Why Gather?
By John Carlisle
2nd Ed, 2013, Hamilton, New Zealand, September 2013, ISBN: 978-0-473-19795-7 Also available to download freely as a PDF from this site: Downloads
Table of Contents
1. Gathering Scriptures.
2. Introduction.
3. First Question: Why Gather?
4. The all important matter of Who does the Edifying?
5. What about the The Five-fold Ministries?
6. An Important Principle of Fellowship: We Are All Brethren.
7. More about the When Believers Edify One Another.
8. More on the How Do We Edify One Another?
9. An important perspective: Practicing the Presence of the Lord.
10. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
11. Keeping the perspective and affirming the solidarity of the wider Body of Christ.
12. Supplementary but important considerations.
13. Regarding Singing When Believers Gather
14. Conclusion: You are the man or woman of God in your world.
Gathering Scriptures
“And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” Acts 2:46
“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” Acts 5:42
“And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.”
Acts 12:12
“…how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly from house to house.” Acts 20:20
“Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house. …” Romans 16:3-5; I Corinthians 16:19
“Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you; and Quartus. …” Romans 16:23
“Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.” Colossians 4:15
“…and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that is in your house.” Philemon 1:2
Introduction: Why Gather? The Gatherings, or Assemblies of Believers
What follows is a brief look at the purpose, philosophy and practice of fellowship, or what being part of and ‘going to’ church really can and, I argue, should mean for the Bible believing follower of the Lord Jesus.
By way of introduction there is a need to note several issues which will, no doubt, arise in the mind of the reader.
First I feel I should address the objection to the presentation of yet another concept of church structure and method of worship. I understand the concern in the mind of Christian leaders, and all sincere followers of the Lord Jesus, at having to consider and contend with another challenge to the accepted way of doing things. In my defense I suggest that avoidance does not fulfill our responsibilities to be constantly evaluating our activities and service for the Lord. To relax into the comfort zone of assuming we have already settled these questions in our mind and that we are right and our perspective is true and beyond all possibility of development, improvement or adjustment is to be guilty of a deceptive complacency. It does not allow for human fallibility and the need to stay alert to the fresh insights and understandings the Lord and the Holy Spirit are always bringing to us as His people on earth. The ‘perfect’ has not come, yet. We are still ‘walking by faith’ and ‘not by sight’. We do ‘see through a glass darkly’. The wisest of us are not all knowing and absolute in our knowledge. We are ‘followers’ and we desperately need to be ‘led into all truth’, and this is a ‘here a little, there a little’ process. I earnestly contend that any other mind set is dangerously arrogant and narrow minded with the entire consequent pit falls inherent in such an attitude. So, my plea is, pause, reflect and consider and then by all means disregard and lay aside these thoughts as not relevant or adequate if you genuinely feel this to be the right response.
Second I do not want to give the impression that I think this is something that all should adopt. Further, that I hold the opinion these thoughts are for all groups of believers and that I am absolutely right in my understanding and anyone who disagrees with me is in error and mislead, or worse. I do not. I am very aware that my thoughts are unlikely to fit or be acceptable across the broad spectrum of Christian faith and practice. Even in those rare situations where some group of believers might find a consensus to put them, or some aspect of them, into practice it simply should not be done in an existing church structure without very great care, thought and much time in prayer beforehand. These are radical thoughts, especially when considered in the light of lifetimes of habit and precedence of a more traditional form of service and worship and church structure that is present in most churches and denominations today. How should it be implemented? How could it be implemented? I submit that to be a very vex question and one that would need intimate knowledge of the local congregation, its history, affiliations and more. Even then, it would likely be inadvisable. The wise and considered approach would, I think, be to let it arise out of the considered thought, prayer and meditation by a group of believers independent of any existing church structure. After sharing similar thoughts and convictions over time, they might resolve to form a gathering or fellowship with the specific intent of exploring the mind of the Lord for themselves in this direction. This would minimize the risk of hurting and causing confusion in the minds of those who might find this too radical and even threatening. Another, very real consideration in my mind is Paul’s desire not to ‘build on another man’s foundation’s’. The solidarity of the Body is a primary principle that should be in the minds of all sincere disciples and followers of the Lord Jesus. To destabilize an existing fellowship and try to impose one’s own ideas either upon or within an existing fellowship or church would be divisive, destructive and not something that could ever be seen as expressing the love of the brethren Jesus prayed for in John 17: 11, or commanded in John 13: 34 -35 and elsewhere.
Third, I do want to clarify my own thoughts and deliver my soul of what is a growing conviction and concern for an expression of fellowship and worship that I have meditated upon and pondered for nearly fifty years. I have enjoyed rich and meaningful fellowship and worship in many varied forms of church structure over the years. I have sensed the presence of the Lord and been enriched and blessed in all, to one degree or another. I have formed deep and lasting friendships with many of my brethren and sisters who would have no intention whatsoever of changing their manner of ‘doing church’ and gathering together. I cannot and do not consider them any less in my love and estimation for that. I am part of the body, I am a fellow pilgrim and follower of the Lord Jesus and must allow all my brethren and sisters the right to the same freedom of conviction that I myself cherish in respect of these truths. However, this must not be construed as an admission that these aspects of truth are of less importance to any other truths taught in the Word of God. It does mean that I hold these convictions in humility before the Lord and do urge my fellow believers to ‘search the scriptures’ (Acts 17: 11) carefully to see whether these things be so that we may all strive to present ourselves as ‘workmen that need not be ashamed’ (2 Timothy 2: 15) before the Lord. We have a moral obligation to submit ourselves unreservedly to the authority of the Word of God. Our recognition of the Lordship and sovereignty of the Lord Jesus demands this of us because He is the Word made flesh (John 1: 14) and His Word is Truth (John 17: 17).
Finally, I am well aware these thoughts are not original. Others have pondered them before me. Indeed, as I mention elsewhere here, my contention is that it was a simpler form of fellowship that gave birth to all that we now experience in our varied forms of worship and expression and there has remained a thin, fragile, but nevertheless discernible endeavor throughout Church history to enjoy similar expressions up to and including this present second decade of the 21st Century. Books have been written, and I have read many of them, though probably not all, seeking to find and encourage simpler, and more personal forms of worship. Each has its particular merits and this is not intended to be a comparative study at all. Rather, it is a frank statement of my own thoughts and convictions developed over a long time that I now feel the need to express in this way. I have appended a brief bibliography which is not exhaustive as many books and articles I have read over the years are no longer in my possession and I know I have forgotten the authors and titles of others. My online version of this will probably be added to as I remember, recall or read other books that come to my mind or attention.
Venues: Note also that I am not presenting a ‘house church’ argument. My thoughts in this regard are mentioned elsewhere in this presentation and they are that for me the venue is not important. The early church met most frequently in homes, there can be no doubt about that. Dedicated buildings emerged in the third century along with the entire institutionalized church as a direct result of Constantine’s political agenda to bring the entire known world under his control. Much has been written about this elsewhere and I do not intend to discuss it here. Sufficient to say that church ownership is a heavy burden upon believers and one I contend they are better off without. The venue for gathering, in my view, can be wherever it may be convenient. Suitable private homes will work well. Then again, my own preference is for a café, club, school room or casual meeting room in a library or other institution that can be used, either freely or for a modest charge. As long as it is comfortable, allows for the consumption of food and so on, it should be ideal.
First Question: Why Gather?
The first question we might consider is, why gather together at all? There are four good reasons for this, and they are, as I understand them, for the purposes of:
1. Teaching
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of Bread
4. Prayer
These four reasons are worth some thought. Arguably the best text I could suggest at this point is of course Acts 2: 42.
‘They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’
The clear purpose for gathering ourselves together as believers is to be encouraged and strengthened in our Christian faith. The King James word is ‘edification’, or to ‘edify’. Greek: oikodomeo meaning to build up, to strengthen, to increase, to develop, to mature, etc. So, in Acts 9: 31 we read the churches ‘had rest and were edified’. The four reasons stated in Acts 2: 42 can be summed up in this word, edify. We all need to be edified. We must grow and increase in our Christian faith. We need to be helpful to one another and, we need to be part of the process. As we continue to look into this we will discover who does the edifying, who does not do this important task, how it’s done and some other important aspects related to this along the way. I feel this to be an exciting and wonderful adventure and one that gives the whole journey of life this side of the resurrection depth and meaning for every individual believer. It will turn our meetings together into times of far greater purpose and significance than we might have previously ever realized. But be aware, however, this is not a spectator sport. It is a participatory event.
The all important matter of Who does the Edifying? This is crucial. The answer is: Believers gathered together and individually do the edifying. By that I mean each individual believer has a contribution to make towards the combined task of edifying the gathered group of believers. Not just one person. It is a group task. To achieve this requires the participation of each believer. I need the ‘grace’ God has given you to be ministered to me in order to reach that goal. If you don’t share the grace God has given you with me I cannot become the person God has intended me to be. So, I ask you now, “Please share that special and unique measure of grace God has given you, with me”. Otherwise I cannot get there. I cannot reach the place of maturity and Christ likeness He intends for me.
Ephesians 4: 7-16 is perhaps the key passage regarding this process of ‘edification’ within and for the Church.
