Study of Denomintions 10/10/2010

The Church Treasury, II: Other Considerations
A Study of Denominations


Kitchens/Fellowship Halls

Many churches today have built kitchens and/or fellowship halls to encourage fellowship amongst the saints. While it may seem like a good idea, has the church been so burdened?

Christians certainly should get together and have association with one another; hospitality involving the saints is commanded by Peter in 1 Peter 4:9 . While we have examples of Christians getting together for social reasons, including the eating of meals (cf. Acts 2:46 ), nowhere do we see that the corporate church has in fact facilitated such association with a building or any other such thing. Further, we read the following in 1 Corinthians 11:19-22 :

For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you. When therefore ye assemble yourselves together, it is not possible to eat the Lord's supper: for in your eating each one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I praise you not.


Clearly, the church in Corinth had division fostered within itself, and it would seem from this passage that some of this division was being caused by eating and drinking during their assembly. Paul here is delineating between activities while assembled and activities to be done at home: partake of the Lord's Supper together, eat and drink at home.

Individuals are to open their homes and share meals with brethren; the church has not been so burdened.

When the matter of the fellowship hall or the kitchen is discussed, many times people will ask what is wrong with "eating in the building". The matter is not about "eating in the building," so to speak. Many times children require food during a long assembly; some people for other health reasons need to eat at specified times. There may be a time when people are working on the building and it is convenient to eat there. Nevertheless, there is a vast difference between an individual or two eating in the building for some necessary purpose and setting aside space in the church building or erecting another building for the sole purpose of preparing food and/or eating within. The issue is not about "eating in the building," per se, but whether or not the Scriptures have burdened the church with the obligation of facilitating the association of its constituents; no such authorization has been put forward.

Argument: The fellowship hall is an expedient for us to have fellowship.

Answer: As we have seen previously in The Church Treasury, I: Benevolence: Expediencies? , if one is going to have an authorized "expedient," the expedient must be facilitating the fulfillment of a command. As with giving benevolence to non-saints, so it is with association: nowhere is the church commanded do such things. Yes, there are examples of the church getting together for a social function, but where do we see that examples are to be expedited? Where has the church been burdened with the responsibility of expediting the God-given obligations of the individual? The Scriptures indicate no such burden!
Gymnasiums

There are many denominations and churches that have built gymnasiums. Such facilities are designed to help better the physical bodies of the members and to provide association.

While 1 Corinthians 6:19 indicates that our bodies are the "temple of the Holy Spirit", and therefore that it would be a good idea to keep the body in good shape, the Scriptures nowhere command physical exercise, even for the individual. Paul does establish that physical exercise does profit a little in 1 Timothy 4:8 , and therefore a Christian certainly has the right to exercise. Nevertheless, since physical exercise is nowhere commanded, even for the individual, in the Scriptures, how can a church building a gymnasium for that purpose be justified Biblically? It is clear that the church has nowhere been so burdened!
Business Enterprises

In many larger churches today, it is popular for various kinds of businesses to be run within the church campus, somehow or another connected to that particular church. These businesses include coffee shops, bookstores, and other enterprises. Some denominations even serve as landlords or run investment corporations and may perhaps own and run facilities in no way connected to any religious purpose.

While it may be profitable for individuals to engage in business and to support their families ( 1 Timothy 5:8 ), the church has nowhere been burdened with the responsibility of operating or overseeing business enterprises. The Bible indicates that the church is to support its work by the freewill contributions of its members ( 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 , 2 Corinthians 9), or in times of distress, money for benevolence from other churches (2 Corinthians 8-9). There is no other Biblically-approved way for the church to make money. We see no indication that the church ought to be involved in coffee houses, bookstores, real estate, or any other such thing.
Evangelism?

Sometimes one or more of the above practices will be defended in the name of evangelism: the fellowship hall or the gymnasium or the bookstore or some other such thing may lead someone to Christ. Is such a sufficient justification for these practices?

We have previously discussed a similar matter in The Church Treasury, I: Benevolence: The Ends Justify the Means? . One of the important points mentioned regarded to what you convert people when you use food or medical care or a gym or other such things. Are such persons being converted to Jesus and His truth or to the various services provided?

Jesus provides a helpful illustration in John 6. After He has fed the five thousand, and the people have followed after Him, He says the following to them in verse 26:

Jesus answered them and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled."


While it is true that Jesus fed the multitude, the multitude was converted to bread, not Jesus. As Jesus preaches some difficult truths in verses 27 through 65, this fact becomes apparent. In John 6:66 , it is clear that only the original twelve disciples remain with Him. Of the five thousand who ate bread, how many were converted to serve Jesus? Not one. If such was the result for our God and Savior, how should we expect to fare any better?

To build and maintain such facilities is by no means a profitable form of evangelism, and such is indicated by the example of our Lord Himself. We ought to preach the Gospel of Christ by promoting His spiritual truth, and to not try to attach the Gospel to some form of a gimmick or some "bait and switch" concept.