Some good thinking, Cliff. However, we are encouraged in Scripture to fellowship with believers. God has reason and purpose behind this. We grow as we share our love of Christ with one another. We grow as we admonish one another in brotherly love to live better more Spiritually fruitful lives before Christ. Yes, there is corruption in many churches and there has been this corruption and sin since the establishment of communities of believers.
God wants us to exercise our Christian beliefs within and without the community of believers. We are to fellowship, admonish, uplift, uphold, support, etc. others in the community. We are to bring others into the community to benefit from this same fellowship, etc. We are to live our lives outside the community of faith to the honor and glory of Christ.
When we limit ourselves to only a community of believers and isolate ourselves from the outside world, we truly set up cults and are not in tune with God's plan.
When we limit ourselves to only our own experience of faith and do not fellowship in a community of believers, then we are not in tune with God's plan.
You see, a rather simple explanation would be - God plans for us to function spiritually just as we do in our physical body:
- In our own bodies we think, feel, experience. All without anyone knowing what we are thinking, feeling, experiencing.
- Out of our own bodies we ALSO think, feel, experience, AND share. This is the part of us that is involved with others in a community.