Do You Have a Mutual Church Congregation?
There is no command for weekly Sunday church in the New Testament. In the only command that we meet together, it is assumed that the fellowship is a mutual Church meeting. See the text.
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Note how the author uses the words ‘one another” on both sides of his command to not stop meeting together. We are to encourage one another and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Sounds like a good church meeting to attend.
When I lived in the US, before moving to China to spread the good news, I went to church, sang songs, listened to announcements, and then listened to the sermon. Sometimes, after church I could get in a conversation or go to lunch with others. It seems only in this last part that mutual encouragement could occur.
I came to China and Chinese people had house churches, but are desperately trying to build big churches where they too will have less mutual encouragement. If they get freedom to build big churches, they will lose what made them strong according to Hebrews 10:24,25. See also Our Non-Religious Church.
Mutual Church Demands Smaller Groups
So I am glad they have to stay small. It leads to better chances to be mutual which helps the faithful grow. The problem with Chinese people is that they accept strong hierarchy. Unfortunately, this leads to pastors wanting to be Pastors in a house church which reduces mutuality.
Let’s all try to find weekly mutual fellowship. Then we are more with the biblical wisdom to not stop meeting together. In big church groups I belonged to in the US, I would offer to start a small group in my home. That is one way to go deeper with people and in discussion.
The fact that we cannot read the Bible objectively means we also need to express what we think the Bible says and hear what others say. We need to consider if noise we hear means that we need to rethink what feels right to us now.
