What Does the Bible Say About Going to Church?
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."
This greeting in 1 Corinthians 1:2 reveals something vital: the church isn't a building — it's a community of sanctified believers gathered in Christ's name 1 Corinthians 1:2. Paul's letters are addressed to local assemblies of real people meeting in real places, which tells us that corporate gathering was assumed as a normal part of Christian life.
When Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:20, "When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper" 1 Corinthians 11:20, he's correcting how they gather, not whether they should. The gathering itself is taken for granted. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 16:2 instructs believers to set aside offerings "upon the first day of the week" 1 Corinthians 16:2, pointing to a consistent, weekly rhythm of assembly that defined early Christian practice.
Protestant View on Attending Church
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." — 1 Corinthians 1:2
Protestants have historically emphasized that the local church is God's primary vehicle for preaching, sacrament, and community. The gathered assembly isn't optional — it's where believers are "sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" together 1 Corinthians 1:2. Reformers like Calvin and Luther both insisted that where the Word is rightly preached and the sacraments rightly administered, there is the true church.
The practice of weekly giving described in 1 Corinthians 16:2 — "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him" 1 Corinthians 16:2 — demonstrates that early Christians structured their communal life around regular, predictable gatherings. Protestants see this as a model for Sunday worship today.
When Paul addresses the church at Corinth coming together "into one place" in 1 Corinthians 11:20 1 Corinthians 11:20, he's affirming that physical, corporate gathering is the proper context for the Lord's Supper. Most Protestant traditions maintain that this can't be replicated in isolation — you need the gathered body. The church, as Ephesians 5:24 notes, is "subject unto Christ" Ephesians 5:24, meaning its life and order flow from His lordship, not individual preference.
In short, Protestants don't view church attendance as a legalistic requirement but as a natural, joyful expression of belonging to the body of Christ — a community called, gathered, and sent in His name 1 Corinthians 1:2.
Key takeaways
- The Bible uses 'church' (ekklesia) to mean the gathered assembly of believers, not a building — always a community called together in Christ's name (1 Corinthians 1:2).
- Early Christians gathered on the first day of the week, as seen in 1 Corinthians 16:2, establishing a weekly rhythm of communal worship.
- The Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:20 is explicitly tied to believers coming together 'into one place,' making corporate gathering its proper context.
- The church is described as subject to Christ in Ephesians 5:24, meaning its gatherings are ordered by His lordship, not personal preference.
- Scripture presents communal worship not as a legalistic rule but as the natural expression of belonging to the body of Christ — saints called together (1 Corinthians 1:2).
FAQs
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