‘But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.’ E.S.V. (Emphasis added.)
This passage starts by saying that, ‘to each one grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift’ K.J.V. Note two things. First, grace is given to edify the body and second, it is given to ‘each one’. Not to just one person, but ‘each one’ of us. We all have a measure of God given grace and that grace is given so that each one may participate in the task of building up the Body of Christ in order to achieve the goal of maturing each one of us to the ‘measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’. This is nothing less than each one of us becoming Christ like. I.e. Christ-like men and Christ-like women whom, Paul says is what it means to be ‘perfect men/women’. We are endeavoring, or we should be endeavoring, to be ‘perfectly like Christ’. Actually, this is what it really means to be a ‘Christian’. It means to be a ‘Christ-one’ or a ‘Christian’.
What about the The Five-fold Ministries?
The five-fold gift-ministries listed in Ephesians 4:11-16 are just ‘some’ of the giftings that He gave to ‘some’ people. It is NOT ALL the expressions of grace at all. Their particular task is to ‘equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ We must read that as a whole sentence because it is the body that edifies the body. The ministry gifts ‘equip’ the saints to do this. To state this again, the five-fold ministry gifts equip the saints to do the work of edifying one another. Please be clear in this. The ministry gifts don’t do the edifying. The saints do the edifying. Of course, someone might say, ‘what’s the difference?’ The difference is that if the five-fold ministry gifts did it all, the saints would have nothing to do except polish seats – and this is not meant to be the case. The saints are expected to be vitally involved in the entire process and minister to, and edify, one another in order to achieve the ultimate purpose of becoming mature men and women of God.
More on the Five-fold Gift Ministries: the Person is the Gift
We should also add, in order to clarify a little more who and what these ‘ministry gifts’ are, that they are people. They are a person that the Risen Christ has given to ‘be’ an ‘apostle’, ‘prophet’, ‘evangelist’, ‘pastor’ or ‘teacher’ and are themselves ‘the gift’ to the body. (Note that in Eph 4:11 ‘pastors and teachers’ can be read as ‘pastor-teacher’. I.e. a ‘pastor-teacher’ is one person, in which case this becomes a Four-fold Ministry Gift list.) In this regard I prefer to refer to these gift-persons as ‘equippers’, because they ‘equip the body’ to do the work of the ministry. Note also that, as in all these functions I think it is more scriptural to avoid the capital letter because the word is a description of function and not meant to be a title. For example, my friend Jock is a plumber. That is his function or role. He does plumbing. We can say he is a Master Plumber, in which case it becomes a title. But, in the case of the gift ministries to the body, they should always be seen as the description of the function a person performs for the body.
A further detail in regard to the Five-fold Ministries: they are self-revealing
We can take this a little further by adding that the person Christ has given to the body functions as an evangelist, apostle, teacher, etc, and by that action or function reveals they have in fact, been given to the body for that purpose. I.e. the evangelist gift evangelizes. The apostle gift apostles – he or she ‘goes’ places as the Lord ‘sends’ them. That is because the word ‘apostle’ means ‘sent one’. The prophet prophesies or ‘speaks a word from the Lord’ to the body and/or an individual. Similarly, the pastor-teacher shepherds by teaching the Word of the Lord to the body. This particular gift is interesting because of the metaphor involved of a shepherd. The shepherd in the Eastern context tended to lead his flock from the front and guided them very much by the sound of his voice. So, Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep said of Himself, ‘he [the porter or doorkeeper of the sheepfold] goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.’ John 10: 4. The New Testament gift ministry provides direction and guidance by the spoken word to the body both when gathered and on occasion individually. Thus, by the ministry of these ‘gift-people’, or people given by the Lord to the church, the church is trained and enabled so that we may indeed ‘grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ’. Eph 4:15. At least two of those gift ministries also minister directly to the unsaved; the evangelist and, on occasion, the apostle. Please notice the lower case! These words are descriptive, they are not a title. They do represent office, but this I contend has exactly the same connotation. I.e. an office is a function, a duty, a task. So, again we may say that the evangelist is a person who holds the office of evangelist, or the task of proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel to the world. So, Paul called himself the apostle to the Gentiles. In his case it might arguably be seen as a title, however, again, if we do capitalize we must be careful to recognize that it is still a function and not a hierarchical title. In Paul’s case there is uniqueness as his role in the church is very special. There was only one of him, The Apostle to the Gentiles. His task was very unique and special. So, I feel the use of the capital may well be justified in his particular case. I have difficulty ascribing the same uniqueness to any other throughout the entire history of the church on earth. The only possible exception must be when the term Apostle is used in connection with the Lord Jesus who is called, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. However, I note that in a quick survey of translations I only found the KJV and the NKJV to use capitals in this reference. Of course, the word means ‘one sent forth’, or ‘messenger’ from the Greek apsotolos. Again, the implication is clear, it is a task entrusted to a person. In this sense every believer is ‘apostolic’ in that we have been ‘sent forth’ to share and proclaim the Good News to all mankind. It is a shared task given to the church corporate and we are all involved very directly. I have worked through all of this to support my simple contention that the equipping ministries do just that, equip the saints by teaching, training and example so that they, the saints, can do the job of building up the body of Christ, edifying, one another and proclaiming the Gospel to all the world.
An Important Principle of Fellowship: We Are All Brethren
Ponder, in this regard, the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:5-12, ‘But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi (teacher). But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.’ NKJV. This is a clear admonition from the Lord to avoid designations and title and instead foster the sense of ‘brotherhood’. It might be argued that by applying a title we are simply being respectful. However, when we truly love one another respect is not a problem as it expresses itself naturally towards all with whom we come in contact in courteous behavior and manner without the need to practice what the Lord has here expressly forbidden.
More about the When Believers Edify One Another?
To restate: when are we edified? Answer: when we gather together. Who does the edifying? Answer: The saints. The five-fold ministries DO NOT DO THE EDIFYING! The saints do the edifying. The five-fold ministry giftings equip and train and teach the saints so they, the saints, may edify one-another. Note again that this task of edifying one another takes place when the Church gathers together. This explains why the gatherings of the Saints are so vital for every believer. It is, arguably, the one overriding reason why so many of the saints are stunted and immature in their Christian character. It also explains why so many are unable to minister and share the grace of God with one another and with their unsaved friends and neighbors. It is also a factor in the alarming incidence of Christians dropping out of fellowship. Sitting for long periods routinely in meetings that last too long with periods of singing and music that last for an hour or more followed by the same people doing the speaking and leading is just not what God had in mind. The answer that is often attempted by the institutional church is to mitigate these negative results by trying to make the performance ever more polished and professional. However, this simply does not meet the need for the believer to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. It leaves the soul hungry for real shared fellowship and their deepest needs unmet. It is in fact frustrating and dissatisfying. Gathering together in a manner similar to that discussed here naturally meets all these needs and will build strong and deeply committed followers of the Lord Jesus all seeking to see the King’s dominion spread and increase in the earth.
More on the How Do We Edify One Another?
Now we must ask this all important question, “How do we edify one another?” The answer is, by sharing the things the Lord has given us, both material and spiritual, with our brothers and sisters so that they will be edified, built up, encouraged and blessed. The venue is unimportant, but if it is comfortable and suitable for groups to meet, sit, share, and perhaps eat a meal and enjoy a cup of tea etc then it will be ideal. Paul made it clear that our sharing should also be done in a manner that meets the criteria of being done ‘decently and in order’ and further, that it truly does ‘edify’ or build up those gathered together. This does not mean ‘entertain or amuse’. Rather, it means to contribute vitally to our Christian faith, our spiritual growth, our effectiveness and fruitfulness in our life and service for the Lord Jesus.
Following is a simple definition of these key words, ‘edify’, ‘decently’ and ‘order’.
1. Edify: to build up, encourage, instruct and foster growth towards the image of Christ in all those present. That is to perfect us and make us better Christ-ones (Christians).
2. Decently: this means pleasantly, tastefully and as inoffensively as possible.
3. In Order: meaning not a confused jumble of activity and noise.
The most helpful passage is 1 Corinthians 14:6-36. The entire passage deserves detailed consideration; however, listed below are a few simple thoughts that may be derived from the passage.
An important perspective:
Practicing the Presence of the Lord Until individuals who are part of the local gathering have gained experience and practice in sharing their contributions it would always be wise for them to discuss their contribution with a local leader or elder first. Courtesy and love should always prevail, both in those who are planning to share and those with the responsibility for shepherding the gathering. Further, as a group of believers gains experience in sharing together in this fashion there should be a growing sensitivity to the ‘leading of the Holy Spirit’ so that a ‘flow’ develops. This requires a group commitment to follow this leading, to be sensitive and to endeavor to find the particular direction in which the Holy Spirit may be leading.
