Assembling (part 1)
Introduction: At Mount Sinai, God placed the Sabbath into the 10 commandments. The Israelites were to rest and do no work for the entire day. While resting, they were to remember that God had brought them out of Egypt and that God had rested on the seventh day of creation (Deut. 5:12-15; Ex. 20:8-11). Not long after, while still in the wilderness, a man was picking up sticks on a Sabbath. Since not all of the ten commandments resulted in death (e.g., stealing, coveting, and bearing false witness), they “put him under guard because it had not been explained what should be done to him.” (Num. 15:34). “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.’” Not only was the crime worthy of death, but the entire congregation was to witness and participate in the execution. God knew that what He had revealed about the Sabbath at Mt. Sinai was enough to justify the penalty of death.
As we move into the New Covenant, this law of the Sabbath was nailed to the Cross (Col. 2:14-18). The Sabbath was replaced by the first day of the week. God did not make the same stringent demands in the New Covenant as He did for the Sabbath. With the gospel going into all the world to both Jews and Gentiles (every nation), where slave and free and male and female would be Christians, God gave to the members of each local church the right to choose when, how long and how often they would assemble on the first day of the week.
Some of the slaves and soldiers along with women who had unbelieving husbands might be compelled to work the entire day. In mercy, God allows worship to Him to be done any time on the first day of the week. Each local congregation could choose a time when all could meet together. It could be very early in the morning or very late in the evening. It might even change from time to time, but as long as it was on the first day of the week, it was in “spirit and truth.” One way they did this was with small congregations in their own homes (Rom. 16:5; Col. 4:15; Philm. 1:2). Another would be for a church to have more than one service to accommodate those who could only come in the evening or morning. God had given a precedent for this by allowing it for the Passover (Num. 9:6-13). Paul spoke of tarrying one for another for the Lord's Supper, which would lead to a lengthier service for some than for others as they waited (1Cor. 11:33-34).
God gave us the basic framework and expected each local church to make it work for them. The church coming together on the first day of the week is recorded in Acts 20:7 and 1Cor. 16:1-2. After coming together, the acts of worship were described as: the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:17-34), singing (Eph 5:19), praying (1Tim 2:8), preaching (2Tim 4:1-4; 1Cor 14:15-17, 26), and giving (1Cor. 16:1-2).
There is only one passage addressing those who, like that man picking up sticks on the Sabbath, choose to ignore this day. It is in Hebrews 10:19-31. It is a very comprehensive passage based on many of the previous truths he had revealed in the previous six chapters to manifest how much higher the as High Priest (of Melchizedek) Jesus in the New Covenant is to that of Aaron (Heb 5:1-10:18). He also compared the earthly tabernacle where the priests of Aaron ministered and the NT church where Jesus ministered which was “not of this creation.” After we obey the new “better covenant established on better promises” we “enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
This elevates our assembly on the first day of the week to a level far higher than we can comprehend! We “have a High Priest over the house of God,” “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Hence, when Jesus revealed, “I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Fathers kingdom”, it would in His new role as High Priest on His throne (Heb. 8:26; Mt. 26:29). So, when we “come together as the church” to eat the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:18ff) and “He is there to drink it new with us,” it is in His exalted state that we are in communion with Him. (1Cor. 10:16-17).
Each local church must set the time and the place and submit to all God’s commands. As Paul told the Corinthians, “when you come together,” “come together as a church,” “come together in one place” and “come together to eat,” it is to follow the prescribed order. If they were careless, they could “come together unto judgment.” The judgment would come to anyone who “eats this bread or drinks this cup in an unworthy manner.” The judgment was proclaimed as being “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord,” and the one so doing: “eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.” Sadly, some of those in Corinth were coming together as the church to eat the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner and were “weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” Thus, the consequences of not hallowing and sanctifying this day for its intended purpose is far more serious than death for breaking the Sabbath. While “eating and drinking with” Him we are in communion with the Lord as High Priest and King. It is a solemn moment, in communion with the body and blood of Christ. God expects us to treat it with respect, awe and reverence.
If partaking in an unworthy manner brings such condemnation and guilt, what of those who don’t come at all? First, carefully look at the commandment: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.” It is vital that we understand exactly what is stated here. Some understand this as a prohibition of a complete forsaking with the decision to leave and never return. There are two problems with this view. First, the word “forsake” doesn’t always mean this. When Jesus cried “My God My God why have you forsaken Me?” He used the same word, yet did not mean God would leave Him permanently with no intention of returning. When God said “I will never forsake you” do we want to understand this same word as meaning He only promised not to completely abandon us? Yet, if He is busy or has the need, he may still forsake us from time to time. This is clearly not the meaning of the passage, so it is clearly not the meaning of the word:
Although the definition could mean either a single assembly or completely abandoning never to return for all assemblies, it has to be modified to fit the contextual terms of “just as, even as, exactly like” “the manner (custom or habitual practice) of some.” This word is only used in the NT of things that are done again and again until they become a practice. It must be done so many times that we can say it is a habit or custom. How can someone abandon the assemblies, with no intention of ever returning, again and again. It is only possible to use the phrase “exactly as some do habitually” of single assemblies. It is impossible to get into the habit of doing something one time. If the first time it is done is permanent and never repeated it cannot be a habit. It is easy to get into the habit of missing single assemblies, but impossible to get into a habit of leaving permanently.
Perhaps it is the severity of the punishment that has led some to the conclusion that this must be a complete abandoning. If a permanent action is a sin, so are the first steps. Is a single act of adultery better than the permanent adultery of an unscriptural marriage? Paul stated that the wages of a single sin is death. One doesn’t have to completely fall away to be punished. A single partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner makes one guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. So also would a single forsaking of the assembly.
