Does a believer have to meet with people on a regular basis and be church?
Believers do not have the option of remain apart from other believers. Believers are to gather together (“Whenever you come together…”). Gathering together is not an option. The writer of Hebrews exhorted the church to not forsake the assembling of themselves (Heb. 10:25). The Greek word “ekklesia”, which we translate “church”, literally means “an assembly” or “the called out ones.” The idea is of one calling together a group of people for a specific purpose. When and where the church gathers together is never commanded in Scripture. But we are definitely commanded to gather together. However, we do have apostolic precedents that we should consider (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 3:6,7).
