Trending Faith: Why Get Involved With a Church Full of Hypocrites?

Family sits in church before service starts

On this week’s Trending Faith, one student asked: “The church is full of hypocrites. Why would anyone get involved with something like that?”

Dean of the College of Theology Dr. Jason Hiles and University pastor Tim Griffin sat down to discuss this question, with Tim jumping right in. He said, “That’s always a funny question to me because it always seems that when people ask about hypocrites being in the church, they’re always looking for a reason not to be a part.”

He went on to state that throughout the New Testament, specifically in Acts 2, you see the birth of the church and see it unfold. The people were together all the time and constantly found ways to be together whether that be studying, praying, or worshipping. A church thrives on the community.

And with that faith community, there are a lot of challenges that come with along. It’s almost easier to not be involved with other people. In Acts, there is a direct example that the church spent time together. In the New Testament, it stresses how important it was and is for God’s people to be in community. He says, “and yet when you do that, it seems to be a difficult experience quite often. Not all the time, it can be a really important and enjoyable, sustaining part of the Christian experience is to be in the community. But it can also be hard. Especially when people are not at their best when they’re in fellowship together and so we find these reasons on why to leave.” We think that because everyone is a hypocrite because they say one thing then do the other, that it’s just easier to not be involved and use that excuse.

Tim Griffin offered his advice towards people who have that mindset:

“You’re going be in community with people who are as broken in many ways as you are. When you go into it realizing that people are human and have tendencies towards doing wrong or behaving inappropriately, that you kind of go into it realizing, “You know, people say or do things that are just not always consistent with what Christians should say and do when they are in community, then it doesn’t always seem to rock your world like it might if you go in there, thinking “man, I need to be a better Christian and all these Christians in this community are perfect people.” That way when they stumble, or they don’t do perfect things, it makes it a little bit easier to go “Well you know what, I might be in the right place because I am just as broken as they are.” ”

Check out the full video here:

Have a question and want it answered? Just use #trendingfaith in social media or email them to trendingfaith@gcu.edu. For more information about Grand Canyon University, visit our website or contact us today!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.

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