Where is Church Membership in The Bible?
Can't I just Go to church?
Where is Church Membership in The Bible?
Can't I just Go to church?
Have you ever had a nieghbor who comes over for dinner? Maybe you invite them over for a cookeout, maybe you're really close and you eat together multiple times a month, maybe it's your child's friend who comes over all the time and ends up morphing into your schedule. We're friends with those neighbors. We have a relationship with them and we care about them. But they don't have to go through everyday life with you. You and they can choose to get together sometimes, but there is no requirement that you get together. The schdules might get busy, or one of you might move, or a conflict might cause some friction in the relationship and you might choose to give each other some space for a while.
There is a difference between being neighbors and being family. The example above isn't a perfect analogy, but it does highlight that being in a family with someone is categorically different than being neighbors with someone. That example helps us to understand the difference between being a church member and a church attender. There is a difference between being a part of the family at the dinner table, and being an outsider, however close you may be to the people you're gathering with.
Another analogy to help us understand the difference between a church member and a church attender would be the example of a husband and wife. It's good to be courteous to everyone you meet, but we intuitively understand that we are supposed to love our wives differently than we should love everyone we come into contact with. The same could be said for parents and children. Children should be respectful of adults in general, but they are responsible to their parents, not to every parent in general.
The Bible doesn't explicitly say "Thou shalt be a church member," but as you read through the New testament, the concept of a Christian who is not a member of a church seems foreign.
John 10 gives us an example of every Christian following the voice of Jesus and being gathered by Jesus into the universal church (John 10:16), but throughout the Bible we also see evidence that to be a Christian meant to join together with a local church.
Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4
Notice the phrase, “Added to the church.” Clearly the early church was keeping track of who was a part of “the number” - i.e. the church, and when they were converted they were all added to "the number." To become a Christian meant to be a part of the church and the early church had a way to know who was added to them.
Acts 6:1-6
They “Summoned the full number of the disciples.” Again, the early church knew who these people were - all of them are accounted for and involved in the life of the church.
Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-5
Who are the people supposed to submit to? Are we as Christians supposed to submit and follow the guidance of anyone who is called a pastor? No, Hebrews 13:17 says to obey and submit to "your leaders." I have gained much help and insight from listening to sermons and teaching from pastors of other churches, but the insights or teaching that they give are not binding to me in the same way as my pastors' teaching. Why? Because the Bible places us in local church units so that we will grow up to look like Jesus (Ephesians 4:11-16). That is something that happens in my local church between my pastors, other members, and me.
In the same way pastors aren't responsible for every Christian they know or come into contact with. No, they will give an account to God for the flock that "is among" them (as 1 Peter 5:2 says).
1 Corinthians 5:1-13, specifically vv 12-13
This is a passage about church discipline. In it, we see that the holiness of the church matters and that members are accountable to each other for their collective holiness. But what is specifically helpful to notice for the purpose of church membership is that this church knows there is a distinction between those inside and those outside the church. That means there is clearly a way to distinguish between those who are "members" and those who are merely "attenders" (cf. 1 Cor 14:24-25). They know who the members are, and the members are accountable to each other in following the Lord.
As we read through the New Testament, we begin to see this pattern of God saving people and adding them to the church. And so, while there is not a specific command for church membership, we see the pattern of joining together with the church throughout the pages of the New Testament.
*If you want to check out more on this topic, 9marks.org has an article on this topic, as well as other helpful resources on church membership. Just follow the link below: