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 you shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven; and whatsoever you 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 you 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 you 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:“You 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).

      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.”

      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” 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 you 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).