What is the Assembly?

  • First Corinthians 14:23 (ESV), “…the whole church comes together…”
  • First Corinthians 5:4, “When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus“.
  • Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

What Principles are Essential to the Assembly?

  • First Corinthians 14:33 (ESV), “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.”
  • First Corinthians 14:40, “But all things should be done decently and in order.“
  • First Corinthians 14:9-12, “So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech [words] that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.“
  • First Corinthians 14:30, “If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.”
  • First Corinthians 14:34-35, “the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

Why the Assembly?

  • First Corinthians 14:12 (ESV), “…strive to excel in building up the church.”
  • Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
  • First Corinthians 11:33, “…when you come together to eat…”
  • First Corinthians 11:23-26, “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.“
  • Matthew 26:26-29, “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.‘”
  • Hebrews 13:15, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”
  • Hebrews 2:12b, “…in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
  • First Corinthians 14:15-19, “What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise [make melody] with my spirit, but I will sing [make melody] with my mind also.”
  • First Corinthians 4:17b, “…remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.”
  • First Corinthians 16:1-2, “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

Who Commanded This?

  • First Corinthians 14:37, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.”

Similar posts:

“Is Benevolence Worship to God?”

“The Greek Words for the Biblical Definition of Worship”

“Sacrificial Worship to God and the Biblical Definition of Worship”

“Scholarly Conclusions about the Definition of Worship”