Between Two Worlds

In a comment on my post about The Ordinary Means of Grace-Based Ministry, a reader asks about the biblical case for local church membership. Instead of responding there, I thought I'd just turn it into a post of its own.

Don Whitney has posted onto his website, biblicalspirituality.org, the chapter Why Join a Church?, which is from his book, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church.

I encourage you to read the whole thing. The following is an outline:

Biblical Indications of Church Membership in New Testament Times

• The New Testament church practice of keeping a list of widows makes sense in the context of membership
• The instructions for church discipline make sense only in the context of membership
• The meaning of the word "join" in Acts. 5:13 makes sense only in the context of membership
• The meaning of "the whole church" in 1 Corinthians 14:23 makes sense only in the context of membership
• The instructions for pastoral oversight and spiritual leadership make sense only in the context of membership
• The metaphors used to describe local churches (flock, temple, body, household) make sense only in the context of membership

Biblical Reasons for Joing a Church

• You prove that you're not ashamed to identify with Christ or His people
• You stop being an independent Christian and place yourself under the discipline and protection of other Christians
• You participate in a stronger, more unified effort of God's people to obey Christ's command to reach others
• You have a greater opportunity to use your spiritual gift "for the profit of all"
• You openly demonstrate the reality of the body of Christ
• You participate in a more balanced ministry than you can otherwise experience
• You demonstrate your commitment, not to "spiritual hitchhiking," but to "the proper working of each individual part" in the visible body of Christ
• You "exhort" new believers to the same "good works" of commitment to the local body of Christ
• You encourage a ministry when you consider it faithful and join it

Biblical Responses to This Message

• Turn from living for yourself and follow Christ, the Head of the church
• Present yourself to the church for baptism as a symbol of identification with Christ and His church
• Present yourself for membership in a local, New Testament church if you've been Scripturally baptized and your membership is elsewhere
• Reaffirm the commitment implied in your present church membership