Is Church Membership Biblical?

[dwight92070]

No, a church membership requirement is never mentioned in the Bible. It's just one more religious requirement that is not found in the Bible. And really, what better reason can there be for not adding that to the few necessary functions of the church? We visited a church a few Sundays ago and they did have a church membership. But they took it one step further, actually several steps further. They made it a written covenant which you must agree to. I thought covenants were primarily for when you get married. Therefore if you left the church, it appears that it would almost be like a divorce. If you decide you no longer want to be a member, you must meet with the elders to explain why. Further requirements to be a member are: you had to be interviewed by two elders and accepted by them, attend a members class, fill out an application form and be announced by name to the congregation, and be presented to the congregation. All of that must be done in a minimum of 3 weeks.

The only requirements that God gives us to be a member of the body of Christ are that we repent of our sins, and believe in and receive Jesus and His teachings. That's it. If we do those things, we are in the body of Christ.
However, after that, we are required (commanded) to obey Him. The first command to be obeyed is to be baptized in water. After that we are to obey Him and His word throughout our lives, which Jesus called "abiding in Him". Thereby we will remain part of the body of Christ. Churches with membership requirements often want you to "abide in them", i.e. in that particular local church body, but that is not a "yoke" that Jesus puts on us. We are to put His yoke on, which is easy, and His burden is light.

Jesus did speak of church discipline for those who continue in sin, so we should all be held accountable if we fall into that, Jesus gave specific commandments for such cases. But becoming a local church member is not one of them.

 

[360watt]

No, a church membership requirement is never mentioned in the Bible. It's just one more religious requirement that is not found in the Bible. And really, what better reason can there be for not adding that to the few necessary functions of the church? We visited a church a few Sundays ago and they did have a church membership. But they took it one step further, actually several steps further. They made it a written covenant which you must agree to. I thought covenants were primarily for when you get married. Therefore if you left the church, it appears that it would almost be like a divorce. If you decide you no longer want to be a member, you must meet with the elders to explain why. Further requirements to be a member are: you had to be interviewed by two elders and accepted by them, attend a members class, fill out an application form and be announced by name to the congregation, and be presented to the congregation. All of that must be done in a minimum of 3 weeks.

The only requirements that God gives us to be a member of the body of Christ are that we repent of our sins, and believe in and receive Jesus and His teachings. That's it. If we do those things, we are in the body of Christ.
However, after that, we are required (commanded) to obey Him. The first command to be obeyed is to be baptized in water. After that we are to obey Him and His word throughout our lives, which Jesus called "abiding in Him". Thereby we will remain part of the body of Christ. Churches with membership requirements often want you to "abide in them", i.e. in that particular local church body, but that is not a "yoke" that Jesus puts on us. We are to put His yoke on, which is easy, and His burden is light.

Jesus did speak of church discipline for those who continue in sin, so we should all be held accountable if we fall into that, Jesus gave specific commandments for such cases. But becoming a local church member is not one of them.

The thing is what is the body of Christ?

1 co 12 defines it as an entity..

Where one member suffers all suffer
It can be unified

Each part is interconnected into a functional, connected entity.

A part is an individual believer

Membership is as being a member.

Paul calls the church at Corinth... the body of Christ.

This is church membership in a local body of believers.

 

[Ahinadab]

God’s plan for His church is that we would belong to a local covenant community of faith. This is for our own protection and maturation, and for the good of others.

There is evidences to support local church membership in the Scriptures.

We see in Acts 2:37–47 that there is a numerical record of those who have professed Christ and been filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 41) and an acknowledgement that the church was tracking the growth.

In Acts 6:1–6, we see elections take place in order to address a specific problem and accusation.

In Romans 16:1–16, we see what appears to be an awareness of who is a church member.

In 1 Timothy 5:3–16, we see a clear teaching on how to handle widows in the church.

 

[360watt]

Matthew 18:15-17 KJV
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. [16] But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. [17] And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican

Discipline in the local church here with a 'sinning brother '

This is akin to membership.