Our Central Focus: Experiencing the Presence of the Lord
The great object in our gathering together is to discover and enjoy the presence of the Lord in our midst. We do this as each one present seeks to express the Christ within in ways that edify and build up their fellow believers. There will be times when we focus our attention directly upon the Lord in prayer, expressions of love and worship addressed and directed towards His invisible presence alone. This may involve spoken words of praise and adoration, individually expressed or unison. Individual songs, or songs sung together. It may involve singing all together but each one employing his or her own words in spontaneous songs in English, or if English is our second language, in our Mother tongue. It may also involve the language of the Spirit ‘as the Spirit gives utterance’, sometimes referred to as ‘other tongues’. If we are singing for others edification, the best language to employ is probably English in the light of the fact that this is written from a New Zealand perspective. However, this is not necessarily so as I am aware of fellowships in New Zealand where the majority are Chinese and for many of whom English is still a difficult language to understand and communicate with. This may also be true of other nationalities in our increasingly cosmopolitan nation. If it is during a combined time of free and spontaneous worship then any language is perfectly acceptable as it is an offering directly to the Lord. If we are speaking in another language at other times and we are seeking to edify the body, then the only correct procedure is to seek to have it interpreted, either by the one speaking in the alternative language or by someone else gifted with the ability to translate. This is really a matter of common sense and courtesy and is discussed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28.
The Fellowship Meal
The Love Feast or Communion has become so formal that we often miss the simplicity with which the New Testament churches enjoyed this time of fellowship. When the New Testament believers gathered together for fellowship as the ekklesia of Christ they almost always shared a fellowship meal together. This took the form of reminding themselves of the occasion when the Lord Jesus broke bread with the disciples in the upper room immediately before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, spending time in prayer and the arrival of Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. They did this, not in the stylized form with which we have come to observe it throughout church history, but simply by taking some bread at the start of the meal and passing it around in remembrance of that last supper with disciples, then after (1 Cor 11: 25) eating the meal laid out on the table and enjoying a pleasant and lively time of fellowship ’breaking bread’ together, they then finished by passing round the cup of wine in the same way the Lord would have done at the end of the Passover Meal in the upper room. This was the ’love feast’ or fellowship meal of the early church. A nice way to observe this is by all participants bringing food enough to share, a ’bring and share’ lunch or evening meal together. Whichever may be appropriate. It is this element of community that is so important in our fellowship together. Ekklesias, or churches are families. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. This sense of family and community is where the fellowship of body of Christ finds its focus. The many exhortations in the New Testament, both by the Lord and the apostles to foster this and practice it to the very best of our ability is what gives meaning and significance to our fellowship. This requires spending time together. In our busy 21st century lifestyle this can be a challenge, but it is absolutely vital if we are to get to know one another in the manner that the New Testament requires of us.
Note: I have written more on the Lord’s Supper in a booklet titled, The Lord’s Supper Reconsidered’ available online at http//:christiansgathering.weebly.com and click ‘More Info & Links’.
Keeping the perspective and affirming the solidarity of the wider Body of Christ
This simplicity discussed above further underscores the huge difference between secular groups who might organize themselves for business or other human purposes. On those occasions it would be normal to have a set procedure, an acknowledgement of hierarchy and authority from a human perspective. In the gatherings of the redeemed there should be a marked contrast to this. Rather, a shared sense of being in the presence of the Lord of the Church, a desire to sense and follow His direction, and a desire to focus attention upon Him and not on one another or one person in particular. This is not an easy thing to achieve, especially in the light of our fleshly and selfish natures. It further suggests why it was so hard for the gatherings and assemblies of the Lord’s people to preserve this simplicity and why Paul sought to defend these simple, unsophisticated gatherings of the redeemed in his writings and had such difficulty in doing so. By the end of the second century they had become the exception and more of a novelty and had, in fact, all but disappeared from the public face of Christianity in favour of a more organized and very hierarchical form of meeting and church governance. However, that does not mean it cannot return, even if it should still be a rarity, perhaps even a novelty. It has, however, in fact, never completely disappeared and there are many instances of its preservation from age to age -and it is alive and well in the 21st Century as a little research will show. Often unheralded, and not advertised, but there to be found by those who might be inclined to search for it. This article, in its own simple way, is evidence of that. I am not arguing for a universal adoption of this practice, as that would seem an unlikely thing to happen. However, I am arguing that expressions of it can and should occur by those with the desire, inclination and courage to step out of the norm and dare to experience the joy and fulfillment that may be found in this form of fellowship. As friends of mine have said to me, there are ‘different strokes for different folks’, and another adage that has been advanced, there are, ‘horses for courses’. There are already many variations on church structure and form extant in the world. It seems reasonable to allow one further simple and non-threatening understanding of communal fellowship to be given expression. There is no attempt here to appear dogmatic and to argue this is the absolutely right way and all the others are wrong. I do feel this form of fellowship offers a valid understanding and application of the scriptures discussed and I have argued forcefully for that. As the scripture says, ‘we see through a glass darkly’ 1 Corinthians 13: 12 KJV. We all need to reflect on our positions and follow the Berean example of studying the scriptures to see ‘whether those things were so’. Acts 17: 11 KJV. I know very well there are alternative perspectives and they have as much force in the minds of those who adhere to them as these I have expressed here have for me. My desire is that those who feel and think along similar lines to those discussed here may find an opportunity to practice them as opportunity may offer, and to do so without being divisive or condemnatory.
Supplementary but important considerations
Where and When Do The Equippers Function?
The Ephesians 4 Gifts, referred to here as the Equippers, function best at planned times set aside for that special purpose. These function rather like the Bible School we are probably familiar with. However, they are part of the normal life of the local gatherings or assemblies of the Lord’s people and are not really separate institutions as we often see today. All those who form part of a local gathering would normally participate in and gain from the operation of these giftings. Their task, taken together, is to ‘equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ’, Ephesians 4:12. Verse 12 needs verse 16 for clarity, ‘…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.’
The equippers train the saints to (among many other things and not in any particular order):
Time and place need to be set aside for the work of the ‘equippers’, the ministry giftings, to do their job. Paul used hired halls for the exercise of some of these gifts, for example he used the School of Tyrannus in Ephesus for this. Acts 19: 9 E.S.V. In the last chapter of Acts he lived in his own rented house and people came there to hear him preach and teach. Acts 28: 30. Further, these ‘giftings’, or ‘ministries’ are resident within the local gatherings of believers and so they are meeting with the believers for fellowship and the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, they will be exemplifying the practice of ‘edifying the body’ when they meet together with the believers. They will be demonstrating how it’s done in ‘real life’ so to speak. Further, if they see a distortion or a tendency away from the simplicity of expression that allows for the body to share ‘decently and in order’ they would naturally take note and endeavor to instruct the believer or believers, if there was more than one, more perfectly so that the meetings of the saints could continue to be enjoyed by all and not become abused or spoiled.
We should always bear in mind that the Lord is the Head of the Church. He is in direct control and builds His church by direct involvement in all that happens. It’s His church; we are His body and ‘members in particular’, 1 Corinthians 12:27. We can see instances of Paul seeking to restrain and discipline unruly members in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 13:1-9
Critics will point out that such a vision of the local church is wide open to abuse, that it is risky and not realistic in the real world of the 21st Century. The answer to this is, yes it is and it is. There are no guarantees. Paul found that out very quickly. There were many ‘seducers’, people who took the believers captive for their own selfish purposes. Some sought to be enriched for personal gain, others just wanted power and control over the believers so that they could ‘lord it over them’. Does that mean we should give up and not seek something clean, simple and Christ honoring? No, it doesn’t mean that. It rather means we should press on and do all we can to be true to Lord according to the light the Lord has given us. ‘The Lord knows them that are His –and let those that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ Ponder 2 Timothy 2: 14-26 in the light of these thoughts. Our task is to do the job set before us as well as we can and as faithfully as we can. If we do that, we can look forward with joy and anticipation to standing before Him at His coming and receive the reward of hearing Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25: 23 E.S.V.
All of this will make for an exciting, fulfilled, busy and prosperous local church that is not only rich in fellowship and meeting their own needs but constantly reaching out to the community around it with the Gospel of Christ.
What is noticeably absent should be:
What should be very apparent?
All of this requires us to seek to do as the Scripture exhorts us, to do. That is, to ‘walk in the Spirit’. We need to momentarily be checking ourselves out and ask the Lord Jesus to help us to ‘walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts/desires of the flesh (the old nature)’. Gal 5: 16. This should result in the things I have listed, and others I’m sure could be added, to be very apparent in our lives and attitudes.
Regarding Singing When Believers Gather
Because of the obvious emphasis upon singing in 21st Century Christian Churches it seems appropriate to comment on the place of communal singing and song in the gatherings of believers.
It is worth noting that there is no mention in Acts 2:42 of singing in the list of those things the believers observed when they gathered together.
Did New Testament Believers Sing When They Gathered Together?
The answer is that it seems reasonable to suppose that they did. However, it is not absolutely conclusive that it was a regular and/or a vitally important part of their activities in order to edify one another when gathered together.
We can say that singing is enjoyable, pleasant, and an aid to worship, but not necessary to fulfill the believers needs when gathered together with other believers. The primary and important needs are the four-fold purposes stated above. However, singing is clearly shown in scripture to be a valid means of edification as can be seen from the remarks that follow.
New Testament believers did sing on occasion and on occasion, together. We are exhorted to ‘sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord’ (Ephesians 5: 18), but this appears to be more particularly on an individual level. The phrase, ‘in our hearts’, or ‘in your heart’ may mean individually, privately within our inner selves and between the individual and the Lord. It can equally be simply taken to indicate the sincerity with which we ‘sing to the Lord’, whether individually or collectively when gathered with other believers. I.e. it should be ‘heart-felt’, and not a casual thing or purely for entertainment or atmosphere. However, while both of these purposes are of themselves perfectly valid, as a means towards the all important and priority purpose of ‘edifying one another’ singing to entertain or foster a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere is not going to be as directly effective as the simple application of the four primary activities listed in Acts 2:42; teaching, fellowship, Breaking of Bread and prayer. Though we hasten to say that singing Bible based psalms, hymns and spiritual songs can teach, enhance fellowship, and be employed when observing the Breaking of Bread and when in prayer.
Some examples of singing in the New Testament
Matthew 26: 30- 35 and Mark 14: 26 after they Broke Bread in the upper room, ‘When they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives’.
1 Corinthians 14: 26 – 39 NIV in Paul’s instructions to the believers when they ‘come together’. ‘When you come together everyone has a hymn…’ The ESV ‘each one has a hymn’. Note that this was not a commendation. Paul was expressing concern over the lack of order. My conviction is that the Corinthians enjoyed a rather jumbled way of sharing together. Hence Paul’s need to advise them to do it a little more ‘decently and in order’, v40. I note he does not mention the Lord’s Supper being observed. This does not argue it was not observed in Corinth, or that it was not observed at this time, simply it is not mentioned.
Acts 16: 25 when Paul and Silas were in the Philippian prison we read, ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…’ This resulted in an earthquake, the conversion of the Jailer and their release. So, we may conclude that singing hymns in prison is a very sensible thing to do!
Colossians 3: 16 in Paul’s exhortation to the Colossian believers to ‘put on the new man [Christ]’, or the ‘new self’ (ESV), he includes, ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.’
Ephesians 5: 18 – 19 here in Paul’s general exhortation to the Ephesian believers to Christian living he tells them to, ‘be filled with the Spirit, addressing [speaking to] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [in] your heart to the Lord…’
To Sing or Not To Sing
We can observe from the above passages that it seems apparent that singing scriptural songs formed a fairly normal part of New Testament gatherings, whether large or small. For my part, I rather feel that if you can sing, sing when together, if singing is not your thing and others can, enjoy their singing and receive edification from it. Certainly, do not exclude singing because to do so would be to exclude a beautiful and enjoyable way of both receiving from the Lord and giving expression to our love and devotion towards Him. Yet, do not allow yourself to come under any sense of condemnation for not singing. We are free to sing or not sing. The important thing is to first gather and second, to enjoy receiving from the Lord as He ministers to and through each one gathered.
I am aware that there is considerable teaching and emphasis placed upon the interpretation and application of Old Testament worship to the New Testament and contemporary church. The period when King David brought the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and housed it in a tent and then came and sat there to meditate and commune with the Lord is given great significance. I am not going to delve into this here, simply to say that David’s Tabernacle, and the worship and song he instituted at that time, needs careful consideration when applied to contemporary forms of worship. Whether there are applications for us in our singing and worship is only relevant, I feel, when applied in light of the considerations discussed herein. Those who love music, singing, and all that is often associated with that might consider the very fulfilling expression of it on occasions specially set aside for that purpose when those likeminded may come along and participate accordingly.
Conclusion: You are the man or woman of God in your world
In the context of our topic, the edifying of one another in our gatherings together, this should be particularly true. Be ready to give a ‘word in season’ (Prov 15: 23), both to the saved and the unsaved, and in both your daily life and in the gatherings of the believers. This alertness, this preparedness will give a new zest to your life as a believer. It will tend to make you feel that you are a vital part of the work of God. You will feel that you really are a laborer in the harvest field You will feel part of the body of Christ in a whole new way. It will give you significance and a sense of centrality in the purposes of God. You are His representative in your world. You don’t have to wait for some ‘special’ person to appear to preach the word, you can do it. 2 Cor 3: 6. It doesn’t necessarily turn you into a great international preacher though who knows? It may do. Like Esther, you may have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Esther 4: 14. The important thing is that you will be inspired to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as never before. 2 Peter 3: 18.
Is that not a wonderful thing? He has made YOU an able minister of the New Testament. Go, and do likewise.
Bibliography
The Organization of the Early Christian Churches, Eight Lectures delivered before the University of Oxford, 1880, by Edwin Hatch, M.A., D.D., and Published by Longmans, Green and Col, London, 1901
The Pilgrim Church, by E.E. Broadbent, Published by Pickering & Inglis Ltd. Basingstoke Hants, 1931
The History of the Christian Church to the Separation of the East and West by The Rev. A.R. Whitham, M.A. Published by Rivingtons, London, Fourth Edition 1957
Christ and His Church, Eight Addresses at Wildfell Hall, London in 1929 by W.J. Hocking, Published by C.A. Hammond, London, 1946
The Two Babylons or The Papal Worship proved to be The Worship of Nimrod and his Wife, by Rev. Alexander Hislop, Published by S.W. Partridge, & Co., London, Fourth Edition 1929.
The Misunderstanding of the Church by Emil Brunner, translated by Harold Knight, Published by Lutterworth Press, London, 1952.
As all the above books are now in the public domain they may be accessed online at Google Books: Type http://books.google.co.nz into the Address Bar of your Browser and in the Google Books search box type the title and author of the book. The first entry should be the book you requested. Click the link and the book will load in your Browser window. Enjoy!
Internet Sites and Other Resources
The Pilgrim Path, personal site of Jack Grey, Green Bay, Auckland, New Zealand.
http://thepilgrimpath.co.nz/
Worthy House, http://worthyhouse.info/home.html
The House Church Book by Wolfgang Simson. Available from
TheBookDepository.co.uk
CIF: Christians in Fellowship, Hamilton, New Zealand
The Gathering: http://christiansgathering.weebly.com/
The Most Important Thing in the World Blog:
http://johnbenc.wordpress.com
By John Carlisle
2nd Ed, 2013, Hamilton, New Zealand, September 2013, ISBN: 978-0-473-19795-7 Also available to download freely as a PDF from this site: Downloads
Table of Contents
1. Gathering Scriptures.
2. Introduction.
3. First Question: Why Gather?
4. The all important matter of Who does the Edifying?
5. What about the The Five-fold Ministries?
6. An Important Principle of Fellowship: We Are All Brethren.
7. More about the When Believers Edify One Another.
8. More on the How Do We Edify One Another?
9. An important perspective: Practicing the Presence of the Lord.
10. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
11. Keeping the perspective and affirming the solidarity of the wider Body of Christ.
12. Supplementary but important considerations.
13. Regarding Singing When Believers Gather
14. Conclusion: You are the man or woman of God in your world.
Gathering Scriptures
“And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” Acts 2:46
“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” Acts 5:42
“And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.”
Acts 12:12
“…how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly from house to house.” Acts 20:20
“Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house. …” Romans 16:3-5; I Corinthians 16:19
“Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you; and Quartus. …” Romans 16:23
“Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.” Colossians 4:15
“…and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that is in your house.” Philemon 1:2
Introduction: Why Gather? The Gatherings, or Assemblies of Believers
What follows is a brief look at the purpose, philosophy and practice of fellowship, or what being part of and ‘going to’ church really can and, I argue, should mean for the Bible believing follower of the Lord Jesus.
By way of introduction there is a need to note several issues which will, no doubt, arise in the mind of the reader.
First I feel I should address the objection to the presentation of yet another concept of church structure and method of worship. I understand the concern in the mind of Christian leaders, and all sincere followers of the Lord Jesus, at having to consider and contend with another challenge to the accepted way of doing things. In my defense I suggest that avoidance does not fulfill our responsibilities to be constantly evaluating our activities and service for the Lord. To relax into the comfort zone of assuming we have already settled these questions in our mind and that we are right and our perspective is true and beyond all possibility of development, improvement or adjustment is to be guilty of a deceptive complacency. It does not allow for human fallibility and the need to stay alert to the fresh insights and understandings the Lord and the Holy Spirit are always bringing to us as His people on earth. The ‘perfect’ has not come, yet. We are still ‘walking by faith’ and ‘not by sight’. We do ‘see through a glass darkly’. The wisest of us are not all knowing and absolute in our knowledge. We are ‘followers’ and we desperately need to be ‘led into all truth’, and this is a ‘here a little, there a little’ process. I earnestly contend that any other mind set is dangerously arrogant and narrow minded with the entire consequent pit falls inherent in such an attitude. So, my plea is, pause, reflect and consider and then by all means disregard and lay aside these thoughts as not relevant or adequate if you genuinely feel this to be the right response.
Second I do not want to give the impression that I think this is something that all should adopt. Further, that I hold the opinion these thoughts are for all groups of believers and that I am absolutely right in my understanding and anyone who disagrees with me is in error and mislead, or worse. I do not. I am very aware that my thoughts are unlikely to fit or be acceptable across the broad spectrum of Christian faith and practice. Even in those rare situations where some group of believers might find a consensus to put them, or some aspect of them, into practice it simply should not be done in an existing church structure without very great care, thought and much time in prayer beforehand. These are radical thoughts, especially when considered in the light of lifetimes of habit and precedence of a more traditional form of service and worship and church structure that is present in most churches and denominations today. How should it be implemented? How could it be implemented? I submit that to be a very vex question and one that would need intimate knowledge of the local congregation, its history, affiliations and more. Even then, it would likely be inadvisable. The wise and considered approach would, I think, be to let it arise out of the considered thought, prayer and meditation by a group of believers independent of any existing church structure. After sharing similar thoughts and convictions over time, they might resolve to form a gathering or fellowship with the specific intent of exploring the mind of the Lord for themselves in this direction. This would minimize the risk of hurting and causing confusion in the minds of those who might find this too radical and even threatening. Another, very real consideration in my mind is Paul’s desire not to ‘build on another man’s foundation’s’. The solidarity of the Body is a primary principle that should be in the minds of all sincere disciples and followers of the Lord Jesus. To destabilize an existing fellowship and try to impose one’s own ideas either upon or within an existing fellowship or church would be divisive, destructive and not something that could ever be seen as expressing the love of the brethren Jesus prayed for in John 17: 11, or commanded in John 13: 34 -35 and elsewhere.
Third, I do want to clarify my own thoughts and deliver my soul of what is a growing conviction and concern for an expression of fellowship and worship that I have meditated upon and pondered for nearly fifty years. I have enjoyed rich and meaningful fellowship and worship in many varied forms of church structure over the years. I have sensed the presence of the Lord and been enriched and blessed in all, to one degree or another. I have formed deep and lasting friendships with many of my brethren and sisters who would have no intention whatsoever of changing their manner of ‘doing church’ and gathering together. I cannot and do not consider them any less in my love and estimation for that. I am part of the body, I am a fellow pilgrim and follower of the Lord Jesus and must allow all my brethren and sisters the right to the same freedom of conviction that I myself cherish in respect of these truths. However, this must not be construed as an admission that these aspects of truth are of less importance to any other truths taught in the Word of God. It does mean that I hold these convictions in humility before the Lord and do urge my fellow believers to ‘search the scriptures’ (Acts 17: 11) carefully to see whether these things be so that we may all strive to present ourselves as ‘workmen that need not be ashamed’ (2 Timothy 2: 15) before the Lord. We have a moral obligation to submit ourselves unreservedly to the authority of the Word of God. Our recognition of the Lordship and sovereignty of the Lord Jesus demands this of us because He is the Word made flesh (John 1: 14) and His Word is Truth (John 17: 17).
Finally, I am well aware these thoughts are not original. Others have pondered them before me. Indeed, as I mention elsewhere here, my contention is that it was a simpler form of fellowship that gave birth to all that we now experience in our varied forms of worship and expression and there has remained a thin, fragile, but nevertheless discernible endeavor throughout Church history to enjoy similar expressions up to and including this present second decade of the 21st Century. Books have been written, and I have read many of them, though probably not all, seeking to find and encourage simpler, and more personal forms of worship. Each has its particular merits and this is not intended to be a comparative study at all. Rather, it is a frank statement of my own thoughts and convictions developed over a long time that I now feel the need to express in this way. I have appended a brief bibliography which is not exhaustive as many books and articles I have read over the years are no longer in my possession and I know I have forgotten the authors and titles of others. My online version of this will probably be added to as I remember, recall or read other books that come to my mind or attention.
Venues: Note also that I am not presenting a ‘house church’ argument. My thoughts in this regard are mentioned elsewhere in this presentation and they are that for me the venue is not important. The early church met most frequently in homes, there can be no doubt about that. Dedicated buildings emerged in the third century along with the entire institutionalized church as a direct result of Constantine’s political agenda to bring the entire known world under his control. Much has been written about this elsewhere and I do not intend to discuss it here. Sufficient to say that church ownership is a heavy burden upon believers and one I contend they are better off without. The venue for gathering, in my view, can be wherever it may be convenient. Suitable private homes will work well. Then again, my own preference is for a café, club, school room or casual meeting room in a library or other institution that can be used, either freely or for a modest charge. As long as it is comfortable, allows for the consumption of food and so on, it should be ideal.
First Question: Why Gather?
The first question we might consider is, why gather together at all? There are four good reasons for this, and they are, as I understand them, for the purposes of:
1. Teaching
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of Bread
4. Prayer
These four reasons are worth some thought. Arguably the best text I could suggest at this point is of course Acts 2: 42.
‘They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’
The clear purpose for gathering ourselves together as believers is to be encouraged and strengthened in our Christian faith. The King James word is ‘edification’, or to ‘edify’. Greek: oikodomeo meaning to build up, to strengthen, to increase, to develop, to mature, etc. So, in Acts 9: 31 we read the churches ‘had rest and were edified’. The four reasons stated in Acts 2: 42 can be summed up in this word, edify. We all need to be edified. We must grow and increase in our Christian faith. We need to be helpful to one another and, we need to be part of the process. As we continue to look into this we will discover who does the edifying, who does not do this important task, how it’s done and some other important aspects related to this along the way. I feel this to be an exciting and wonderful adventure and one that gives the whole journey of life this side of the resurrection depth and meaning for every individual believer. It will turn our meetings together into times of far greater purpose and significance than we might have previously ever realized. But be aware, however, this is not a spectator sport. It is a participatory event.
The all important matter of Who does the Edifying? This is crucial. The answer is: Believers gathered together and individually do the edifying. By that I mean each individual believer has a contribution to make towards the combined task of edifying the gathered group of believers. Not just one person. It is a group task. To achieve this requires the participation of each believer. I need the ‘grace’ God has given you to be ministered to me in order to reach that goal. If you don’t share the grace God has given you with me I cannot become the person God has intended me to be. So, I ask you now, “Please share that special and unique measure of grace God has given you, with me”. Otherwise I cannot get there. I cannot reach the place of maturity and Christ likeness He intends for me.
Ephesians 4: 7-16 is perhaps the key passage regarding this process of ‘edification’ within and for the Church.
‘But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.’ E.S.V. (Emphasis added.)
This passage starts by saying that, ‘to each one grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift’ K.J.V. Note two things. First, grace is given to edify the body and second, it is given to ‘each one’. Not to just one person, but ‘each one’ of us. We all have a measure of God given grace and that grace is given so that each one may participate in the task of building up the Body of Christ in order to achieve the goal of maturing each one of us to the ‘measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’. This is nothing less than each one of us becoming Christ like. I.e. Christ-like men and Christ-like women whom, Paul says is what it means to be ‘perfect men/women’. We are endeavoring, or we should be endeavoring, to be ‘perfectly like Christ’. Actually, this is what it really means to be a ‘Christian’. It means to be a ‘Christ-one’ or a ‘Christian’.
What about the The Five-fold Ministries?
The five-fold gift-ministries listed in Ephesians 4:11-16 are just ‘some’ of the giftings that He gave to ‘some’ people. It is NOT ALL the expressions of grace at all. Their particular task is to ‘equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ We must read that as a whole sentence because it is the body that edifies the body. The ministry gifts ‘equip’ the saints to do this. To state this again, the five-fold ministry gifts equip the saints to do the work of edifying one another. Please be clear in this. The ministry gifts don’t do the edifying. The saints do the edifying. Of course, someone might say, ‘what’s the difference?’ The difference is that if the five-fold ministry gifts did it all, the saints would have nothing to do except polish seats – and this is not meant to be the case. The saints are expected to be vitally involved in the entire process and minister to, and edify, one another in order to achieve the ultimate purpose of becoming mature men and women of God.
More on the Five-fold Gift Ministries: the Person is the Gift
We should also add, in order to clarify a little more who and what these ‘ministry gifts’ are, that they are people. They are a person that the Risen Christ has given to ‘be’ an ‘apostle’, ‘prophet’, ‘evangelist’, ‘pastor’ or ‘teacher’ and are themselves ‘the gift’ to the body. (Note that in Eph 4:11 ‘pastors and teachers’ can be read as ‘pastor-teacher’. I.e. a ‘pastor-teacher’ is one person, in which case this becomes a Four-fold Ministry Gift list.) In this regard I prefer to refer to these gift-persons as ‘equippers’, because they ‘equip the body’ to do the work of the ministry. Note also that, as in all these functions I think it is more scriptural to avoid the capital letter because the word is a description of function and not meant to be a title. For example, my friend Jock is a plumber. That is his function or role. He does plumbing. We can say he is a Master Plumber, in which case it becomes a title. But, in the case of the gift ministries to the body, they should always be seen as the description of the function a person performs for the body.
