Number One: A Scriptural Assembly Will Meet Simply in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ

From: Search For A Scripturally Gathered Assembly: A Profile Of A Scriptural Assembly By: Stanley Bruce Anstey

• 4 min. read • grade level: 10

The first prominent feature of a Scripturally gathered assembly is that it will meet simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 18:20²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20), the Lord said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” He said this to His disciples in view of the Church being formed on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Then later, after the Church was formed, we read in 1 Corinthians 5:4⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 5:4), “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ ... ” These two passages indicate that the will of God for the Church when it gathers together for worship, ministry, and administrative actions, is that it should do so in "the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." A Scripturally gathered assembly today will observe this and will keep itself free of sectarian and denominational names, because all such titles divide the Church outwardly into sections which denies the truth that it is the “one body” of Christ (Rom. 12:5⁵So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:5); 1 Cor. 12:12-13¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13); Eph. 4:4⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)). More will be said about the Church expressing the unity of the body of Christ in chapter nine.

Meeting in the Lord's name does not mean that a Christian assembly should put up a sign at its meeting place stating the words, "THE LORD JESUS CHRIST," and call the church gathering by that name. Such would be using the Lord's name as a sectarian title, which Scripture decries (1 Cor. 1:12¹²Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:12)). We do not read in the Bible that the early Church took any name other than the Lord's, and that only informally; they had no formal title.

The Name of Christ is the Christian’s Gathering Center For Worship and Ministry

Scripture tells us that God thinks so much of His Son that He has set the highest value on His name. “God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9‑11)). This being so, God has made Christ’s name the CENTER to which He would have Christians gather (Matt. 18:20²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20); 1 Cor. 5:4⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 5:4)).

As mentioned already, when believers in the Bible met together for worship and ministry, they did so simply as members of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16-17¹⁶The 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? ¹⁷For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:16‑17)). When the erring Corinthians tried to rally themselves in divisions under the names of certain gifted men or Church leaders, it was denounced as being “carnal” (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:4¹⁰Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. ¹²Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. ¹³Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10‑13)
⁴For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (1 Corinthians 3:4)). Such sectarian party lines in the early Church were decried—and they still should be today.

What must angels think, knowing and delighting in the exalted name of Jesus, when they see Christians coming together for worship on earth bearing all sorts of denominational and non-denominational names? God sets the highest value on the name of His Son, but we hear men saying that it doesn't really matter what name you bear as long as we all believe in the Lord. We ask, “What authority from Scripture do Christian organizations have for naming their church fellowships on national lines (i.e. the Church of England), ordinances (i.e. Baptist), forms of Church government (i.e. Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregationalist), or gifted men (i.e. Martin Luther—Lutheran, Menno Simons—Mennonite)?” The sects that we see in Christendom today with their many names may well have been formed with good intentions, but they have no Scriptural basis.

The name of Christ is supreme in heaven. When we get there, there won’t be a sign put up for the Baptists and another for the Pentecostals, etc. All such denominational names will fall at once, and Christ’s name will stand supreme. A point that many Christians miss is that God would have it to be so now among Christians on earth! We know this because the Lord taught His disciples to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10¹⁰Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)). The Lord commended the assembly in Philadelphia because it did not deny His name (Rev. 3:8⁸I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8)), and an assembly that does that today will also have His approval. Therefore, a Scriptural assembly will disown all other names, which only tend to displace Christ’s peerless name, and it will meet simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will have no formal title.

Christians, accustomed to traditional church order, might think it a bit strange for an assembly not to have a denominational name. But it is a Scriptural thing. The believers at Antioch were simply called “Christians” (Acts 11:26²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)), which means, “Christ’s ones.” They didn't take that name formally; they were actually called that by the world. To take a name as an ecclesiastical “handle” denies “that worthy name” (James 2:7⁷Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? (James 2:7)).

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Summary: A Scripturally gathered assembly will keep itself free from all sectarian names and will meet simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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