The Question Box
No. 4
The gospel meeting, and meeting for open ministry remain for consideration.
The gospel meeting is exactly what its name implies, that is, a meeting for the preaching or proclaiming of the Gospel. “Gospel” means “good news,” or “glad tidings” (Luke 2:10; Rom. 10:15). It is the announcement of God’s love towards a world of lost sinners, in the gift of His Son (John 3:16), and that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). The facts of the gospel are recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel...how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” These facts should always have their place in a gospel meeting.
Where should the gospel be preached? In Scripture, it was preached on many different occasions, and in many different places.
On the day of Pentecost, “Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice,” and addressed the multitude that came together, resulting in the conversion of about 3000 souls (Acts 2).
After the persecution following the martyrdom of Stephen, the scattered disciples “went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4).
“Philip went down into the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them” (Acts 8:5).
In Caesarea, Peter preached first to the Gentiles, to Cornelius, and a group of his kinsmen and near friends whom he had gathered together (Acts 10).
We find Paul preaching in all sorts of places. Hill-tops, river-sides, market-places, prisons, palaces, and synagogues, and his own hired house, all heard his voice.
At Antioch he preached in the synagogue to a mixed company of Jews and Greek proselytes (Acts 13:14-41), “and the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God” (Acts 13:44).
Another notable gospel address given by the same apostle to the Athenians, on Mar’s Hill, is recorded in Acts 17:22-31, with its results (Acts 17:32-34).
The Lord’s commission to His disciples was “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The world is the field; the unsaved, the subjects for the preaching of the gospel. In the meeting-room or hired hall, the home, in Institutions, in the open air, on land or sea, gospel meetings may be held.
Gospel meetings are not assembly meetings, but the preacher of the gospel should always seek the prayers and fellowship of the saints. The preacher is individually responsible to the Lord, as His servant, but, if instructed, he always works from the assembly, and leads souls into it. An evangelist, if he is faithful, is like a pair of compasses—one leg is fixed, firmly planted in the assembly; and the other leg, circling the world, stretching out, with burning zeal and whole-hearted energy, to seek souls, wherever he may find them. There is plenty of room, outside the systems of men, which are contrary to the truth, for the work of the gospel to be carried on with a good conscience. There is danger for one who knows the truth to associate himself, even in service, with those who are walking contrary to it (Heb. 13:13; Jer. 15:19).
The meeting for open ministry, or meeting for edification, is recorded and described in 1 Corinthians 14:23-40. Such meetings were apparently common in the early days of the Church, especially where there was much gift, as in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:7). Two important principles were enunciated in connection with such meetings,
1. “Let all things be done unto edifying” (1 Cor. 14:26).
2. “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40). Two or three were to speak, “by course” and “one by one”, and the others were to judge (1 Cor. 14:27,29,31). Order and peace were to prevail,
“For God is, not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33). The object of all the ministry was “that all may learn, and all may be comforted” (1 Cor. 14:31).
In a day of weakness, as at present, especially in small assemblies, open meetings, as they are sometimes called, are infrequent, but wherever and whenever they are carried on or undertaken, there should be subjection to the scriptural order. The warnings and restrictions given by the Apostle in this chapter show the special dangers connected with this type of meeting.