Assembly Meetings

 
THE question is often asked, “What is an Assembly Meeting?” A simple answer is that every time Christians come together on Assembly or Church ground, i.e., when they meet in obedience to the Word of God to practice all or any of the truths concerning the Assembly — whenever they are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ — that is an Assembly Meeting.
Let us take some examples from Scripture:
7. For Examining into any matter requiring it. See Acts 15; Matthew 18.
There are various things which characterize the Assembly on earth, and it sometimes happens that all these traits are not found at each coming together of believers. That does not prove that the meeting does not take place on “Assembly ground,” nor are the saints deprived of the presence in their midst of the Lord Jesus. Only it is evident that they cannot practice on that occasion any truth which is beyond the scope of the meeting. So far as it goes such a meeting is an Assembly Meeting, but it is not competent to do everything that pertains to the Assembly.
May we say that three chief traits of the Assembly on earth, in its practical conduct, are those of the Body of Christ, the House of God, and the Candlestick? The Candlestick character and the House character have to do with public testimony. Discipline is in connection with the House. The Body character sets forth the rations of believers one to another.
Let us pass briefly in review the different kinds of meetings we are familiar with.
The meeting for Breaking Bread is the chief Assembly Meeting, both from the important object of it, and also from its place on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. Other things may also be rightly done there, so long as the true object of the meeting remains untouched. See Acts 20:77And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7).
The Prayer Meeting is certainly an Assembly Meeting, specially convoked for prayer, but where the action of the Spirit may guide also in singing, or in reading suitable portions of the Word, or in a short exhortation. We must not restrict or “quench” the Spirit. Then again the communication of news which call for prayer or praise is very useful and tends to definite prayer. Not to admit that the Prayer Meeting is an Assembly Meeting would make the saints come together on some other principle than that of being gathered to the Lord’s name. What a loss it would be not to count on Christ’s presence in their midst! And why seek any other principle when the one we have is divinely sufficient?
The Reading Meeting1 is an Assembly Meeting for edification. It is not on the responsibility of any special brother, saints come there as gathered by the Holy Spirit to the Lord’s name, to get (or communicate) what He ham for those who wait on Him. It is true that we have not an example of such a meeting in the Word (so far as regards the exact form of it, unless it be 2 Timothy 2:22And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2), and that is rather special), but we are exhorted to search the Scriptures, to feed Christ’s lambs and sheep. This meeting affords an excellent occasion of doing so, as there is opportunity of teaching and learning by question and answer.
But it is well to bear in mind that edification is the object of the meeting, so that any brethren qualified to teach should keep the younger in view, and that no question should be put which is not really for edification. No crotchets should be aired there, and it is very necessary to make full and intelligible statements of truths familiar perhaps to half the hearers, but not to every one. It is well to remember that the Lord forms and provides teachers, and our part is to receive what He supplies, and if He deign to use us wait on Him. It is not for the flock to arrange what teaching they will have.
The “Open” Meeting (as it is called) is an Assembly Meeting for edification according to 1 Corinthians 14. The principle of it is applied to the meeting on Lord’s Day morning, but otherwise it seems rarely practiced locally. Would it not be better to use the scriptural term for it?
When the “Open” Meeting comprises saints from various meetings, it still remains an Assembly Meeting for edification, as being on the ground of the One Body, and they can count on Christ’s presence in their midst. What loss it would be not to do so! The house and candlestick aspects are absent or only partially in view, and the scope of the meeting remains limited, though very full surely.
When brothers come together for a Care Meeting can they count on Christ’s presence in their midst? It is true that they are not the Assembly in the full sense of the term, and their action must therefore be limited to what they may scripturally do. According to Matthew 18, the Church or Assembly hears witnesses and therefore sifts a matter thoroughly; that is assuredly not the part of sisters, who have nothing to do with the administration, rule, or government of the Assembly. When an Assembly has to clear itself from evil, it is evident that the whole Assembly (brothers and sisters) must act as a whole. In such a case there is properly speaking no decision to take; but when the facts are established, the saints act in obedience to the Word. The duty of examining the facts and seeing what is to be done concerns the brothers. See Acts 15; 1 Timothy 2:1212But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:12); Hebrews 13:1717Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17). We consider then that a Care Meeting is an Assembly Meeting of brothers2 limited in its scope, but where faith counts on the Lord’s presence in the midst. How else indeed could any of us have courage to take part in such a meeting, and seek to care for the Lord’s people?
An Assembly Meeting for Discipline or for purifying the Assembly by self-judgment and putting away an evil-doer from their company, has not properly the examination of the matter before it, but the facts having been ascertained and the matter being ripe for action, obedience to the truth should mark the action of the Assembly. Then again a like meeting is fitting for the reception of a brother after restoration of soul. Ofttimes a matter will be suitable for Assembly prayer before it is ripe for action; in that case the Assembly should be told, without debate, how the matter stands, so that prayer and supplication may be made in common about it, or intercession too, as the case may be. Thus the heart and conscience of all the saints may be exercised in a matter before the moment for action arrives. Indeed the Lord may graciously hear the prayers and come in without necessity for any further action.
Great and numerous are the individual blessings of believers; great and many too are their Assembly blessings. Something of the importance of the latter may be learned from the way the risen Lord on the very day of His resurrection gathered His disciples together and came into their midst.
Two of them leave the others and start for Emmaus. The Lord joins Himself to their company, makes the journey with them while He unfolds the Scripture to them, and when the house is reached He enters with them at their entreaty; but no sooner is He made known to them in the breaking of bread than He vanishes from their sight. Why is this? Is it not because His object was to gather them with the others? They return at once to Jerusalem, to find the eleven gathered with others, and to learn that the risen Lord had appeared to Simon, and had thus given them the motive their hearts needed for coming together (Luke 24).
In a similar way in the Gospel of John (chap.20), His message to His brethren sent by Mary Magdalene — and doubtless also the visit of Peter and John to the empty sepulcher, when John “saw and believed” — had the effect of bringing the disciples together, just as what they were afterward able to tell Thomas brought him there on the first day of the following week, and earlier too perhaps.
And when He was in their midst, how full of blessing was His presence and how precious His dealings with them and His communications to them. He occupied their hearts with Himself, so that they were glad “when they saw the Lord.” There too “He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.” And there, in their midst, He breathed on them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost...”
The disciples were together when the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost; and after the gospel haul of that day we read that “all that believed were together” (Acts 2). Again, a few days later, when the apostles had been threatened by the Jewish rulers, “being let go, they went to their own company,” and there, after prayer to God with one accord, the Holy Ghost mightily manifested His presence among them and in them (Acts 4).
Continue the Acts and peruse the Epistles and the Book of Revelation — throughout we cannot but be struck by the place the Assembly has therein and the varied matters carried on when the saints are come together, or act together as an Assembly.
F. M. H.
 
1. It seems to us that the usual Weekly Reading Meeting can scarcely be called an Assembly Meeting, for the essential feature of the latter is the liberty of the Spirit’s action, whereas in the ordinary Reading Meeting it is arranged beforehand what the character of the meeting is to be, and also, as a rule, what the Scripture to be read shall be. The occasional Reading Meetings held at times of Conference might partake more of an Assembly character. — ED.
2. Does not the fact of limitation to brothers only preclude its being an Assembly Meeting? 1 Cor. 14:2323If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? (1 Corinthians 14:23) gives what seems to be an essential feature. “If, therefore, the WHOLE CHURCH be come together,” etc. –ED.