For an introductory verse regarding the pattern for a Scriptural assembly, turn with me to Ezekiel 43:1010Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. (Ezekiel 43:10): “Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.” I refer to this verse for its typical or figurative meaning. Ezekiel had been given “the pattern” for God’s house in the preceding chapters (40-42), and now he was to give it to the children of Israel. The purpose of this was to cause them to see how far off they had gotten from God’s mind and ideal, and that they would be “ashamed [confounded] of their iniquities” in departing from God’s order for Judaic worship. Similarly, if we saw the simple pattern in God’s Word as to how Christians are to truly meet together for worship and ministry, we would be quite amazed at how far off Christendom in general has gotten from God’s order. We might well ask, “Where have all these things that we take for granted in Christendom come from, when there is not a hint of it in the Scriptures?” We are referring to the sectarian names, the magnificent cathedrals, the clergy as distinct from the laity, the robes on the Ministers and choir members, the steeples and crosses on the buildings, the prearranged worship services, the orchestras, the pre-written prayers, the women preaching in the pulpits, the tithing, the seminaries, etc. Again, we ask, "Where have all these things come from?"
It was not enough that Ezekiel should “show” the people the pattern of the house, the Lord wanted the people to “measure” it for themselves. This is a good and healthy exercise for each seeker of the truth. It’s one thing to have someone tell us about the Scriptural pattern for Christian worship in the Word of God, and in that way to have it shown to us. But we also need to have a personal acquaintance with it by getting involved in the study of those things for ourselves. In this way, we measure it for ourselves, and thus have a better understanding of it. We will then have something to follow as a pattern in our search for a Scriptural assembly.
Ten Salient Features
A person might feel a little overwhelmed as to where he ought to start in this search in the Bible, the Word of God. This is understandable. To help our readers “cut to the chase” in this rather monumental task, the following pages in Part One present ten salient features that mark a Scriptural assembly. Then, in Part Two, two more features are given, presenting the truth of gathering, from God's side.