building. None of which, by the way, is biblical! These "churches" want you to come under their elders, but are their elders willing to come under you? Scripture demands that they must:

• "be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." Eph. 5:21
• "confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." James 5:16
• "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thess. 5:11
• "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Col. 3:16
• "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20
• "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more
• "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" Gal. 6:1-2
with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." Matt. 18:15-17

Furthermore, orthodox Christianity today uses the term "minister" incorrectly. They use it to refer to a watchman (episkopos). According to Scripture, a diakonos is a minister, a servant. By the way, our lives should not just be influenced by the watchmen, but by all believers. We have this responsibility toward "one another." Mr. Washer fails to realize that even with the institutionalized "church," he has quite obviously gotten confused regarding certain doctrines and extremes. He is just unaware of it.

Todd Friel: Do you hear a pretty consistent lament amongst American people that they don't feel a part of a community, they don't feel like they have intimate relationships with other people, and then you say, "Are you a member of a church?" "No."

Paul Washer: Right. Well, here's the thing though; a part of that is the church's fault, and people think being a part of the church means that you find a church where the Scriptures are expounded, where the worship is honoring to God, and then every Sunday, and maybe Wednesday, you fill your spot there. They go in, it's like watching a football game, and then they come out. Church is community. It's also serving, it's also, you know, we teach our people that when you come to church on Sunday, of course we have a meal after church and everything, but the purpose of that meal is to get into each other's lives and to bless one another, care for one another. And then, you know, you're filling up your agenda in this sense of, well, there's a brother over here that is sick and all the people get together and they're going to go over and help him or someone needs this, and it's a community of people who are serving one another in the spiritual and also in the material.

Yes, the Church is community. Yes, the Church is serving one another (Eph. 5:21). Yes, we should be blessing one another and caring for one another. We should be fulfilling all the "one another" statements found in Scripture:

• Love (John 13:34; 15:13, 17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 14, 23; 4:7, 11; 2 John 5)
• Encourage (2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:25)
• Greet (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Pet. 5:14)
• Be Humble (Eph. 4:2; 1 Pet. 3:8; 5:5)
• Have Compassion (Eph. 4:32; 1 Pet. 3:8)
• Live in Peace (Mark 9:50; 1 Thess. 5:13)
• Bear in Love (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13)
• Forgive (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13)
• Have the Mind of Christ (Rom. 15:5; Phil. 2:5)
• Confess To (James 5:16)
• Serve (Gal. 5:13)
• Admonish (Col. 3:16)
• Be Sympathetic (1 Pet. 3:8)
• Live in Harmony (Rom. 12:16)
• Submit (Eph. 5:21)
• Offer Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9)
• Agree (1 Cor. 1:10)
• Be Devoted (Rom. 12:10)
• Do Good (1 Thess. 5:15)
• Spur to Love (Heb. 10:24)
• Don't Grumble (James 5:9)
• Speak Songs To (Eph. 5:19)
• Don't Judge (Rom. 14:13)
• Instruct (Rom. 15:14)
• Be Like-minded (1 Pet. 3:8)
• Don't Provoke (Gal. 5:26)
• Honour (Rom. 12:10)
• Be Kind (Eph. 4:32)
• Don't Deprive (1 Cor. 7:5)
• Spur to Good Deeds (Heb. 10:24)
• Don't Slander (James 4:11)
• Pray For (James 5:16)
• Be Gentle (Eph. 4:2)
• Have Equal Concern (1 Cor. 12:25)
• Accept (Rom. 15:7)
• Build Up (1 Thess. 5:11)
• Don't Lie (Col. 3:9)
• Be Patient (Eph. 4:2)
• Don't Pay Back Wrong (1 Thess. 5:15)

The Church is all of that, but that is not limited to being part of an institutionalized "church." It is a fallacy to believe otherwise.

Todd Friel: Another excuse that people will offer; I don't want to join a church. I did that once and I got hurt.

Paul Washer: Yeah, well, first of all, I've been hurt many times. There are things, sometimes, in what we call the manifestation of visible Christianity, that will make us just literally want to throw the whole thing down and walk out the door. The one thing that keeps us from walking out the door is not a thing, it's a person; it's the Crucified Saviour standing in that door. The church will always fail, but you cannot abandon the church because Christ has sent you to the church. Christ has never failed, and so you never have an excuse not to go on with Him, not to serve Him. It's Christ that keeps us. The church is never to be my motivation for a devotion to Christ. Christ is my motivation for devotion to Him.

News flash! Christians will break your heart. The greatest pain you will receive will be at the hands of fellow and professing believers. Not everyone who professes Christ knows Him. Do not place your eyes on others or put your trust in them. Believers may be saints, but they are still tempted with and prone to sin. Keep your eyes on Christ and trust in Him. You need the Church, and the Church needs you!

