Hebrews 10:25

“…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”[1]

For as long as I can remember this verse has been used as the coups de grâce in the fight against anyone who might suggest that Church attendance is optional. Let me first say that fellowship is important and that I believe fellowship is a healthy traditions. But, to say this verse commands Church attendance is wrong.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together - That is, for purposes of public worship. Some expositors have understood the word rendered here as “assembling”- ἐπισυναγωγὴν episunagōgēn- as meaning “the society of Christians,” or the church; and they have supposed that the object of the apostle here is, to exhort them not to apostatize from the church. The arguments for this opinion may be seen at length in Kuinoel, in loc. But the more obvious interpretation is what is commonly adopted, that it refers to public worship. The Greek word (the noun) is used nowhere else in the New Testament, except in 2Th_2:1, where it is rendered “gathering together.” The verb is used in Mat_23:37; Mat_24:31; Mar_1:33; Mar_13:27; Luk_12:1; Luk_13:34, in all which places it is rendered “gathered together.” It properly means an act of assembling, or a gathering together, and is nowhere used in the New Testament in the sense of an assembly, or the church. The command, then, here is, to meet together for the worship of God, and it is enjoined on Christians as an important duty to do it. It is implied, also, that there is blame or fault where this is ‘neglected.’”[2]

Barnes quite clearly represents the voice of the traditional institutional Church, his comments are based on the word church in the English Bible representing the historical Church and its customs.

“Then we should continue to meet together and not desert the local fellowship, as some do. This may be considered as a general exhortation for all believers to be faithful in their church attendance. Without question we find strength, comfort, nourishment, and joy in collective worship and service.

It may also be looked on as a special encouragement for Christians going through times of persecution. There is always the temptation to isolate oneself in order to avoid arrest, reproach, and suffering, and thus to be a secret disciple.

But basically the verse is a warning against apostasy. To forsake the local assembly here means to turn one's back on Christianity and revert to Judaism. Some were doing this when this Letter was written. There was need to exhort one another, especially in view of the nearness of Christ's Return. When He comes, the persecuted, ostracized, despised believers will be seen to be on the winning side. Until then, there is need for steadfastness.”[3]

“…assembling of ourselves together — The Greek, “episunagoge,” is only found here and 2Th_2:1 (the gathering together of the elect to Christ at His coming, Mat_24:31). The assembling or gathering of ourselves for Christian communion in private and public, is an earnest of our being gathered together to Him at His appearing. Union is strength; continual assemblings together beget and foster love, and give good opportunities for “provoking to good works,” by “exhorting one another” (Heb_3:13). Ignatius says, “When ye frequently, and in numbers meet together, the powers of Satan are overthrown, and his mischief is neutralized by your likemindedness in the faith.” To neglect such assemblings together might end in apostasy at last. He avoids the Greek term “sunagoge,” as suggesting the Jewish synagogue meetings (compare Rev_2:9).”[4]

“Hebrews 10:25 has been used to try to convince people that they must not forsake going to church. In fact, it is the only Scripture in the New Testament that could remotely have been used in such a way. But it is wrong to use it this way. The Greek and the context simply do not support it, and when we understand the true meaning of Hebrews 10:25, the entire idea of "going to church" as something we must do entirely falls apart.

The truth is that the ekklēsia (the word mistranslated as "church" in most English Bibles) is not something we go to; it is what we are. As Christians, we cannot forsake our assembly because we are always assembled before God. We are the assembly, the "called out" of Christ. (The literal meaning of ekklēsia is the "called out ones," but it was used by Greeks to refer to the people who were called out of the community to be members of the assembly.) Certainly, the Bible also speaks of the ekklēsia in a local sense as being in a city, according to (kata) houses or families, and as coming together (sunerchomai—literally, "come together"). But it is never spoken of as something apart from us that we go to, nor is our coming together locally ever spoken of as a duty. I will address this aspect further in another article.”[5]

I have included this portion of an article to demonstrate that not everybody believes the verse is commanding people to attend Church.

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”^[6]

The writer included himself with the recipients in practicing essentials of fellowship; we have confidence, we have a great priest, let us draw near, let us hold fast, our hope, let us consider, stimulate one another, not forsaking our own assembling, and encouraging one another. Everything suggests a situation that was shared between the writer and the ones to whom he wrote. I believe the common element was Judaism, and that they had had accepted Jesus as the Messiah. The letter was written to Hebrews; Jews most likely in Palestine. The theme of the message was the supremacy of Jesus over every aspect of Israel’s religion. It was written before the destruction of the temple since no mention is made of that event. It was written at a time when Jewish Christians were expected to live in compliance with the Law. “And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. ‘What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.’ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.”[7] Jewish Christians were expected to live according to the Law, Jesus was the Messiah, but as long as the temple was there the Law of Moses applied to everyday life.

