The Lord has given specific instruction in His precious Word as to how we can be saved and know we are headed for heaven. Also He has given instruction as to the gatherings of His people here on earth. We find in the Word that there are special meetings that we will call "assembly meetings" where He promises His presence, when gathered as a local church or assembly. We find also that there are different types of assembly meetings specially called for in the Word.
It is important to distinguish between "assembly meetings" and all other gatherings of God’s people. Some meetings of God’s people are organized and led by one or a few members of the local assembly. Usually these meetings are characterized by the exercise of the gift of a particular brother or brothers. For example, when the gospel is presented, the evangelist exercises his gift in individual dependence on God. In the Bible study, the teacher’s gift is helpful and refreshing. Or one gifted as a teacher or a pastor may hold a series of lectures in which he is responsible, as before the Lord, to bring forth suited ministry to the Lord’s people. The assembly may decide to have outreaches using gifts as the Spirit leads. Sunday school work may be the exercise of individuals as led of the Lord as well, and may or may not necessarily be sponsored by the assembly.
Assembly meetings, on the other hand, are gatherings that satisfy the following two criteria. First, the believers must be gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus as members of the "one body." This we see from Matt. 18:20:"For where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them" (JND). The object of each one at such a gathering is "unto" His name. His "name" represents all He stands for as revealed in His Word. It is not merely "in" His name (as in the King James Version), but "unto" or in honor of Him. Also, it is with a real sense in our souls that He is in the midst of His people and we are gathering "unto" or around Himself. "Are gathered" is important too. The power for gathering is doubtless the Holy Spirit who gathers by the Word, and the Word owns no body of believers but the "one body" of which all believers are a part. This expression "are gathered" is also found in other passages of Scripture, especially in the epistles of Paul; such passages give us further direction as to assembly meetings, as we soon shall see. So this verse in Matthew 18 assures us of the presence of the Head of the Church when we are thus gathered.
The second criterion for an assembly meeting is that those gathered together must own that the Spirit, who has baptized us into one body (1 Cor. 12:13), must be free to lead whomsoever He will to take part publicly. "I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Cor. 14:15).
Let us consider some verses now that give directions for assembly meetings. In conjunction with Matt. 18:20 quoted above, we have verses 17 and 18:"If he [that is, the brother who has sinned] shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." These verses give direction for an assembly meeting for discipline. In the following verse (19) we read:"If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven." This verse seems to give direction primarily for an assembly meeting for prayer, for it links directly with verse 20, "For where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them."
We find the expressions "gathered together" or "come together" in connection with the assembly and they seem to define the assembly meeting in Scripture. "When ye come together . . . into one place" is direction regarding the meeting for the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:20). In 1 Cor. 14:23-32 the same expression is found twice regarding a meeting for the ministry of the Word through "prophets" who, in dependence upon the Spirit, give a word from the Lord suited to the needs of the assembly for the present time. In 1 Cor. 5:4 we read of the assembly "gathered together" to administer discipline to a "wicked person." And in Acts 4:31 we find the saints "assembled together" for a prayer meeting. Thus, we find four kinds of Christian gatherings in the New Testament that seem to fall under the heading of "assembly meetings":the remembrance meeting, 1 Cor. 11; open meeting for ministry of the Word, 1 Cor. 14; prayer meeting, Matt. 18 and Acts 4; and meeting for discipline, Matt. 18 and 1 Cor. 5.
As mentioned earlier, spiritual gifts of individual members of the assembly are prominent in the first category of meetings considered (that is, evangelistic and teaching meetings, Bible studies, Sunday schools, and the like). In fact, all believers have different gifts through the Spirit who divides "to every man severally as He will" (1 Cor. 12:11). The gifts are for the "perfecting [or equipping] of the saints" in view of the work of the ministry, which "the whole body" is doing as directed by the Head (Eph. 4:12-16). However, in the meetings specifically designated "when ye are gathered together" (or similar terms), we do not find spiritual gifts emphasized.
The remembrance meeting is designed for the worship of Christ, and there is no gift for worship. All the redeemed can do this. Similarly, there is no gift for prayer, for it is the very breath of every believer. While the Lord may be pleased to use different gifts in the ministry meeting, this is not necessarily the case. All brothers* in the assembly are free to prophesy if the Spirit gives them a word:"Ye may all prophesy one by one" (1 Cor. 14:31). The guiding principle is, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth" (1 Pet. 4:11). Often it is the "five words" (1 Cor. 14:19) of exhortation or encouragement given by a brother with little evident public gift that has the greatest, most lasting impact on the listeners. And with regard to a meeting for discipline, although we value any gifts of government and efforts of oversight and care of older brethren at such a meeting, the final action is by all in the assembly "when . . . gathered together" (1 Cor. 5:4,5).
In review, an assembly meeting is one where we are gathered unto Christ’s name alone by His Word and dependent upon the Spirit alone to lead whomever He will to pray, announce a hymn, minister the Word, and so forth, whatever may be appropriate for the particular meeting. Each assembly meeting has a specific purpose:remembrance meeting_worship; discipline meeting_order; ministry meeting_edification; prayer meeting_dependence. Also, there can rightly be other gatherings besides so-called assembly meetings. But the conduct of these is more the responsibility of pre-designated individuals, generally those with appropriate spiritual gifts.
It should be evident by now why we, along with others, have applied the term "assembly meetings"
*It should be noticed that the women are to "keep silence" in the assembly meetings (1 Cor. 14:34). The word for "keep silence" means "not to address publicly." The women are, however, privileged to audibly sing with the rest and say amen.
only to the one class of gatherings. It is these meetings that particularly exemplify the truth of the assembly or church, which is the body of Christ, with all of the believers in the local assembly unitedly waiting upon the Holy Spirit to lead in the order and conduct of the meeting. The other types of gatherings, such as Bible studies and gospel meetings, are very proper and helpful and needful as well. But since the order of these meetings, the Scripture portion to be studied, etc., are decided in advance by those responsible for the gatherings, they do not so much exemplify the truth of the assembly, the one body of Christ.
Finally, it seems in keeping with the ministry of the Spirit of God on this subject to close with the plea that is linked with our privilege "to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus":"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:19,25). The greatness of the privilege we have of gathering in His very presence is, at best, little realized by us, I believe. But it is so special to God and His Son and the Holy Spirit. The veil at the entrance of the holiest of all has been rent at Calvary, and those whose sins are remembered no more are graciously invited to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22). There is responsibility linked with this privilege to "hold fast the profession of our faith" and "consider one another." Such responsibility we may well count a great privilege too, in view of His soon return and our presence there in the glory with Him eternally. "He is faithful," and so can we be through His strength and a sense of His grace. Assembly meetings are indeed special. They are special to Christ as He is there, and we should not "forsake" them, but be there with adoring hearts, filled with gratefulness to Him "who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His blood" (Rev. 1:5 JND).