Conclusion: There is so much more to say about this topic. What does forsaking a single assembly mean? If one is sick, in the hospital, or hindered by a blizzard or hurricane and misses an assembly is that forsaking? Where is the line between being “providentially hindered” and sinning “willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth?” When did a forsaken assembly lead to the guilt of one who “trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb 10:26-30)?
As we move into the New Covenant, this law of the Sabbath was nailed to the Cross (Col. 2:14-18). The Sabbath was replaced by the first day of the week. God did not make the same stringent demands in the New Covenant as He did for the Sabbath. With the gospel going into all the world to both Jews and Gentiles (every nation), where slave and free and male and female would be Christians, God gave to the members of each local church the right to choose when, how long and how often they would assemble on the first day of the week.
Some of the slaves and soldiers along with women who had unbelieving husbands might be compelled to work the entire day. In mercy, God allows worship to Him to be done any time on the first day of the week. Each local congregation could choose a time when all could meet together. It could be very early in the morning or very late in the evening. It might even change from time to time, but as long as it was on the first day of the week, it was in “spirit and truth.” One way they did this was with small congregations in their own homes (Rom. 16:5; Col. 4:15; Philm. 1:2). Another would be for a church to have more than one service to accommodate those who could only come in the evening or morning. God had given a precedent for this by allowing it for the Passover (Num. 9:6-13). Paul spoke of tarrying one for another for the Lord's Supper, which would lead to a lengthier service for some than for others as they waited (1Cor. 11:33-34).
God gave us the basic framework and expected each local church to make it work for them. The church coming together on the first day of the week is recorded in Acts 20:7 and 1Cor. 16:1-2. After coming together, the acts of worship were described as: the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:17-34), singing (Eph 5:19), praying (1Tim 2:8), preaching (2Tim 4:1-4; 1Cor 14:15-17, 26), and giving (1Cor. 16:1-2).
There is only one passage addressing those who, like that man picking up sticks on the Sabbath, choose to ignore this day. It is in Hebrews 10:19-31. It is a very comprehensive passage based on many of the previous truths he had revealed in the previous six chapters to manifest how much higher the as High Priest (of Melchizedek) Jesus in the New Covenant is to that of Aaron (Heb 5:1-10:18). He also compared the earthly tabernacle where the priests of Aaron ministered and the NT church where Jesus ministered which was “not of this creation.” After we obey the new “better covenant established on better promises” we “enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
This elevates our assembly on the first day of the week to a level far higher than we can comprehend! We “have a High Priest over the house of God,” “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Hence, when Jesus revealed, “I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Fathers kingdom”, it would in His new role as High Priest on His throne (Heb. 8:26; Mt. 26:29). So, when we “come together as the church” to eat the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:18ff) and “He is there to drink it new with us,” it is in His exalted state that we are in communion with Him. (1Cor. 10:16-17).
Each local church must set the time and the place and submit to all God’s commands. As Paul told the Corinthians, “when you come together,” “come together as a church,” “come together in one place” and “come together to eat,” it is to follow the prescribed order. If they were careless, they could “come together unto judgment.” The judgment would come to anyone who “eats this bread or drinks this cup in an unworthy manner.” The judgment was proclaimed as being “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord,” and the one so doing: “eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.” Sadly, some of those in Corinth were coming together as the church to eat the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner and were “weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” Thus, the consequences of not hallowing and sanctifying this day for its intended purpose is far more serious than death for breaking the Sabbath. While “eating and drinking with” Him we are in communion with the Lord as High Priest and King. It is a solemn moment, in communion with the body and blood of Christ. God expects us to treat it with respect, awe and reverence.
- “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1Cor 10:16)
If partaking in an unworthy manner brings such condemnation and guilt, what of those who don’t come at all? First, carefully look at the commandment: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.” It is vital that we understand exactly what is stated here. Some understand this as a prohibition of a complete forsaking with the decision to leave and never return. There are two problems with this view. First, the word “forsake” doesn’t always mean this. When Jesus cried “My God My God why have you forsaken Me?” He used the same word, yet did not mean God would leave Him permanently with no intention of returning. When God said “I will never forsake you” do we want to understand this same word as meaning He only promised not to completely abandon us? Yet, if He is busy or has the need, he may still forsake us from time to time. This is clearly not the meaning of the passage, so it is clearly not the meaning of the word:
- For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Heb. 13:5-6)
Although the definition could mean either a single assembly or completely abandoning never to return for all assemblies, it has to be modified to fit the contextual terms of “just as, even as, exactly like” “the manner (custom or habitual practice) of some.” This word is only used in the NT of things that are done again and again until they become a practice. It must be done so many times that we can say it is a habit or custom. How can someone abandon the assemblies, with no intention of ever returning, again and again. It is only possible to use the phrase “exactly as some do habitually” of single assemblies. It is impossible to get into the habit of doing something one time. If the first time it is done is permanent and never repeated it cannot be a habit. It is easy to get into the habit of missing single assemblies, but impossible to get into a habit of leaving permanently.
Perhaps it is the severity of the punishment that has led some to the conclusion that this must be a complete abandoning. If a permanent action is a sin, so are the first steps. Is a single act of adultery better than the permanent adultery of an unscriptural marriage? Paul stated that the wages of a single sin is death. One doesn’t have to completely fall away to be punished. A single partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner makes one guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. So also would a single forsaking of the assembly.
Conclusion: There is so much more to say about this topic. What does forsaking a single assembly mean? If one is sick, in the hospital, or hindered by a blizzard or hurricane and misses an assembly is that forsaking? Where is the line between being “providentially hindered” and sinning “willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth?” When did a forsaken assembly lead to the guilt of one who “trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb 10:26-30)?