A further detail in regard to the Five-fold Ministries: they are self-revealing
We can take this a little further by adding that the person Christ has given to the body functions as an evangelist, apostle, teacher, etc, and by that action or function reveals they have in fact, been given to the body for that purpose. I.e. the evangelist gift evangelizes. The apostle gift apostles – he or she ‘goes’ places as the Lord ‘sends’ them. That is because the word ‘apostle’ means ‘sent one’. The prophet prophesies or ‘speaks a word from the Lord’ to the body and/or an individual. Similarly, the pastor-teacher shepherds by teaching the Word of the Lord to the body. This particular gift is interesting because of the metaphor involved of a shepherd. The shepherd in the Eastern context tended to lead his flock from the front and guided them very much by the sound of his voice. So, Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep said of Himself, ‘he [the porter or doorkeeper of the sheepfold] goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.’ John 10: 4. The New Testament gift ministry provides direction and guidance by the spoken word to the body both when gathered and on occasion individually. Thus, by the ministry of these ‘gift-people’, or people given by the Lord to the church, the church is trained and enabled so that we may indeed ‘grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ’. Eph 4:15. At least two of those gift ministries also minister directly to the unsaved; the evangelist and, on occasion, the apostle. Please notice the lower case! These words are descriptive, they are not a title. They do represent office, but this I contend has exactly the same connotation. I.e. an office is a function, a duty, a task. So, again we may say that the evangelist is a person who holds the office of evangelist, or the task of proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel to the world. So, Paul called himself the apostle to the Gentiles. In his case it might arguably be seen as a title, however, again, if we do capitalize we must be careful to recognize that it is still a function and not a hierarchical title. In Paul’s case there is uniqueness as his role in the church is very special. There was only one of him, The Apostle to the Gentiles. His task was very unique and special. So, I feel the use of the capital may well be justified in his particular case. I have difficulty ascribing the same uniqueness to any other throughout the entire history of the church on earth. The only possible exception must be when the term Apostle is used in connection with the Lord Jesus who is called, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. However, I note that in a quick survey of translations I only found the KJV and the NKJV to use capitals in this reference. Of course, the word means ‘one sent forth’, or ‘messenger’ from the Greek apsotolos. Again, the implication is clear, it is a task entrusted to a person. In this sense every believer is ‘apostolic’ in that we have been ‘sent forth’ to share and proclaim the Good News to all mankind. It is a shared task given to the church corporate and we are all involved very directly. I have worked through all of this to support my simple contention that the equipping ministries do just that, equip the saints by teaching, training and example so that they, the saints, can do the job of building up the body of Christ, edifying, one another and proclaiming the Gospel to all the world.
An Important Principle of Fellowship: We Are All Brethren
Ponder, in this regard, the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:5-12, ‘But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi (teacher). But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.’ NKJV. This is a clear admonition from the Lord to avoid designations and title and instead foster the sense of ‘brotherhood’. It might be argued that by applying a title we are simply being respectful. However, when we truly love one another respect is not a problem as it expresses itself naturally towards all with whom we come in contact in courteous behavior and manner without the need to practice what the Lord has here expressly forbidden.
More about the When Believers Edify One Another?
To restate: when are we edified? Answer: when we gather together. Who does the edifying? Answer: The saints. The five-fold ministries DO NOT DO THE EDIFYING! The saints do the edifying. The five-fold ministry giftings equip and train and teach the saints so they, the saints, may edify one-another. Note again that this task of edifying one another takes place when the Church gathers together. This explains why the gatherings of the Saints are so vital for every believer. It is, arguably, the one overriding reason why so many of the saints are stunted and immature in their Christian character. It also explains why so many are unable to minister and share the grace of God with one another and with their unsaved friends and neighbors. It is also a factor in the alarming incidence of Christians dropping out of fellowship. Sitting for long periods routinely in meetings that last too long with periods of singing and music that last for an hour or more followed by the same people doing the speaking and leading is just not what God had in mind. The answer that is often attempted by the institutional church is to mitigate these negative results by trying to make the performance ever more polished and professional. However, this simply does not meet the need for the believer to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. It leaves the soul hungry for real shared fellowship and their deepest needs unmet. It is in fact frustrating and dissatisfying. Gathering together in a manner similar to that discussed here naturally meets all these needs and will build strong and deeply committed followers of the Lord Jesus all seeking to see the King’s dominion spread and increase in the earth.
More on the How Do We Edify One Another?
Now we must ask this all important question, “How do we edify one another?” The answer is, by sharing the things the Lord has given us, both material and spiritual, with our brothers and sisters so that they will be edified, built up, encouraged and blessed. The venue is unimportant, but if it is comfortable and suitable for groups to meet, sit, share, and perhaps eat a meal and enjoy a cup of tea etc then it will be ideal. Paul made it clear that our sharing should also be done in a manner that meets the criteria of being done ‘decently and in order’ and further, that it truly does ‘edify’ or build up those gathered together. This does not mean ‘entertain or amuse’. Rather, it means to contribute vitally to our Christian faith, our spiritual growth, our effectiveness and fruitfulness in our life and service for the Lord Jesus.
Following is a simple definition of these key words, ‘edify’, ‘decently’ and ‘order’.
1. Edify: to build up, encourage, instruct and foster growth towards the image of Christ in all those present. That is to perfect us and make us better Christ-ones (Christians).
2. Decently: this means pleasantly, tastefully and as inoffensively as possible.
3. In Order: meaning not a confused jumble of activity and noise.
The most helpful passage is 1 Corinthians 14:6-36. The entire passage deserves detailed consideration; however, listed below are a few simple thoughts that may be derived from the passage.
- An insight or teaching from the Word. Brief, and shared in a humble and sincere manner that seeks to glorify Christ and not ourselves. I.e. we are not there to ‘show off’, but to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ –each of whom we are exhorted to value more highly than we do ourselves.
- An inspirational word of encouragement – most often from a recent personal experience.
- A spontaneous word of encouragement or instruction we feel has been inspired by the Holy Spirit
- A prayer – giving of thanks, worship, intercessory – an utterance directed towards the Lord on behalf of all those present. (Note: an individual, private prayer would obviously not be appropriate in a gathered meeting of believers.) Likely this will be shared during a period when our focus is in that direction.
- A relatively brief prepared message from the Word (we need to avoid dominating a time of fellowship and sharing when we are gathered together – whether a small or larger group.)
- A prophesy – an inspired utterance that will encourage, inspire, instruct even guide. (Note: Those with the gift of prophecy -inspired utterance- should be known to the elders/leaders of the local gatherings and know that their contribution is recognised. To stand up and speak without recognition by those who gather locally is an act of discourtesy and disrespect and so, contrary to scripture. Further, the speaker must accept that the local leaders and others with the gift of prophecy have a responsibility to judge the utterance for its credibility, scriptural quality and its general acceptability, etc. (1 Corinthians 14:29 et al
- A supernatural Message by Interpretation: A message in the Holy Spirit inspired heavenly language (Tongues) that requires interpretation – so we should ensure there is someone with the gift to interpret or we are comfortable with being able to interpret ourselves. Again, this will likely be during a time in our gathering together when this seems appropriate.
- A song – perhaps a solo, a group or all-together, and maybe accompanied by instruments or without. Note: if this is your ‘thing’ it is reasonable to suppose you will have the ability to sing and ‘hold a tune’ and/or lead others in singing.
- A reading from the Bible, or perhaps a passage from a book that has blessed an individual and they might wish to share. (Note: again, this should be edifying and ‘decently and in order’ – not long, boring or controversial.) Common sense should prevail in all things.
- A material gift for those in need within the local group of those who gather regularly.
- A material gift for a special need or purpose that the group may be supporting.
- A material gift for the leadership or an equipper or equippers who may be resident or temporarily visiting to minister within the body. (Note: this could be cash or kind.)
- Food to share together at some point by way of a fellowship meal – a bring-and-share lunch or tea etc.
An important perspective:
Practicing the Presence of the Lord Until individuals who are part of the local gathering have gained experience and practice in sharing their contributions it would always be wise for them to discuss their contribution with a local leader or elder first. Courtesy and love should always prevail, both in those who are planning to share and those with the responsibility for shepherding the gathering. Further, as a group of believers gains experience in sharing together in this fashion there should be a growing sensitivity to the ‘leading of the Holy Spirit’ so that a ‘flow’ develops. This requires a group commitment to follow this leading, to be sensitive and to endeavor to find the particular direction in which the Holy Spirit may be leading.
Our Central Focus: Experiencing the Presence of the Lord
The great object in our gathering together is to discover and enjoy the presence of the Lord in our midst. We do this as each one present seeks to express the Christ within in ways that edify and build up their fellow believers. There will be times when we focus our attention directly upon the Lord in prayer, expressions of love and worship addressed and directed towards His invisible presence alone. This may involve spoken words of praise and adoration, individually expressed or unison. Individual songs, or songs sung together. It may involve singing all together but each one employing his or her own words in spontaneous songs in English, or if English is our second language, in our Mother tongue. It may also involve the language of the Spirit ‘as the Spirit gives utterance’, sometimes referred to as ‘other tongues’. If we are singing for others edification, the best language to employ is probably English in the light of the fact that this is written from a New Zealand perspective. However, this is not necessarily so as I am aware of fellowships in New Zealand where the majority are Chinese and for many of whom English is still a difficult language to understand and communicate with. This may also be true of other nationalities in our increasingly cosmopolitan nation. If it is during a combined time of free and spontaneous worship then any language is perfectly acceptable as it is an offering directly to the Lord. If we are speaking in another language at other times and we are seeking to edify the body, then the only correct procedure is to seek to have it interpreted, either by the one speaking in the alternative language or by someone else gifted with the ability to translate. This is really a matter of common sense and courtesy and is discussed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28.
