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To argue that the church can't exist without a building is to miss the point of Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit descended so that God no longer dwells in *a* temple but dwells in His people. We are individually temples and are being built corporately as the temple of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit descended so that God no longer dwells in *a* temple but dwells in His people. We are individually temples and are being built corporately as the temple of the Lord.
Jesus' promise that God's people would not be left as orphans must be seen together with His foretelling of persecution. God's people can be assured that even as they feel "without a home" in this world when they follow Jesus, God has not abandoned them. God's mission is not
thwarted or limited by the lack of a temple or a holy building.
The author of Hebrews recognizes this temptation when he/she hints that his/her readers are turning back to the old covenant ways, where there are physical things to touch, smell, and see in the temple.
The author of Hebrews recognizes this temptation when he/she hints that his/her readers are turning back to the old covenant ways, where there are physical things to touch, smell, and see in the temple.
Yet, the author of Hebrews wants to remind them that the New Covenant in Jesus is superior. The Holy Spirit was working within the weakness of a church that had no home, and had nothing to show for itself. There were no chapels, sanctuaries, or cathedrals - but God was there.
Are buildings beneficial for the church in terms of accomplishing its mission? Yes, especially as it can be a physical outpost of the kingdom of God that can be a beacon of blessing to the communities around it. God works through individuals, groups, and institutions.
Yet, to argue that the church cannot be the church without a building is an entirely different matter altogether. Not only is it biblically questionable, but it spits in the face of the persecuted church around the world that literally hides in the shadows to worship Jesus.
Instead of seeing this horrendous time as an opportunity for introspection and solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, there are Christians in America who are claiming they will go up in arms rather than comply with government COVID regulations.
I, as many Christians in the U.S., desperately want to see my brothers and sisters together, corporately, in person worshipping Jesus. I too want this pandemic to end. But Jesus calls us to be faithful as we lament. He calls us to not put Him in a box and constrain what He can
or can't do through His church. If Jesus has worked powerfully through the church hidden around the world, and if He promises that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree, we should trust Him even in the midst of this pandemic.