The author of Hebrews made the statement, “all the more as you see the day drawing near,” a statement that would have little meaning to Gentiles, but to Jews it was the shortest form of “the day of the Lord”. That was the day Jesus spoke of in the “Olivet Speech”; the end of the age, and the destruction of the temple. Jews and Jewish Christians in Judea would be most impacted by the destruction of the temple. Gentile Christians and Jews of the Diaspora would be affected to a lesser extent. To suggest that “the day approaching” was Sunday, is absolutely wrong! The injunction “not forsaking our own assembling together” was directed to Jews in the period before the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. The intention of the phrase was not to instruct to attend Church, it was an order not to neglect the opportunity to stimulate others to love and good deeds, and to encouraging one another. The problem was not being absent from a scheduled meeting, but, failing to encourage and support each one another. In no way can the admonition be interpreted as “attendance for attendance sake”. To suggest that the writer was concerned about Church attendance misses the point entirely; the purpose of being together was to support and encourage continued faith in Christ’s sacrifice. The injunction was specific to Jews some of whom had reverted to Judaism. The subject of the pericope in which the injunction is embedded has to do with forgiveness through Christ.

Consider the words “assembling together” - ἐπισυναγωγή; “The usage of the LXX is decisive in shaping the NT concept, for it is here that ἐπισυναγωγή acquires the eschatological note proper to it in the NT. The noun itself occurs only once; it denotes the eschatological gathering and restoration of Israel from dispersion ... 2 Macc. 2:7 f. The anchoring of the term in the vocabulary of eschatology and its special nuance in relation to the hope of a gathering of the scattered may be seen commonly and clearly in the verb ἐπισυναγω. This eschatological focus of the verb persists in the NT, as may be seen esp. in the eschatological address of Jesus: … Mk. 13:27; cf. Mt. 24:31.

3. Ἐπισυναγωγή occurs twice in the NT. In both instances the context confirms the eschatological orientation - lines 5 ff. In 2 Th. 2:1 ἐπισυναγωγή and παρουσία are closely related (common article), and both introduce the eschatological teaching which follows: … The object of the ἐπι is expressly stated: the Kurios. It is to Him that the ἐπισυναγωγή of Christians will take place at the Lord's return. This is not active assembling; it is a being assembled and united (1 Th. 4:17).

The sense of ἐπισυναγωγή is harder to fix in Hb. 10:25 … It is most natural to think of the congregation gathered for worship. ἐγκαταλείπω "to leave in the lurch" agrees with this, and so does the singular ἐπισυναγωγή. In the case of liturgical meetings one would expect the plural, though it is hard to differentiate between the assembled congregation and congregational assembling; either way ἐπισυναγωγή has a cultic character.”[8] The idea of Israel being gathered together at some future time was built into its expectations. “The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, ‘Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.’”[9] It is clear that the first Christians were mostly Hebrew, Hellenistic Jews, and some proselytes who were Gentiles converted to Judaism. The book of Hebrews was written to Jews, it dealt with the patriarchs of the nation, the religion, its sacrifices and priesthood; much of the book’s content would have had little to no relevance to gentiles; “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.’”[10] We do not know for certain who wrote the Hebrew letter, obviously a Jew well versed in Jewish religious principles. The author addressed his writing to Jews as his brethren much like Paul did; “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”[11] “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”[12] Judaism had a profound influence on the first Christian communities; Christians in Jerusalem were predominately Jewish; if Christian Jews did not keep the Law of Moses they would have been barred from the temple. As we know the apostles continued to practice Judaism, going up to the temple at the time for prayer[13]. “But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses…’”[14] Jews were completely familiar with the synagogue and it was the model for Christian gatherings and community. “For if a man comes into your assembly …”[15] The word translated assembly is, συναγωγή.

The paragraph from verse 19 to 25 is inset into the main topic of Christ the sacrifice for sin. Verse 18 states “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin,” and the subject of sacrifice is continued from verse 26 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”[16] An inset of this nature suggests to me that it was very specific; it was definitely not a vague command to attend Church. There was a matter that required immediate attention; whatever it was, it was serious and “life” threatening, souls could be lost, souls for whom Christ had died. “…if we go on sinning deliberately,” one might argue that all sin is deliberate, but in this sense it means to know exactly what one is doing, and exactly what the consequences are for the particular action or behaviour. But, even then surely God forgives; not if one has rejected Christ’s sacrifice in favour of temple sacrifices. That was the subject the author had been discussing; and why he interrupted the flow of his letter to tell people that giving up on Christ had tragic consequences. The pre-emptive measures needed to stop people from reverting to dependence on Jewish sacrifices were the constant support and encouragement from others who were wholly committed to Christ. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

