How does Hebrews 10:24-25 relate to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and the size of church gatherings? Is there only one biblical way to fulfill Hebrews 10:24-25? 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together [assembling together], as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

How Do We Biblically Fulfill Hebrews 10:24-25?

I’ve read many recent applications of Hebrews 10:24-25 that to me seem to import modern Western/American cultural ideas back into this passage.

Specifically, some seem to think that the only way to fulfil Hebrews 10:24-25 is through the “mega-gathering”—our modern, cultural, American, Western “worship service.”

I am a committed member at a church with a service like this. I have been a Sr. Pastor at a church like this. I am in no way opposed to Sunday morning worship services.

With that point clear, could we consider together the biblical, contextual, 1^st-century, cultural application of Hebrews 10:24-25?

These COVID-19 days give us a chance to—perhaps even force us to—assess what makes a biblical gathering truly biblical. Maybe we could picture this as me “thinking out loud” and pondering together with you what Hebrews 10:24-25 actually means by “assembling together.”

The Biblical Context of Hebrews 10:24-25 

Did the author of Hebrews have in mind a 21^st-century mega-gathering worship service? The words of Hebrews 10:24-25 would seem to indicate that the inspired author had in mind a 1^st-century small house church gathering. In such intimate gatherings, they were to be very purposeful about spurring one another on toward love and good deeds.

What was the gathered church to do when they met together? “Encourage one another.” The author of Hebrews is picturing a 1^st-century Christian gathering of mutual one-another encouragement.

Let’s be honest, not many of our modern 21^st-century worship services allow much time or even any time to focus on the one-another ministry of spurring on toward love and good deeds. Many people rush in, rush out. Some stay and chit chat. A few may occasionally have focused times of one-another ministry. In most of our Sunday mega-gatherings today, Hebrews 10:24-25 one-another encouragement is the exception, not the rule.

What the inspired author says in Hebrews 10, he furthered developed earlier in Hebrews 3:12-13:

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

What did a 1^st-century gathering look like? It looked like brothers and sisters in Christ encouraging one another so that no one had a sinful unbelieving heart and so that no one would be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Now, none of this would be mutually exclusive to elements of our modern American 21^st-century mega-gatherings. But if we stick simply to the text of Hebrews 10 and the context from Hebrews 3, we certainly see an emphasis on mutual one-another ministry as the focal point of assembling together.

Could this not happen in small groups gatherings—perhaps even better than in our modern American mega-gatherings? Could this not occur in house church meetings? Could these smaller gatherings not include all the elements of the 21^st-century mega-gathering—singing, praying, preaching, teaching, plus one-another mutual encouragement?

It does not appear that the modern mega-gathering is the only way or even the primary way that the author of Hebrews had in mind when he exhorted believers not to forsake the assembling of themselves together.

An Example from Black Church History 

As a 21^st-century Caucasian Christian, it is easy for me to assume that my cultural way—the way I’m used to—is the only biblical way for the saints to gather.

An example from Black Church history might help. During slavery in the South, Black Christians often met in “the Invisible Institution.” That is—they met on the plantation out of the watchful eye of the slave owner.

And what would they do? Was it a mega-gathering? No. But it was a gathering with many beautiful elements.

Ponder this description by Pastor Peter Randolph of what happened after they “stole away” for their small private Christian gatherings:

“Arrangements are then made for conducting the exercises. They first ask each other how they feel, the state of their minds, etc. The male members then select a certain space, in separate groups, for their division of the meeting. Preaching in order by the brethren, then praying and singing all around.”[i]

How beautiful. How powerful.

Did you catch the various elements?

They connected one-to-one for mutual encouragement—asking each other how they feel, their state of mind. What if our Sunday gatherings had designated, extended times for us to do this—for individual biblical counseling of one another!

Then they met in small groups for their division of the meeting. They didn’t even have a mega-gathering.

Then they had preaching—by the brethren—plural. Not just one pastor/preacher, but many—likely by house groups/family groups. Within these groups they would sing and pray together.

