PRINCIPLES THAT SHOULD MARK LOCAL ASSEMBLIES
PRINCIPLES THAT SHOULD MARK LOCAL ASSEMBLIES
1 Corinthians 11: 16; 1 Thessalonians 2: 14; Galatians 1: 1, 2 Revelation 1: 10, 11
JT The word ‘assembly’ appears in each scripture — in the first the assembly of God, then the assembly in different localities, and in Corinthians it is the general thought. The assembly of God brings before us an economy. Things are worked out in assemblies locally but each has the status “of God”. Corinth itself is an example that catholicity and absence of contention are to mark an assembly; in Thessalonians we have the principle of imitation of assemblies, one that is young imitating one that is older and more formed and instructed; in Galatians we see how an assembly may be affected adversely by false doctrine — evil becoming infectious; and in Revelation it is still a specified place and the seven assemblies are regarded as symbolical of the whole assembly from Pentecost to the end. Consideration of these will help locally, I hope, and help us, though isolated, to hold ourselves free from the sense of isolation.
The first point, the incongruousness of contention, is worthy of consideration. The matter dealt with is apt to cause contention — the question of the covering, but vagueness should not lead to contention, but rather to silence and waiting on God.
Ques What is meant by ‘custom’?
Rem It says, We have no such custom. ‘We’ is apostolic, or at least refers to those who adhere to the mind of God. The word ‘custom’ is used relative to what is generally practised — here of contention. We are all given to it more or less. We like to gain our point instead of the brother. The mind should [p. 269] be open till we arrive at the truth and then closed as in Philippians. It is better to wait on God; the truth must be maintained so it is wise to be patient.
Ques Are contention and withstanding distinct?
Rem Quite so, as with Paul and Peter. It cost the apostle suffering to withstand Peter. Contention would stop the free access of the Spirit as in the case of Isaac — he moved on and got plenty of water.
Ques Have you anything in mind in relation to the covering?
Rem No! I should be afraid of contention. It should be dealt with at home.
Ques Would “assembly of God” be a help to the local company?
Rem Yes. The phrase “assembly of God” is dignified and would deter the disposition to be contentious. God is a God of order, not of disorder, but of peace.
Ques Did the apostle Paul mean the saints of Corinth in saying “we”?
Rem It is more the apostolic ‘we’, what characterised himself and those with him. It has a wide bearing and bringing in the assembly dignifies it. In them we have what represents God, as the apostle Paul indicates in 1 Timothy. Contending earnestly is right — it is a vital point. All who love the truth will stand for it at all costs. It involves conflict but not the spirit of contention.
The assembly, to mean anything, must be representative of God. The assembly of God is a general thought including all. This is important as to testimony. Its existence means God is to be represented where each local assembly is. So Paul and Barnabas chose them elders in each assembly. The assembly is marked by seemliness in everything and contention is below its dignity.
The catholic principle of the assembly throughout the world is that God should be known in each place.
[p. 270] The enemy spoilt it at Corinth, but this should come out. There is to be order and peace in our assembly and hence one has to know how to behave himself. The whole epistle has in mind the commands of the Lord and the assembly ceases to represent God if contention comes in, and where brethren set themselves against the truth in an assembly God may leave things thus, as in the next verse. Compare the impressions of a visitor to a heathen temple, the synagogue and the assembly of God. He falls down and worships, and reports God is in you of a truth. Today it is the same thing. What is there in places of worship to represent God? Verse 13 calls for divine sensibilities — “Judge in yourselves”.
And His commands are not optional. Take, for example, Lydia and the jailor. She attended to the things spoken by Paul, and he went into her house. Entertaining is an important feature of christianity, and that needs a house. Nor should it be marked by contention, for that shows itself in the assembly.
Ques Is subjection the opposite of contention?
Rem Yes. Then Thessalonians calls attention to the importance of imitating what is of God. There is a correspondence between the assemblies in Judaea and Thessalonica. Both suffered from their own countrymen. The Thessalonians were proud and might despise the Jews naturally but now they are imitating them. God has come into the Greek world and into the Jewish world and it is an incentive to draw them together, national feelings are broken down and what is of God prevails. The young would do well to attend to this imitation.
It is not metropolitanism so it is not the assembly of the Jews but of Judaea — less important in a sense but classified with all the others. The assembly of God carries with it certain advantages — why not get the benefit of them?
[p. 271] Ques Would suffering make way for spiritual instincts to develop?
Rem Yes. God works in a sense of what may have to be contended in a district. What marks this city? Every city has its own features and we have to contend with the world as it is in the one we are in.
If we see in another features of God which we have not we had better get them — imitate them.
There are great variations in the times of meetings; should this be so? The assembly of God in Christ Jesus connects with Ephesians 3. It is an allusion to power — position involves power. All assemblies should be governed by the same principle even to times of meeting.
Imitation is a proper thought, “Be ye imitators ...”. The young should take advantage of the older, so we are models for one another. “Learn of me”.
Ques Would this refer in a special way to suffering?
Rem It would. The principle of example is important. In moving around, part of our business is to call attention to irregularities and recommend what is of God in one to another. For example, the ministry meeting. Tell others of the advantages. In 2 Corinthians the apostle brings forward one district to stimulate another. As with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, the year of instruction was to make the crowd an assembly. Each christian is the subject of God’s work, and so in moving about from day to day something is learned every day.
Ques Would fellowship meetings promote this principle of imitation?
Rem Yes. We speak to one another, there is time for conversation; as in Malachi, they spake often. In Galatians we see how solemn it is that a whole district may be affected by bad doctrine, because meetings are contiguous to one another. We are warned of spreading things which might damage.
Ques Why is it “all the brethren with me”?
Rem To give weight to what he said, because the thing was serious. Those with Paul would be godly men — there is a list in Acts 20. It would be serious if they had different minds. Their judgment, being like his, would make it weighty. It does not determine it wholly, but it raises the question why I am different from them. These Galatians had been influenced by the stirring up of Jewish prejudices. There is a danger of leaders being affected by false doctrine permeating a whole district. If you discredit the vessel you will soon discredit the ministry.
Then in Revelation, Asia, the province and the locality in which each was, is also mentioned so the idea of locality is stressed. They did not copy one another; each had developed evil of its own kind and the proneness to develop evil is brought to our attention. The suggestion is that the assembly dispensation is prone to evil — not only imitating evil in others but also developing its own.
How is this to be remedied? Bring out what the assembly is, what marks the assembly of God. The assembly normally is representative of God, but these were not so. John represents the mind of God in the dispensation. Note verses 4 - 6: “John to the seven assemblies ... ages of ages. Amen”. He speaks to them abstractly, they are still owned as on assembly ground, he blames them with nothing, he gives them credit for what is there. He makes an appeal to them in verses 4 - 8. Abstractly they were on the foundation, and that is how to cure evil, to recognise what there is of God.