And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV
Mike Heiser points out in his podcast on Hebrews 10 (transcript) that common use of Hebrews 10:24-25 isn’t too damaging, and can be beneficial, but its use usually misses the critical point.
In my experience, I hear this from the pulpit when midweek attendance is down, or in a one-on-one conversation when someone hasn’t been at church for a few weeks. The gist is that you need to be at all the meetings of the church. And the implication is that if you miss a few for no good reason, or if you miss consistently, then you’re not doing too well spiritually. I’m not sure too many people could define “not doing well spiritually,” but it sounds like you really know what you’re talking about when you use the phrase.
Heiser points out that ecclesia – the word translated as church – isn’t used in this passage. He then identifies the two uses of ecclesia in Hebrews. First in Hebrews 2:11-12 where ecclesia is translated “congregation”:
That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 1saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
Hebrews 2:11-12
and then in Hebrews 12:23 where it’s translated “assembly”:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24
In the context of chapters 2 and 12, ecclesia describes the brothers and sisters who have made it – they’ve fought the good fight and are glorified. The author is not referencing the church on earth or its meetings.
I like how Heiser describes the point of the passage:
The point here in this passage (Hebrews 10:25)… The writer is afraid for those who habitually refuse community. It is a present active participle. “Neglecting” there is present active in Greek. The reference is to some activity that is ongoing and that is probably even habitual. Why is he worried about that? Is he worried that believers won’t get the correct number of hours in a week to keep God happy? No. He’s worried about that because the community can help encourage them to keep believing. They’re under persecution. Life is hard. It has nothing to do with meeting a quota of hours per week to keep God happy. Honestly, that is a wicked legalizing of something that’s really important, that just far and away transcends that kind of thinking, especially if you appreciate the context here. This was a big deal. Because as people would drift away and they would doubt and think, “Should I go back to Judaism?”… This is the whole focus of the book— the superiority of Christ! It would be spiritual insanity to want to go back to this.
The passage is framed in the context of the entire book of Hebrews – Jesus is superior to the Torah. Hold on to your faith! When your faith is challenged, stay plugged in to the faith community. Don’t drift away.
When the passage is used to mandate physical presence and attendance at church meetings it misses the point that being in community can strengthen your hold on your faith during persecution and the difficulties of life. If you’re bored, uncommitted, distracted, kids soccer on Wednesday night … meh … this passage isn’t the one you’re looking for. You have different issues.
The real harm in using this passage to support church meeting attendance is that it sets members up not for the intended encouragement, but for failure. The standard is no longer being in a community that strengthens you, but how many services have I missed. Or having a pastor or friend question you about your spiritual well being. You might question your ability to live up to the standard and even question your own faith. There may be guilt that keeps you away. Rigid standards are brittle. They may be strong, but when they fail they shatter and fail completely.