The Fellowship Meal
The Love Feast or Communion has become so formal that we often miss the simplicity with which the New Testament churches enjoyed this time of fellowship. When the New Testament believers gathered together for fellowship as the ekklesia of Christ they almost always shared a fellowship meal together. This took the form of reminding themselves of the occasion when the Lord Jesus broke bread with the disciples in the upper room immediately before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, spending time in prayer and the arrival of Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. They did this, not in the stylized form with which we have come to observe it throughout church history, but simply by taking some bread at the start of the meal and passing it around in remembrance of that last supper with disciples, then after (1 Cor 11: 25) eating the meal laid out on the table and enjoying a pleasant and lively time of fellowship ’breaking bread’ together, they then finished by passing round the cup of wine in the same way the Lord would have done at the end of the Passover Meal in the upper room. This was the ’love feast’ or fellowship meal of the early church. A nice way to observe this is by all participants bringing food enough to share, a ’bring and share’ lunch or evening meal together. Whichever may be appropriate. It is this element of community that is so important in our fellowship together. Ekklesias, or churches are families. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. This sense of family and community is where the fellowship of body of Christ finds its focus. The many exhortations in the New Testament, both by the Lord and the apostles to foster this and practice it to the very best of our ability is what gives meaning and significance to our fellowship. This requires spending time together. In our busy 21st century lifestyle this can be a challenge, but it is absolutely vital if we are to get to know one another in the manner that the New Testament requires of us.
Note: I have written more on the Lord’s Supper in a booklet titled, The Lord’s Supper Reconsidered’ available online at http//:christiansgathering.weebly.com and click ‘More Info & Links’.
Keeping the perspective and affirming the solidarity of the wider Body of Christ
This simplicity discussed above further underscores the huge difference between secular groups who might organize themselves for business or other human purposes. On those occasions it would be normal to have a set procedure, an acknowledgement of hierarchy and authority from a human perspective. In the gatherings of the redeemed there should be a marked contrast to this. Rather, a shared sense of being in the presence of the Lord of the Church, a desire to sense and follow His direction, and a desire to focus attention upon Him and not on one another or one person in particular. This is not an easy thing to achieve, especially in the light of our fleshly and selfish natures. It further suggests why it was so hard for the gatherings and assemblies of the Lord’s people to preserve this simplicity and why Paul sought to defend these simple, unsophisticated gatherings of the redeemed in his writings and had such difficulty in doing so. By the end of the second century they had become the exception and more of a novelty and had, in fact, all but disappeared from the public face of Christianity in favour of a more organized and very hierarchical form of meeting and church governance. However, that does not mean it cannot return, even if it should still be a rarity, perhaps even a novelty. It has, however, in fact, never completely disappeared and there are many instances of its preservation from age to age -and it is alive and well in the 21st Century as a little research will show. Often unheralded, and not advertised, but there to be found by those who might be inclined to search for it. This article, in its own simple way, is evidence of that. I am not arguing for a universal adoption of this practice, as that would seem an unlikely thing to happen. However, I am arguing that expressions of it can and should occur by those with the desire, inclination and courage to step out of the norm and dare to experience the joy and fulfillment that may be found in this form of fellowship. As friends of mine have said to me, there are ‘different strokes for different folks’, and another adage that has been advanced, there are, ‘horses for courses’. There are already many variations on church structure and form extant in the world. It seems reasonable to allow one further simple and non-threatening understanding of communal fellowship to be given expression. There is no attempt here to appear dogmatic and to argue this is the absolutely right way and all the others are wrong. I do feel this form of fellowship offers a valid understanding and application of the scriptures discussed and I have argued forcefully for that. As the scripture says, ‘we see through a glass darkly’ 1 Corinthians 13: 12 KJV. We all need to reflect on our positions and follow the Berean example of studying the scriptures to see ‘whether those things were so’. Acts 17: 11 KJV. I know very well there are alternative perspectives and they have as much force in the minds of those who adhere to them as these I have expressed here have for me. My desire is that those who feel and think along similar lines to those discussed here may find an opportunity to practice them as opportunity may offer, and to do so without being divisive or condemnatory.
Supplementary but important considerations
Where and When Do The Equippers Function?
The Ephesians 4 Gifts, referred to here as the Equippers, function best at planned times set aside for that special purpose. These function rather like the Bible School we are probably familiar with. However, they are part of the normal life of the local gatherings or assemblies of the Lord’s people and are not really separate institutions as we often see today. All those who form part of a local gathering would normally participate in and gain from the operation of these giftings. Their task, taken together, is to ‘equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ’, Ephesians 4:12. Verse 12 needs verse 16 for clarity, ‘…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.’
The equippers train the saints to (among many other things and not in any particular order):
- Look after each other – i.e. care for one another in practical ways with regard to the well being of our fellow believers
- Live Godly lives in the community – so that we ‘adorn the doctrine’ and are consistent in our Christian faith and testimony
- Share their faith – witnessing by word and deed
- Grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Word of God
- Guide the believers in difficult times, decisions, circumstances etc
- Encourage us to persevere and ‘work out our Salvation’ while we wait for the Lord to return.
- Train others (Timothy’s) to do the same thing from within the body, the local gatherings of His people.
- Evangelize and be apostolic (like Stephen and Paul when they went to the unreached and preached the Gospel elsewhere) according to the particular gifting of the individual.
- Bring special prophetic words that give direction and guidance and encouragement and insight to the whole body
- Foster maturity and growth in individuals and the entire body
- Function in their gift both locally and universally as the Lord leads – i.e. they may be resident for long or short periods depending on how the Lord leads.
- Develop the individual giftings of each of the Lord’s people so that they can, in turn, contribute to the overall task of bringing each of us to full maturity.
Time and place need to be set aside for the work of the ‘equippers’, the ministry giftings, to do their job. Paul used hired halls for the exercise of some of these gifts, for example he used the School of Tyrannus in Ephesus for this. Acts 19: 9 E.S.V. In the last chapter of Acts he lived in his own rented house and people came there to hear him preach and teach. Acts 28: 30. Further, these ‘giftings’, or ‘ministries’ are resident within the local gatherings of believers and so they are meeting with the believers for fellowship and the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, they will be exemplifying the practice of ‘edifying the body’ when they meet together with the believers. They will be demonstrating how it’s done in ‘real life’ so to speak. Further, if they see a distortion or a tendency away from the simplicity of expression that allows for the body to share ‘decently and in order’ they would naturally take note and endeavor to instruct the believer or believers, if there was more than one, more perfectly so that the meetings of the saints could continue to be enjoyed by all and not become abused or spoiled.
We should always bear in mind that the Lord is the Head of the Church. He is in direct control and builds His church by direct involvement in all that happens. It’s His church; we are His body and ‘members in particular’, 1 Corinthians 12:27. We can see instances of Paul seeking to restrain and discipline unruly members in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 13:1-9
Critics will point out that such a vision of the local church is wide open to abuse, that it is risky and not realistic in the real world of the 21st Century. The answer to this is, yes it is and it is. There are no guarantees. Paul found that out very quickly. There were many ‘seducers’, people who took the believers captive for their own selfish purposes. Some sought to be enriched for personal gain, others just wanted power and control over the believers so that they could ‘lord it over them’. Does that mean we should give up and not seek something clean, simple and Christ honoring? No, it doesn’t mean that. It rather means we should press on and do all we can to be true to Lord according to the light the Lord has given us. ‘The Lord knows them that are His –and let those that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ Ponder 2 Timothy 2: 14-26 in the light of these thoughts. Our task is to do the job set before us as well as we can and as faithfully as we can. If we do that, we can look forward with joy and anticipation to standing before Him at His coming and receive the reward of hearing Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25: 23 E.S.V.
All of this will make for an exciting, fulfilled, busy and prosperous local church that is not only rich in fellowship and meeting their own needs but constantly reaching out to the community around it with the Gospel of Christ.
What is noticeably absent should be:
- Hierarchy in leadership –Matthew 23: 1-12 (Note especially v8, ‘You are all brothers.’ I.e. Not titled, not elevated, not ‘clergy and laity’ cf Rev 2: 15. E.S.V.). Consider also 1 Pete r 2: 4
- Expensive buildings – the owning of buildings has hugely negative aspects. They drain and burden the community of believers to the detriment of the Gospel and serve to institutionalize the gatherings of believers in ways that are always conducive to the furtherance of hierarchy, entrenched office and the dumbing down of the believers into rows of silent, uncreative, non-responsive observers rather than enthusiastic, articulate and pro-active participants.
- Schism or division – groups favoring particular leaders over others.
- Dogmatism – instead of being united around the person of Christ, ‘to love Him more dearly and to follow Him more nearly’ (Francis Assisi), we are turned into narrow minded sycophants unable to ‘search the scriptures’ for ourselves to ‘see if those things be so’. Acts 17: 11. Note: The result in Berea was ‘Therefore many of them believed…’ v12. It is reasonable to assume, and one hopes it to be true, that they continued ‘searching the Scriptures’ after they believed as well.
- Self Glorification & Self Seeking –Philippians 2: 21. ‘For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.’ E.S.V. Also, 1 Corinthians 10:24, ‘Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.’ E.S.V. So many churches are simply fiefdoms of one person who has established a sinecure for themselves rather than a vibrant fellowship of maturing, self-edifying believers intent on seeking first the Kingdom for the glory of the Risen Christ.
