The Bible says, "And upon the first day of the week, when the
disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready
to depart on the morrow: and continued his speech until midnight."
(Acts 20:7).
The regularity of meeting together for worship was a marked feature
of the church in apostolic times. Of the early Christians Acts 2:42
says, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." They were
consistent and unwavering in their public meetings for worship. The
record of Acts 20:7 implies that the early disciples met every Lord's
Day to commune. The inference is drawn from the precedent set in
Exodus 20:8-10, "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy...." which was
obviously a command to observe every Sabbath Day without exception. In
the effort to restore New Testament Christianity by going back to the
Bible for our religious practices, we follow the example of the church
at Troas and the Apostle Paul in observing the significance of every
Lord's Day by meeting together to break bread. These are things that
nearly all who are identified with the Church of Christ accept and
contend for.
Is This Assembly Mandatory?
These meetings are so vital to the continuation of our Christian
service that Paul commanded in Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting
one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching." Some
contend, on one side, that approved example and inference teaches that
local congregations must assemble every Lord's Day to commune. However,
they will then argue that such gatherings are not incumbent upon each
member of that congregation. In other words, if a job or a
recreational outing conflict with one's appointment with the Lord, one
does not commit sin by opting to work or play instead. This flies in
the face of so many basic principles of Christianity that one hardly
knows where to start! They often maintain that Hebrews 10:25 does not
apply to every Lord's day but rather to the habit of assembling in
general. One does not forsake the assembling of ourselves together
until he goes back into sin and "quits the church", so they reason.
While I deny such a loose meaning being placed upon the passage, if we
were to concede the point in reference to Hebrews 10:25, consistency on
our application of Acts 20:7 would still be an issue. If one is
willing to say that a member of the church can willfully absent himself
from the local gathering of the saints for one reason or another, then
let him immediately stop telling the Baptists that it is wrong for them
to commune quarterly or yearly. If the local church finds instruction
to meet every Lord's Day to commune then why not the members who make
up that congregation? If one could opt to go on vacation and not
assemble, or work and not assemble then what would be wrong with 90% or
even 100% of the group doing likewise? Rather, when the scripture says
"Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread..." it implies that all, not some, of the saints at Troas
along with the apostle Paul came together.
Assemblies Were Congregational
The antiquity of scripture refers to the church of the Lord in only
two senses. It is identified universally and locally. When Christ made
the emphatic declaration in Ceasarea, "Upon this rock I will build my
church", he spoke of all who would come into covenant relationship with
him by obedience to the truth the world over. It was all the saved
throughout the world for whom Peter commanded us to "Love the
brotherhood!" (I Peter 2:17). However, the only relationship sustained
in the universal body according to the scriptures is a mutual
conforming to the truth and a fellowship in the gospel. Never once did
Jesus commission the world-wide church to any type of work as such.
However, through his wisdom, he designed the church in the aggregate
sense, so that it would be constituted by local or individual
congregations sent out into respective areas to spread the gospel and
fulfill the great commission. When Paul prefaced his Corinthian letter
by saying "to the church of God at Corinth," or as in Galatians 1:2,
"...unto the churches of Galatia," he was not speaking of the universal
church, a multiplicity of denominations, or individual Christians, but
rather local and autonomous (self-governing) churches designated to
carry on their own respective work. Any religious institution that is
larger than the universal church, larger than the local church but
smaller than the aggregate church (a denomination or regional
conference, etc.), or smaller than the local congregation is human and
not divine in its origin.
What Constitutes A Local Church?
The word church is worthy of definition in this study. The commonly
accepted meaning is that of an assembly of saved people. W. E. Vine
says that it stands for the word assembly which, in the Greek, means
"to call out of" or, in other words, those who have been called out. He
offers the explanation of two senses in which the word is used. "It
has two applications to companies of Christians, (a) to the whole
company of the redeemed throughout the present era, the company of
which Christ said, 'I will build My Church,' Matt. 16:18, and which is
further described as 'the Church, which is His Body' Eph. 1:22; 5:23;
(b) in the singular number (e.g., Matt. 18:17, RV marg.,
'congregation'), to a company of professed believers, e.g., Acts 20:28;
1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:13; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; 1 Tim 3:51."
