I would like to know your thoughts on Wednesday night bible study in stead of worship. The congregation I attend has divided bible study before worship on Sunday morning as well.
Donna, We are commanded to have a Lord''s Day worship service but whether a congregation has a worship service or not on Wednesday is left to the discretion of the local leadership. It''s their privilege whether to have a Wednesday, Tuesday and/or Friday Bible study, a worship service or nothing at all.As far as a divided Bible study prior to the any worship service is concerned, both the Old and New Testament clearly advocate always assembling together. In Deut 31:12-13 they (men, women, children and the stranger within the gates) are told to gather together "that they may learn." Apparently God felt little children could learn in this atmosphere, surrounded by their friends and family. He didn''t ask that they be separated in age groups. Joshua 8:35 tells us that the word of Moses was read by Joshua before "all the congregation of Israel," including the men, women, children and strangers visiting with them. These are only two of the instances of the people gathering together to hear the Word of the Lord. In all the other instances they also meet together. At no time are we told of their segregating into simultaneous groups/classes to hear the Word of the Lord!In Acts 20:7, Acts 11:26 and Heb 10:25 Christians are also instructed to gather together. Apparently this is important to God, that His people meet together to study and learn. In 1 Cor 14 we are instructed what to do when the "whole church be come together into one place." Again, there are no examples of any assembly being divided into classes for any purpose. We understand the difference between a church assembly and private meeting, house to house. When the church calls a group together, that group constitutes a called church assembly. Bible classes are not considered private teaching as they are "called assemblies."Dividing into classes under any pretext is subverting the Word of God and not something we feel comfortable doing. We lean towards doing what the Bible does teach and avoid what it does not teach.