Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 22
August 27, 1970
NUMBER 16, PAGE 8-9

Questions And Answers

Send All Questions To: Eugene Britnell, P.O. Box 3012, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203

From Dallas, Texas:

"I always enjoy your answers in the Gospel Guardian. This is one of the finest ways by which to teach.

"In the last issue your answer to a question of what should be done about those not attending all services is given. Your answer to this, along with most preachers, has given me concern for some time. I sincerely believe that you have misused Heb. 10:24, 25 in this connection.

"Brother Britnell, it is true that this passage is as important as Mark 16:16. But we have been guilty of placing our 'traditions' into it. Christ authorized only one time of assembling and that on the first day of the week. This is not arbitrarily decreed by some human being. The `assembling of ourselves together' of Heb. 10:25 is the time for partaking of the Lord's Supper as the entire context clearly reveals and demands. This is the only appointed time in the New Testament. All other times of meeting together for worship is man's doing. And I surely try to get brethren to love God and truth enough to come but I am not going to be guilty of binding a human tradition on any one and say if they don't come that we have the right, yea the command to disfellowship them. Such right you and I do not have. Yet brethren all over this land threaten and actually withdraw from brethren for not attending such services as Sunday evening and Wednesday night. The assembling of this passage has only to do with the time when the Lord's Supper is being observed. If we never met again at any other time God's law would not be violated in the least. Yet thousands of brethren would feel that we were going to hell if Sunday evening services were discontinued and Wednesday night was cancelled! We must appeal to brethren on some other basis concerning these services other than a perversion of Heb. 10. I believe you will agree when you look more closely at what all of us have been guilty of teaching at one time or the other concerning this matter."

I appreciate this response from a faithful brother in Christ. Let it be understood again that 1 make no claim of infallibility. Anyone is free to question what I teach, and so long as such is done in the proper spirit, I appreciate it. I also recognize that some questions cannot be answered to the satisfaction of all, and I shall not be discouraged when I fail to do so.

First, let us restate the question which I answered in the Guardian of July 9th: "Should fellowship be withdrawn from those members who fail to attend services regularly, say those who attend about twice a month on Sundays and no other time?" Please note that the person under consideration not only forsakes the "traditional" services, but also several Sundays in each month. I concluded that if this member would not repent, he or she was unworthy of the fellowship of the saints.

Next, let us state our points of agreement. We agreed that all members should attend all assemblies of the church. This includes Sunday night, Wednesday night, and the services of gospel meetings. We agree that Hebrews 10:25 includes the assembly or an assembly on the Lord's day. And I think that we agree that those who willfully and habitually refuse to assemble on the Lord's day should be disfellowshipped.

It seems that the point of disagreement is my statement that some have "arbitrarily decreed" that Hebrews 10:25 refers to the Sunday morning assembly only. So the question is: Does Hebrews 10:25 have reference to an assembly on the Lord's day for the purpose of observing the Lord's supper (morning or evening) only, exclusive of all other assemblies of the saints? If it does, then many of us have been guilty of misapplying the passage. Thayer says it means, "the religious assembly of Christians" (p. 244), and of course we recognize that which assembly would have to be determined, if possible, by the context. Our friend believes that the context proves that it has reference only to a Sunday service for the purpose of observing the Lord's supper.

I certainly agree that Hebrews 10:25 includes the observance of the Lord's supper on the Lord's day. I am not sure that it is a perversion to apply the admonition "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" to all assemblies of the saints.

We assemble on Sunday and Wednesday nights for the purpose of praying, studying, teaching, singing, edifying, and enjoying the fellowship of the saints. I don't believe that I could consistently urge and encourage brethren to attend these services and then declare that such was only a matter of tradition and if they did not desire to attend "God's law would not be violated in the least." Maybe our friend believes that it would be wrong to forsake these services if they are conducted, but that it would be all right to discontinue or cancel them.

I certainly make a distinction between the Lord's day service when the Christian breaks bread and all other services of the church, but I believe that a Christian should attend them all. I am reasonably sure that the early Christians assembled more frequently than we do today. I verily believe that the attitude which will allow a Christian to forsake the Sunday and Wednesday night services will endanger his eternal salvation, for such a practice violates many principles of divine truth and stewardship.

I don't want to misrepresent anyone. I am not charging that the writer is actually encouraging Christians to forsake the night services (he only questioned the application of Hebrews 10:25 to those services), but it seems to me that his teaching would tend to encourage the weak to do so.