Nowhere in the Bible does it say “Go to church.” That’s probably not the big zinger/ argument winner some people might think it is.
That statement is a technical truth. There is not a verse of scripture that has those exact words. There is also no scripture that says, for instance, do not look at internet porn. We know there are verse about living lives that are circumspect from the world, about keeping oneself pure and unstained, and one statement from Jesus specfically that says if a man looks at a woman with lustful intent he has committed adultery with her already in his heart (sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:28). The internet as we know it did not exist before 1993 but when we take counsel from the whole of scripture it becomes clear that pornography is not God’s will. Now let’s talk about church.
An obvious place to start is Hebrews 10:24-25, which tells us that in order to encourage one another to love and good works we must meet together, adding a warning that some are already not doing that. It doesn’t use the word church but it does instruct believers to meet and gives them a purpose for doing so. The New Testament refers to the people as the church, never a building or meeting place. The church needs to come together to edify one another, to build up and not tear down, to encourage, to teach, to exhort… and to worship. Paul’s first and second letters to Timothy act as a handbook for church leaders and advise congregations how to choose pastors and deacons. Read through Isaiah 1 and compare that sermon with what James had to say in his short epistle about pure religion. In the early chapters of Acts, the new Christian believers were meeting in homes but what is important is why the met together and what happened when they did.
Is there a verse in the Bible that says go to church? No. Does the Bible teach that we should? Yes, it does. The church is not perfect, you will find some hypocrites there. You will also find sick people in a hospital and fat people at the gym. They go to these places to get better. I also believe you have your best chance of encountering true believers that know and serve God when you get to church. That is the meeting place of his people, who gather to worship in spirit and in truth.
