Religious Errors And Bible Answers
(This material is taken from an attractive little booklet of 59 pages, which may be ordered from the Gospel Guardian. Price is 35c per copy,)
14, Error: The kingdom of God is meat and drink, Answer: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom, 14:17.
15. Error: Nowhere does the Bible condemn the church for having refreshments.
Answer: "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." I Cor. 11:22. "And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come," I Cor. 11:34.
16. Error: I Cor. 11:20-34 is merely condemning their abuse of the Lord's supper; they could have separated the two events and have conducted a church supper, Answer:" And if any man hunger, let him eat at home," I Cor, 11:34.
17. Error: The church may provide places in which to have common meals, Answer: "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?" I Cor. 11:22. This is not speaking of a church "fellowship hall" either. For he said, "Eat at home," Verse 34.
18. Error: We can get more people to the service if we will feed them and furnish entertainment.
Answer: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Rom. 16:17-18, Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." John 6:26. Phil, 3:19: "...whose God is their belly."
19. Error: We ought to be more concerned about eating and drinking and playing.
Answer: "Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." I Cor.10:12, 20. Error: The church building is not sacred, therefore we can add kitchens and recreation halls,
Answer: One might as well contend that since the meeting house is not sacred we can have instrumental music in worship. It is just as sinful to ADD to the work of the church as it is to ADD to the worship of the church. The work of the church does not include entertainment. See: Eph. 4:11-16; I Tim. 3:15; Acts 6:1-5; and I Tim. 5:16 for the work. See: II John 9-11; Gal 1:8-9; and Rev. 22:18-20 regarding those who will add to the Bible.
21. Error: If we can have a church building without a Bible example, we can also have a church recreation hall without a Bible example.
Answer: The command to assemble (Heb. 10:25; Matt. 18:20) requires and necessitates a PLACE to assemble. Thus the meeting place is included in the command to assemble. But the church is not commanded to entertain, therefore it cannot build places for entertainment. It cannot provide a PLACE for a work that it is not authorized to do.
22. Error: If we may have running water, benches, lights, a blackboard, and rest rooms without specific examples in the N, T., we can also have kitchens and places for entertainment.
Answer: The running water, benches, lights, blackboards, and rest rooms merely accommodate the worshippers, and only facilitate the command to assemble and worship (Matt. 18:20; Heb. 10:25). Places for entertainment do not facilitate the command to worship, nor the command to assemble. They are built for an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PURPOSE, that of ENTERTAINMENT and FUN. The work of the church is to SPIRITUALLY EDIFY ITS MEMBERS (Matt. 28: 19-20; Eph. 4:12); to PREACH THE GOSPEL (I Thess. 1:3); and to RELIEVE THE NEEDY (I Cor. 16:1-3; Acts 6:1-5). These church-supported halls and kitchens force another work upon the church, ENTERTAINMENT. And this is clearly a work of the home, not the church.