Hebrews 10:25
Bible verses · Also called: Heb. 10:25, Hebrews 10.25, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, Do not forsake the assembling together, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is
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Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
The verse exhorts believers, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another," and to do so all the more as they see the day approaching. It is widely cited as a basis for attendance at corporate worship, and since the COVID-19 pandemic it has been at the center of debate over whether online worship can take the place of this "assembling."
Context
Hebrews 10:19–25 is an exhortation grounded in the boldness believers have to enter the holy place by the blood of Christ, and it calls for three responses: to draw near to God "with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (v. 22), to "hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering" (v. 23), and to "consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works" (v. 24). Verse 25 gives the concrete means of carrying out the last of these exhortations: believers are to gather together and exhort one another. Some appear to have been leaving the gatherings because of persecution and discouragement, and the passage that immediately follows (vv. 26–31) turns to a warning against willful apostasy.
Interpretation
- As a duty of corporate worship: This reading takes the verse as a command not to neglect regular gatherings for worship and uses it as a foundational text for teaching Lord's Day observance and attendance at corporate worship.
- As a community of mutual encouragement: This reading holds that the main verb of the sentence is "exhorting" (encouraging one another), with the gathering serving as the means. Accordingly, it sees the heart of the verse not in mere attendance but in fellowship in which believers care for and encourage one another.
- Eschatological tension: From the phrase "as ye see the day approaching," this reading draws the motivation that a community awaiting the Day of the Lord should all the more remain together rather than scatter.
Debates and Issues
When the government restricted in-person gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a debate over this verse arose among Korean churches. Some churches appealed to the verse in insisting that in-person worship must continue, while most denominations adopted online worship alongside in-person services, maintaining that protecting the lives of one's neighbors is also part of the commandment of love. Theological questions have since remained as to whether worshiping together through a screen can be regarded as the biblical "assembling," and whether the Lord's Supper can be observed online. Those who accept online worship hold that the essence of the gathering lies in sharing the same time and being of one mind, while those who are more cautious maintain that it cannot replace the sacraments and fellowship shared in bodily presence.
Related Passages
- Acts 2:42–47
- Matthew 18:20
- Hebrews 3:13
- 1 Corinthians 11:17–34
See also 6
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