The First Century, New Testament Context 

Moving beyond the book of Hebrews and beyond the “Invisible Institution,” what do we learn from other New Testament depictions of “corporate worship”? In the 1^st century, mature Christians ministered to one another as they gathered together in their homes. Consider just a few examples:

• Acts 2:46: They gathered in their homes…
• Acts 5:42: From house to house…
• Acts 8:3: From house to house…
• Acts 10:22: In Cornelius’ home…
• Acts 12:12: They gathered and prayed in Mary’s house…
• Acts 16:32: In the jailer’s house…
• Acts 16:40: In Lydia’s home…
• Acts 18:7: In the house of Titius Justus…
• Acts 20:20: From house to house…
• Romans 16:5: In Priscilla and Aquila’s home…
• 1 Corinthians 16:19: In “the church that meets at Aquila and Priscilla’s house…”
• Colossians 4:15: In “the church in Nympha’s house…”
• Philemon 1:2: In “the church that meets in Philemon’s home…”

The Context in Romans

Ponder Romans 16. Speaking of Priscilla and Aquila, Paul says, “Greet also the church that meets at their house” (Romans 16:5). How big were 1^st-century homes? Not large. These were not mega-gatherings, but small house church gatherings.

And what was the qualification to minister in one of these small house church gatherings? Paul tells us in the immediate context of Romans 15-16.

“I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge, and competent to instruct [disciple, counsel, encourage] one another” (Romans 15:14).

In 1^st-century Rome, mature Christians ministered to one another in small house church gatherings.

The Context in Acts

How did Paul do his evangelistic and discipleship ministry as a missionary-pastor?

“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you publicly and house to house” (Acts 20:20).

Paul’s preaching-teaching ministry was not exclusively or primarily mega-gathering, but also often small group, house-size gatherings.

The description in Acts 2:42-47 has a similar focus. They gathered in the temple courts and heard preaching. And they also gathered together in small groups in their homes loving God and loving one another.

The Calling of the Pastor-Teacher-Elder 

Is the primary calling of the pastor-teacher-elder only or primarily preaching in a mega-gathering? According to Ephesians 4:11-16, the pastor-teacher’s calling from Christ is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Surely, this can include preaching-teaching that equips in large gatherings. But it can just as easily (perhaps more so) include equipping in small group house church gatherings.

And what is the work of the ministry that pastors-teachers equip the people to do? “Speaking the truth in love so that we all grow up together into Christ who is the Head” (Ephesians 4:15-16).

We’ve come full circle now—back to Hebrews 10:24-25. Pastors equip people so they can assemble together one-to-one and in small house-size groups to encourage one another in Christ.

A Blog Post, Not a Book-Size Ecclesiology (Theology of the Church) 

This is a blog post, not a book. I’m not trying to say everything in 1,500-ish words on ecclesiology—a biblical theology of the church.

My point is more focused. We’re pondering a beginning biblical theology of what it means to not forsake the assembling together.

All Christians agree that the church should gather. But is biblical gathering only the mega-assembling of every member? If it were, then multi-campus churches and multi-service churches would not fulfill that definition of gathering.

Based upon Hebrews 10:24-25; Hebrews 3:12-13; Ephesians 4:11-16; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 5:42; Acts 8:3; Acts 10:22; Acts 12:12; Acts 16:32; Acts 16:40; Acts 18:7; Acts 20:20; Romans 15:14; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; and Philemon 1:2; it appears that the author of Hebrews had this 1^st-century biblical New Testament concept of “gathering” in mind:

“Don’t forsake the small house-size gathering of yourselves together for Christ-centered one-another mutual encouragement, fellowship, and worship.”

In summary:

I’m suggesting that it can be totally biblical for the larger church body to gather together/assemble in smaller groups (including in homes) for one-another ministry, fellowship, and worship. I’m suggesting that these smaller gatherings fulfill the inspired intent of Hebrews 10:24-25. 

Therefore, in these COVID-19 days of social distancing and limited meeting size, one legitimate biblical option is for the mega-gathering to be dispersed into mini-gatherings that reflect the New Testament church gatherings.

Join the Conversation 

Your turn. What do you think? From the immediate context of Hebrews 10:24-25, what does it mean to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together?

Endnote

[i]Kellemen, Beyond the Suffering, p. 130, from Randolph, From Slave Cabin to Pulpit, p. 112-113.