Sometimes people will point to Matthew 18:20 where the Savior said,
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in
the midst of them," in an effort to justify any type gathering in any
place to perform religious service. However, this IS NOT the import of
Jesus' words! Rather, Christ qualifies the gathering of which he is in
the midst. They must be gathered together in his name. He did not say
where two or three are gathered together, in the name of worship, or in
the name of religion, there will I be... When Paul declared in
Colossians 3:17, "Whatsoever ye do in word or in deed do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus," he was not saying that every solitary thing we
say or do in life is an act of direct worship to God. He is saying
that all must be done according to the authority that is represented in
the name of Christ. If a civil authoritarian were to approach your
door demanding entrance in the name of the law, he would be affirming
that he has the authority of the government vested in him. Perhaps he
has a warrant issued by the court to search the premises. He is own
accord. So it is when a child of the King undertakes the duties
assigned him by heaven in heaven's way. He is speaking or acting in
the name of or by the authority of Jesus Christ as revealed in his
word. For Christ to be in midst of an assembly of his people whether
it be two, three or a hundred that assembly must be in his name or by
his authority. A local congregation is not just any two Christians who
decide to get together under a shade tree and discuss the scriptures or
meet in a motel room to observe the Lord's Supper because they are not
in vicinity of an established church.
When the scriptures teach that the disciples at Troas came together
to break bread, it was to an established congregation of God's people
residing in that vicinity. It undoubtedly bore the marks of an
autonomous local church.
- A local church is a local body of believers knit together in
the fellowship of the Lord's work. When Paul said in 1 Cor. 12:20,
"But now are they many members but yet one body" he had reference to a
definite church that met for worship and edification in the city of
Corinth. Of this same people he began his list of guidelines for the
assembly of the church in 1 Cor. 14:23 by stating, "If therefore the
church be come together..."
- Each local congregation is to maintain a treasury of money which
facilitates its benevolent work and its endeavors in preaching the
gospel (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8, 9).
- A local church is to have leadership (eventually elders and
deacons) who feed, guard, and disciple members under their oversight.
In Acts 20:28, Paul commissioned the elders at Ephesus to "feed the
church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood." He also
commanded Titus while among disciples at Crete "that thou shouldest set
in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city as
I had appointed thee" according to Titus 1:5.
Every aspect of church work, including the observing of ordinances
pertaining to the worship of God, are to be accomplished by the local
congregation, no more - NO LESS! If a large number from the
brotherhood get together to worship and engage in a gospel meeting such
assemblies are to be overseen by the leadership of a local
congregation. If one desires to fulfill his obligation in partaking of
the Lord's Supper, this too must be accomplished in an assembly of the
local church. One has NO SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY to meet once in a while
in his motel room, his car, or his home to the Lord's Supper.
Conclusion
If a family meets in their home to worship in the corporate sense
(i.e.- observe the Lord's Supper) they must constitute a local church
such as existed at Troas which meets EVERY Lord's Day for worship and
carries on the Lord's work in a local area. Brethren, when people out
of convenience, or for any other reason, convene an assembly in their
home or elsewhere to commune one time or on a sporadic basis, they are
violating not only the scriptural guidelines for what constitutes the
worship and work of the church, but the entire design behind communion
- a common sharing in the benefits of Christ's death.
Those who contend that such is scriptural should begin doing as the
digressives and take individual communion to shut-ins who cannot
assemble with the local congregation. What is the difference? This
writer contends that sporadic "home or roadside communion" is just as
digressive as individual cups or any other perversion of the design of
our Lord's memorial. Brethren, let us conform to the Bible's blueprint
for not only what we do when we assemble, but HOW WE ASSEMBLE!
Rt. 2 Box 166
Kinston, AL 36453