Let me make something abundantly clear here. Just because someone attends an institutional "church" does not mean that he/she is not a genuine Christian. Likewise, just because someone attends a house church does not mean that he/she is not a genuine Christian. Moreover, just because someone attends a house church does not make it a biblical church. We have already discussed the requirements that make a biblical church. There are house churches that maintain the same erroneous authoritarian hierarchical structure that institutional "churches" possess. These may be dysfunctional "churches" and/or unbiblical "churches," but it does not mean that there are not genuine believers present. We are not somehow the only true Christians, whatever group we belong to. In a biblical church as explained above, we are to live out each and every single one of the "one another" commands in Scripture. This is what makes the world look on in awe.

Sadly, most denominations tend to be cult-like instead of Christ-like and New Testament-based. Here are some identifying behaviours of cults: the group/leader is always right; the group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, any other means is not acceptable or credible; the group/leader determines who is or is not qualified for certain positions or to do certain things; there is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative, or even evil; the group/leader demand absolute unquestioning submission and obedience to their authority (my way or the highway); authoritarianism without accountability; no tolerance for questions or critical inquiry; no disclosure or accountability regarding budget or expenses; full on legalism or outright anti-nomianism (usually the former). If you have an untouchable "leader," whether the founder (such as Luther or Calvin) or your preacher (who eisegetes and abuses the verse "do not touch God's anointed"), that borders on worship and that is indicative of a cult. The people at Elevation Church worship Steven Furtick, not allowing people to question him or speak against him; it is another poisoned Kool-Aid incident waiting to happen. Many people even worship John MacArthur as if he can do no wrong, going so far as to call him the "Evangelical Pope." When you impose laws or demands on your attendees that are not found in or in line with the New Testament, that is indicative of a cult. Each of the things listed here, the New Testament teaches against. Paul was an authority in the Church, and yet the Bereans questioned him and held him accountable by searching the Scriptures to see if what he taught was true. There is only one Head of the Church, including local bodies, and that is Christ Jesus. Everyone else is equal in every respect and is to follow the Spirit's leading. This is why local house churches planted by Paul were open, spontaneous, and participatory; they were under the Headship of Jesus and led by the Spirit in order for the entire Body to be edified by one another. When there is one mouth and many ears, the Body is missing out on the gifts, knowledge, and experience of the rest of the body, and it suffers from malnutrition, resulting in spiritual immaturity because the religious environment is not conducive to spiritual growth! Our denominations strangle the Headship of Jesus, placing some other man/men between the people and God, which is no different than what the Catholics do with the Pope! This is unbiblical and it results in a dysfunctional "church."

Since I am a nobody, I doubt either Mr. Friel or Mr. Washer will ever see this article. However, I have no doubt that if this article should ever come to the attention of Todd Friel, he will immediately demonstrate his unChrist-like attitude (as he has done on numerous occasions in the past to others) and attempt to attack me left, right, and center, leveling all sorts of ad hominem in my direction at my character. For a so-called "discernment" ministry, Mr. Friel repeatedly demonstrates his lack thereof. That is a shame, because I used to love listening to Way of the Master Radio, which became Wretched Radio. As I said in a previous article, many ministers (I use the term to refer to servants of the Church) in ministry today do not know how to lose; they do not know how to lay their lives down; they do not know how to die. They have never been broken; they have never been crushed. They are dangerous. They will defend themselves at the drop of a hat. They do not know what it means to be silent. They do not know how divinity reacts to pressure. They will attack those who sleight them at the drop of a hat. They are unbroken, they do not know how to lose, they do not know how to die, and they are out there serving the kingdom of God with one hand and destroying God's people with the other hand. None of these ministers were ever in community long enough for the Lord to temper, adjust, break, or transform them. Some of them, when things got hot, they left, they ran away. This is not how we have learned Christ Jesus. These ministers are full of ego and full of pride, and when they are under pressure the flesh gets exposed.

Jesus bids that we follow His example. When Jesus was before the priests, amidst the many false accusations, amidst the lies, He remained silent. When Jesus was before Pilate, amidst the many false accusations, amidst the lies, He remained silent. When Jesus was before Herod, amidst the many false accusations, amidst the lies, He remained silent. As a human being, our natural reaction is to defend ourselves. It is difficult to remain silent while people level false accusations and lies against you. It is even more difficult to remain silent while your own hypocrisy is exposed. Selfishness and pride is quite often the immediate response in order to try to justify ourselves. If Mr. Friel wants to attack me and say bad things about me, let him. God is my justification and my vindicator. He will have to answer to Him, not me. I am to love Mr. Friel regardless of what he does to or says about me. I just hope he is able to learn that lesson some day.