Bible Q&A
Is there a passage in the bible that recommends that a person study at home if he cannot find a church that he agrees with?
Thanks for the question,
To my knowledge there is no verse that mentions that situation.
There are passages that talk about some "going out" from the existing church (since there was only one) and we are not to have partnership with them.
Paul encourages us to be perfectly joined together in the same mind (attitude) and the same judgment (the manner of discerning a situation and making the proper decision).
I have had four times when I did not have a sound church with which to worship.
One was when I was overseas in the Philippines while in the Navy. The only congregation was one founded by a Liberal "missionary". I decided to work on the Airbase and teach the gospel to anyone I could and ferret out anyone of the faith that were not active (which resulted in a few run-ins with the Chaplains). I also decided to go ahead and worship with the Filipino church and teach them what I could and be an influence there. The results of that year were a close love with the brethren and a few souls saved. I also got to present the truth about the church to that group of Christians.
Another time was when I was aboard an Aircraft Carrier for a year. There was nowhere to worship. So I had it announced that the church of Christ would meet at a certain time in the Forward Chapel. Out of a total population aboard ship of 5000 men, about 10 Christians showed up. We had one fellow there who brought his silver chalice and bread plate with him and said he couldn't worship without them. We decided to use his containers since it really didn't matter what we used. I just made him aware that he was not to teach that his was the only right way to worship. The results were made known to me years later when I met Christians on the opposite coast of the United States that had been baptized by and had been members of that floating church.
Another time was in Medford Oregon when the local preacher railroaded me out of the congregation for teaching what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. I took my family to another church of Christ about 30 miles away and found peace among people that were "more noble". About a year later there were other brethren who had faith in God who tried to worship in Medford and could not. They contacted me and so together we established a new work in the nearby town of Eagle Point.The same goes for my present situation in which the local group went "denominational" and many of us were forced to move our membership to another town about an hour away. About a year later we established another congregation in our home town of Boise that is now ready to buy or build a building.
I don't necessarily agree with everything my brethren in Boise believe nor do they with me, but we serve one another in love and stand by a "Thus saith the Lord".
So I can give you my advice, (as one who has received mercy of the Lord) that you work for God in the circumstances in which he has put you until you cannot. Have faith in God, believe what his word actually says and love the souls of those who are also trying to serve him, though imperfectly, wherever you might find them. God wants people to be saved, so work with Him.Hope this helps.
Larry White
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