Rather than misinterpreting Heb 10:25 as a command for members to attend Church, Churches should pattern their gatherings on the instructions; “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” and “encouraging one another.” If the care and encouragement of believers was the focus of fellowship, it wouldn’t be necessary to contrive a command to oblige people to attend. Doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus never once told his disciples they had to assemble together on a fixed schedule, or even, at all? If Church attendance was so vital, why isn’t there more teaching on it; actually why isn’t there any teaching on it? Jesus attended synagogue gatherings, and he and his disciples went to the temple. There is a huge difference between the synagogue gatherings of the early Christians and Church today. “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.”[17] “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”[18] Paul’s instructions regarding wayward Christians was to avoid them, and not even share a meal with them. In his second letter to the Christian community in Corinth he told them to forgive the believer who has been dealt with in the manner advocated. It appears that not being able to enter Christian fellowship was severe punishment; it doesn’t sound like that congregation needed a command to have believers attend. Fellowship was cherished by early Christians, it wasn’t necessary to order people to come together; it was a privilege and pleasure. We live in a society suffering from spiritual malnutrition, the Church that offers genuine spiritual nourishment will not be able to keep people away. The Church has failed its community by institutionalizing individual rights and opportunities in order to promote itself and prove its need to exist.  The synagogue it is believed began during the exile for the purpose of helping Jews remain faithful to God in an alien environment. The first Christian gatherings were for support of believers in a hostile environment.

The ekklesia of Christ in the first century was in not anything like Church today. In the early decades it was indistinguishable from Judaism. Most gatherings were in homes, most gatherings were at a time suitable to participants, not scheduled for institutional convenience. Some gatherings were held in secret avoiding public view. Belief and commitment were personal, fellowship was communal. Jesus was king, and believers, citizens of his kingdom. Fellowship was founded on the conviction that Jesus was God’s Son the Messiah. Faith in Christ was personal and portable.

The Jewish leadership although antagonistic to those who believed Jesus to be the Messiah saw them as a Jewish sect. For however long it was between the death of Jesus and Paul’s trial before Felix the Sanhedrin and high priest considered believers to be a sect of Judaism. “For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.”[19] Early Christian gatherings and charitable activities were patterned on those of the synagogue. The scriptures used by Christians were the same as used by Jews; Christians provided for widows and those in need as did the Jews. The purpose of the synagogue was not to convert Gentiles to Judaism, but to encourage Jews to be godly; the synagogue became the focal point of the surrounding Jewish society. A synagogue was not designed for “outreach”, it was not evangelistic; I cannot find any Old Testament injunction for Jews to go out and convert people of other nationalities. I would suggest that the focus of any Church should be its family; gatherings are to be “family” time. I’m not suggesting “closed communion”, but family time that is open to anyone who might wander in. The purpose of gathering is not to convert people from other Churches, but to feed and strengthen the family of believers, not only those from a particular group, but all believers. There is no biblical order of “service’, that is purely tradition flowing down from the Roman Church. Early Christians met whenever they were able, often to break bread in honour of the Lord. The gathering didn’t focus on unbelievers, evangelists did that as a personal calling and commitment. Everything about those early gatherings was about encouragement and hope in Jesus. The Church has become a business organized to sustain itself and promote itself. Where the believer’s need is for encouragement and support to live as a disciple of Jesus, the Church’s requirement is for funding to maintain its facilities and programs.

Jesus made it very clear that being religious may not be what God wants. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’”[20] Did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name? The very things that established the apostles as ambassadors for Christ were claimed by those rejected. I wonder, what in today’s religious world would correspond to the things done by the people rejected? Maybe the activities today that would come to mind as exemplary would be, preacher, Sunday school teacher, elder or deacon.

Another passage that sets the bar high on personal activity is, “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’”[21] Going to Church or being a Church member has benefits, but it is not a substitute for living for Jesus, doing God’s will. The Church must encourage people to serve God, and not just be good Church members. “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’”[22]

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[1] Heb 10:25

[2] Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

[3] Believer’s Bible Commentary

[4] Jamiesen, Fausset and Brown Commentary

[5] What Are We Not To Forsake? Peter Ditzel

[6] Heb 10:19-29

[7] Act 21:18-26

[8] Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, G. Kittel

[9] Isa 56:8

[10] Heb 2:11, 12

[11] Act 22:1

[12] Rom 9:3-5

[13] Act 3:1

[14] Act 15:5

[15] Jas 2:2

[16] Heb 10:26-29

[17] 1Co 5:11

[18] 2Co 2:6, 7

[19] Act 24:5

[20] Mat 7:21-23

[21] Mat 25:34-40

[22] John 6:29