FAQ ID # 3410 - Why must someone become a member of a church? Aren't we all members of The Church as Christians?

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FAQ ID # 3410

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Question / Issue

Why must someone become a member of a church? Aren't we all members of The Church as Christians?

Answer / Solution

Some Christians don’t become members of a local church because they don’t see it in the New Testament. However, there are passages which indicate that there was definite organization in the early church. 1 Timothy 5:9 talks about which widows to “put on the list”. This is not specifically membership, but it does show the principle of recording those for whom the church is assuming responsibility. Also, in 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, Paul asks, “what business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” and he’s referring to people calling themselves brothers, but who were not members of the church. It’s obvious that there must be some understanding of who are considered members and those who are not.

No one is obligated to become a church member, and it's true that every believer is a member of the body of Christ. However, if the local leadership prefers to operate with a membership, then joining is more about respecting and submitting to those who watch over the congregation than about the theology of the matter.

The question about membership should never be used as an excuse to ignore our responsibility as Christians to be joined to other believers in a local church. Sometimes, Christians want to be only members of the "universal church" because they go from church to church, and rarely serve or submit to anyone while they attend them. This is not how God intends for us to grow in Christ, as Eph 4:25
says, "for we are members of one another", and that means we have an obligation to be connected and build up one another.
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