One of my Christian friends has told me that because of the coronavirus, most churches of Christ here in El Paso are "socially distancing" themselves into becoming spiritual weaklings by forsaking the assembling of themselves "together" as commanded in Hebrews 10:25 (see here and here -- some haven't assembled in almost two months). In essence, they are slowly becoming people "without natural affection" in Romans 1:31 [marginal reading, "unsociable" (KJV)].This writer wonders if these brethren truly know and understand that (1) Collective worship is conducive to good health (see here); and (2) There is a close connection between staying mentally fit and human interaction, i.e., being sociable (see here) ; and (3) That our assembling together [personal, physical contact with fellow Christians] in Hebrews 10:25 is a command?
In his commentary on Hebrews 10:25, Brother Burton Coffman states regarding the assembly: "Our own assembling together is a reference to the Lord's day worship of the church, the regular Sunday services of congregations of believers, as set in motion by the apostles, honored by disciples in all ages, and fully recognized as a sacred obligation for all Christians by the author of Hebrews who penned this formal commandment regarding church attendance."
He further states: "Perhaps there is nothing so much needed in current America as a return to the old-fashioned virtue of church attendance." To which I add "Amen and Amen!" He then addresses the fact that "mere church attendance" is without value, but rather "wholehearted, sincere, devout, and faithful public worship of Almighty God through Christ; and as for the falsehood that people can worship God anywhere they are, it is refuted by the fact that they don't! When people do not attend worship, they do not give, nor pray, nor sing God's praise, nor observe the Lord's Supper, nor study the sacred scriptures, all of which things are related to the public worship and have practically no existence apart from it."
Note that a warning of apostasy is provided in Hebrews 3:12-13 (note the similar phrase in verse 13 as found in Hebrews 10:25, "exhort one another" and the reason for the apostasy was "unbelief" (Hebrews 3:12). The question is, how can we "exhort one another" if we don't "assemble together"? The answer is, we can't. The results can only be "apostasy" caused by "unbelief." Members of the Lord's church who are "socially distancing" desperately need to see the connection between the two.
---Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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