Virtual Church: An Oxymoron For Our Times
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the world to do things differently. There is an increasing innovation happening in all sectors of our community via the internet. For example, restaurants are utilizing the internet and apps for drive-thru or delivery. Some restaurants are even selling their produce and ingredients online. Schools have shut down and many are completing the school year through virtual learning. Even many city and county commissioner’s meetings are now held online. Some churches have decided to move their services online through their website or social media platforms. Other churches have decided to instead offer a drive-in church service as an alternative to gathering inside the building. Although all of these methods can be described as innovative — they are not all equal. A restaurant can sell food online and still be considered a restaurant. A school can exist without the physical presence of educators and still be a school. However, a church, although it can offer some of what it does online, cannot exist virtually. That is because a church is defined by what it is and not just what it does. A church has an innate and organic reality that is different than restaurants, businesses, schools, or government agencies. Therefore, the concept of “virtual church” is an oxymoron.
The word “church” is translated from the Greek word ekklesia. The word means a “called-out assembly.” An assembly is a gathering of individuals in one geographic location. The church is the assembled people of God, together, in one location. However, it must also be said that it is more than just a gathering in one location. A church is not simply random people who have gathered in one location to have a religious service. A church must consist of those who are born again, baptized, and have covenanted with each other in life and mission. (Acts 2:42-47) These people also observe the ordinances of the local church together. The pushback I have heard to this argument—about the oxymoronic nature of virtual church—is that the church is not a physical “building.” I agree. The church is not a physical building and it is true that a church can assemble anywhere. A church cannot be virtual because it is impossible to “assemble” biblically as the church.
Let’s illustrate it this way: In the same way that no one brick makes up a building, no single Christian makes up a church. Suppose that we were building a bank. What if all the bricks for this bank were individually scattered throughout one town? You might even have a family of bricks (four or five) in one location, but would you ever call any of those families the bank? No! We would only define those bricks as a bank once they came together and were assembled in one place as the architect had designed. You might object to this analogy (because people aren’t bricks and churches aren’t physical buildings) but don’t forget what Peter said about the church. “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5) Yes, the church is a spiritual house with its foundation built upon Christ. It is not individualistic, but instead a corporate gathering in one place. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 12:14, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many.” For more information on how the church is a spiritual building see Shane Swezey’s article here.
There is never an appropriate time to abandon biblical definitions. This is true even during a pandemic or a natural catastrophe. The current pandemic has not caused this trouble in the church. There had already been a great absence of biblical fidelity for a very long time. Consider this “church” as evidence by their website. Virtual Reality Church is a “church” that claims to exist in many “metaverses.”
WE ARE ONE CHURCH IN MANY METAVERSES
As found on vrchurch.org
Can a church exist in a metaverse? I don’t think I need to explain that the Apostle Paul had no concept of metaverses. So how does the Bible help us think through this modern invention? Grant Gaines explored the exegetical evidence for a church being gathered in one geographic location in a 9Marks article:
Further exegetical evidence that an ekklesia refers to a body of Christians literally assembled together is seen in instances in which the phrase epi to auto is used in conjunction with ekklesia. The phrase epi to auto means in the same place and is used to describe the local church gathering in both 1 Corinthians and Acts, the two biblical books that devote the most attention to the nature and life of the local church. 1
This is not to say that a church cannot livestream its services — they certainly can and many do. This is not to say that a church cannot have small group bible studies over Zoom. What I am saying is that biblically you cannot define those functions over the internet as “church.” In my church we are pre-recording singing and preaching and delivering that to our people on Sunday mornings during this unique season. We do this for their edification and for them to worship with their families. In these videos, I am very careful to say that what we are doing is not the church. The church is not any one person, or even a group of people isolated from the bigger assembly. Let’s look at the New Testament to see the biblical examples of the gathered church.
“For, in the first place, when you come together as a church”- 1 Corinthians 11:18
“When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.” - 1 Corinthians 11:20
“For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,” - James 2:2
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” - Acts 4:31
“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” - Acts 20:7
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42–47
Let us also consider the organic nature of the church. The church is the Body of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 12:12;14-20. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”
As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. Just as no one brick can be called the bank, our individual body parts cannot be defined as our body. My foot is not Dan. My arm is not Dan. My fingers are not Dan. However, when God assembles all of these body parts together, they become Dan Sardinas. This is why the church cannot be defined by virtual means—because it is organically assembled by God! Yes, a pastor can utilize the common grace of the internet and still edify people through the preached word, but it’s not the church. It may look like what the church does, but it’s only the church when the church does it assembled together.
During this time of crisis, what many churches believe about ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church) is rising to the surface. It makes me wonder how much of the virtual experience of the past few weeks will become normative in the days ahead. I sure hope not. If there was ever a time for pastors and church leaders to emphasize ecclesiology, it is now! There is no biblical evidence that the church was anything other than God's people assembled together in one location. So, whether your church is holding services online or not, please know the biblical difference between what church is and what it is not. “Virtual Church” is an oxymoron for our times.