- Commercialisation and Secularism: Somehow we have to strive towards an expression of the local church that reflects the selfless concern for others modeled by the Chief Shepherd for the sheep rather than the commercial humanistic structures and philosophies of the world. The church is not a corporate institution. Neither does it reflect an N.G.O. (Non Government Organisation) model. Likewise it is not an entity from the Not-for-profit sector. The local church is certainly a ’not-for-profit’ from a financial sense, but it is most certainly for profit from a spiritual sense. We are to show a profit and a return for His measureless investment in each of us. But this return is in an earnest endeavor to ’proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ 1 Peter 2: 9 E.S.V. Of course, we should be businesslike and sensible and law abiding in regard to our duties towards society and government. However, our personal aspirations need to be selfless and not colored by the secular and commercial world in which we live. In this context consider Paul’s words and his spirit in this passage, ‘I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you... I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.’ 1 Corinthians 12: 14-18. Also, Romans 12: 1-2.
What should be very apparent?
- A desire to ‘bring something’ to share with our fellow believers –a word, a prayer, a song, a prophecy, a material blessing (cash or kind), a tongues message, and/or an interpretation –or anything that will edify the body. All done ‘decently and in order’.
- A focus on fellowship and the Lord’s Supper –remembering the Lord’s death until He comes.
- Joy and good humour in our interaction with each other.
- Friendliness and tolerance of one another.
- Genuine concern for the others welfare and well being.
- A desire to see men and women and young people turn to Christ and become genuine born again believers and followers of the Lord Jesus.
- A love for the Word of God, the Bible.
- A reverence for the Holy Spirit –He who is the third person of the Godhead.
- Godly Christian lives that demonstrate the sincerity of our faith for all to see.
- Growing Christ likeness in thought, word and deed.
All of this requires us to seek to do as the Scripture exhorts us, to do. That is, to ‘walk in the Spirit’. We need to momentarily be checking ourselves out and ask the Lord Jesus to help us to ‘walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts/desires of the flesh (the old nature)’. Gal 5: 16. This should result in the things I have listed, and others I’m sure could be added, to be very apparent in our lives and attitudes.
Regarding Singing When Believers Gather
Because of the obvious emphasis upon singing in 21st Century Christian Churches it seems appropriate to comment on the place of communal singing and song in the gatherings of believers.
It is worth noting that there is no mention in Acts 2:42 of singing in the list of those things the believers observed when they gathered together.
Did New Testament Believers Sing When They Gathered Together?
The answer is that it seems reasonable to suppose that they did. However, it is not absolutely conclusive that it was a regular and/or a vitally important part of their activities in order to edify one another when gathered together.
We can say that singing is enjoyable, pleasant, and an aid to worship, but not necessary to fulfill the believers needs when gathered together with other believers. The primary and important needs are the four-fold purposes stated above. However, singing is clearly shown in scripture to be a valid means of edification as can be seen from the remarks that follow.
New Testament believers did sing on occasion and on occasion, together. We are exhorted to ‘sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord’ (Ephesians 5: 18), but this appears to be more particularly on an individual level. The phrase, ‘in our hearts’, or ‘in your heart’ may mean individually, privately within our inner selves and between the individual and the Lord. It can equally be simply taken to indicate the sincerity with which we ‘sing to the Lord’, whether individually or collectively when gathered with other believers. I.e. it should be ‘heart-felt’, and not a casual thing or purely for entertainment or atmosphere. However, while both of these purposes are of themselves perfectly valid, as a means towards the all important and priority purpose of ‘edifying one another’ singing to entertain or foster a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere is not going to be as directly effective as the simple application of the four primary activities listed in Acts 2:42; teaching, fellowship, Breaking of Bread and prayer. Though we hasten to say that singing Bible based psalms, hymns and spiritual songs can teach, enhance fellowship, and be employed when observing the Breaking of Bread and when in prayer.
Some examples of singing in the New Testament
Matthew 26: 30- 35 and Mark 14: 26 after they Broke Bread in the upper room, ‘When they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives’.
1 Corinthians 14: 26 – 39 NIV in Paul’s instructions to the believers when they ‘come together’. ‘When you come together everyone has a hymn…’ The ESV ‘each one has a hymn’. Note that this was not a commendation. Paul was expressing concern over the lack of order. My conviction is that the Corinthians enjoyed a rather jumbled way of sharing together. Hence Paul’s need to advise them to do it a little more ‘decently and in order’, v40. I note he does not mention the Lord’s Supper being observed. This does not argue it was not observed in Corinth, or that it was not observed at this time, simply it is not mentioned.
Acts 16: 25 when Paul and Silas were in the Philippian prison we read, ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…’ This resulted in an earthquake, the conversion of the Jailer and their release. So, we may conclude that singing hymns in prison is a very sensible thing to do!
Colossians 3: 16 in Paul’s exhortation to the Colossian believers to ‘put on the new man [Christ]’, or the ‘new self’ (ESV), he includes, ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.’
Ephesians 5: 18 – 19 here in Paul’s general exhortation to the Ephesian believers to Christian living he tells them to, ‘be filled with the Spirit, addressing [speaking to] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [in] your heart to the Lord…’
To Sing or Not To Sing
We can observe from the above passages that it seems apparent that singing scriptural songs formed a fairly normal part of New Testament gatherings, whether large or small. For my part, I rather feel that if you can sing, sing when together, if singing is not your thing and others can, enjoy their singing and receive edification from it. Certainly, do not exclude singing because to do so would be to exclude a beautiful and enjoyable way of both receiving from the Lord and giving expression to our love and devotion towards Him. Yet, do not allow yourself to come under any sense of condemnation for not singing. We are free to sing or not sing. The important thing is to first gather and second, to enjoy receiving from the Lord as He ministers to and through each one gathered.
I am aware that there is considerable teaching and emphasis placed upon the interpretation and application of Old Testament worship to the New Testament and contemporary church. The period when King David brought the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and housed it in a tent and then came and sat there to meditate and commune with the Lord is given great significance. I am not going to delve into this here, simply to say that David’s Tabernacle, and the worship and song he instituted at that time, needs careful consideration when applied to contemporary forms of worship. Whether there are applications for us in our singing and worship is only relevant, I feel, when applied in light of the considerations discussed herein. Those who love music, singing, and all that is often associated with that might consider the very fulfilling expression of it on occasions specially set aside for that purpose when those likeminded may come along and participate accordingly.
Conclusion: You are the man or woman of God in your world
In the context of our topic, the edifying of one another in our gatherings together, this should be particularly true. Be ready to give a ‘word in season’ (Prov 15: 23), both to the saved and the unsaved, and in both your daily life and in the gatherings of the believers. This alertness, this preparedness will give a new zest to your life as a believer. It will tend to make you feel that you are a vital part of the work of God. You will feel that you really are a laborer in the harvest field You will feel part of the body of Christ in a whole new way. It will give you significance and a sense of centrality in the purposes of God. You are His representative in your world. You don’t have to wait for some ‘special’ person to appear to preach the word, you can do it. 2 Cor 3: 6. It doesn’t necessarily turn you into a great international preacher though who knows? It may do. Like Esther, you may have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Esther 4: 14. The important thing is that you will be inspired to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as never before. 2 Peter 3: 18.
Is that not a wonderful thing? He has made YOU an able minister of the New Testament. Go, and do likewise.
Bibliography
The Organization of the Early Christian Churches, Eight Lectures delivered before the University of Oxford, 1880, by Edwin Hatch, M.A., D.D., and Published by Longmans, Green and Col, London, 1901
The Pilgrim Church, by E.E. Broadbent, Published by Pickering & Inglis Ltd. Basingstoke Hants, 1931
The History of the Christian Church to the Separation of the East and West by The Rev. A.R. Whitham, M.A. Published by Rivingtons, London, Fourth Edition 1957
Christ and His Church, Eight Addresses at Wildfell Hall, London in 1929 by W.J. Hocking, Published by C.A. Hammond, London, 1946
The Two Babylons or The Papal Worship proved to be The Worship of Nimrod and his Wife, by Rev. Alexander Hislop, Published by S.W. Partridge, & Co., London, Fourth Edition 1929.
The Misunderstanding of the Church by Emil Brunner, translated by Harold Knight, Published by Lutterworth Press, London, 1952.
As all the above books are now in the public domain they may be accessed online at Google Books: Type http://books.google.co.nz into the Address Bar of your Browser and in the Google Books search box type the title and author of the book. The first entry should be the book you requested. Click the link and the book will load in your Browser window. Enjoy!
Internet Sites and Other Resources
The Pilgrim Path, personal site of Jack Grey, Green Bay, Auckland, New Zealand.
http://thepilgrimpath.co.nz/
Worthy House, http://worthyhouse.info/home.html
The House Church Book by Wolfgang Simson. Available from
TheBookDepository.co.uk
CIF: Christians in Fellowship, Hamilton, New Zealand
The Gathering: http://christiansgathering.weebly.com/
The Most Important Thing in the World Blog:
http://johnbenc.wordpress.com