Without any thought of raising questions, but with the simple desire to edify, the following, thoughts are suggested for the prayerful consideration of my beloved brethren.
After the resurrection of the Lord, and before the formation of the assembly, we find the disciples gathered in one place — an upper room, the doors being shut (John 20:19). After His ascension they returned to Jerusalem, and are found again in an upper room (Acts 1:13). At the descent of the Holy Spirit, “They were all with one accord in one place.” “It filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1, 2). The multitude was attracted to that place, but we are not told whether the first preaching continued at that house, or in the city, or temple. “The same day there were added about three thousand souls.” “And all that believed were together.” “And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home.”
Their public place for teaching and prayer was the temple, for some time (Acts 2:46; 3:1; 4:1). And for the moment this was the will of the Lord “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:20-42).
But besides the temple and every house, there was also the place of the assembly: — “And being let go, they went to their own company.” “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together” (Acts 4:23-31). This was after the number of the men was about five thousand. (Acts 4:4). Thus, besides the temple for teaching and prayer, and every house, there was a special place of the assembly. The case of Ananias implies the same thing. They came to a place to lay the money at the apostles’ feet. “And great fear came upon all the assembly.” This did not hinder the testimony in Solomon’s porch, or in the streets where Peter passed. Neither did it hinder their entering into the temple in the morning to teach (Acts 5:12-21).
The murmuring of the Hellenists as to their widows in the daily ministration, and all that follows, seems to have been in the same well-known place of the assembly (Acts 6). As to Jerusalem, a great change, no doubt, took place after the scattering of Acts 8:1. The gospel is preached to the Gentiles, and the assembly is found at Antioch as well as Jerusalem. (Acts 9:19-26). And though much people are taught, yet there seems to be one distinct place of the assembly (Acts 13:1-4). The servants of the Lord are gathered together, and there the Holy Spirit specially acts. To that one place they return, and gather the whole assembly (Acts 14:27). It might be felt to be a difficulty as to how such multitudes could be gathered thus together to one place.
Such was the case, however, as may be seen. “And it came to pass, in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue (or meeting-room) of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude... believed” (Acts 14:1). In a similar manner a great multitude heard, and believed, in a synagogue at Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4). Also many of them in the synagogue at Berea heard, and believed (Acts 17:10-12). Many, also, of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized. And the place where Paul preached was this — “He reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath,” and this for a year and six months. Still more striking is the ease at Ephesus. After speaking boldly in the synagogue for three months, we find him in one place in the school, or hall, of one Tyrannus; “and this continued for the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” It is not to be supposed that they were all together at one time. Something like this takes place to this day in the East. The servant of the Lord enters a town, takes a room. The people begin to come in the morning, and continue for days or weeks, scarcely giving time to eat, until the town and district hear the glad tidings. It would be profitable, to compare much of the modern machinery of man with God, and that poor traveler, the ambassador of Christ in that one place, the school of Tyrannus.
A careful study of the Acts will show remarkable unity in the Spirit’s work in these cities, at the beginning, in every case. A fountain of living water gushed forth, and watered all around. Multitudes drank of the stream. In like manner there seems to have been in each case recorded one place recognized as the gathering-place of the assembly, and all was connected with that, both for ministry and administration. (See Acts 6; 12; 15)
Shall we now examine what light is thrown upon this question in the epistles, after great numbers had been converted, and added to the Lord?
We will take Rome. In Rome there would be doubtless more believers than would be allowed to, or able to gather together at one time, in one house or place. Yet it is not a little remarkable, it is only respecting one house that the expression, the assembly, is used. It appears, when the Epistle to the Romans was written, those honored laborers and companions of the apostle, Priscilla and Aquila, were at Rome. The apostle sends his first greetings to them: “Likewise the assembly that is in their house” (Rom. 16:3-5). He also sent salutations to many other brethren, helpers, and laborers, and those with them, evidently in different parts of the city. There were those of, or who belonged to, Aristobulus; to Narcissus; again, “Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren with them; salute Philologus, and Julias Nereus, and his sister, and Olympus, and all the saints with them.” Now why does the Holy Spirit speak of the assembly.only in one house, and of all the rest of the fellow-laborers by name, and the saints with them? The same principle may be noticed in 1 Corinthians 16, and remarkably these same honored servants of the Lord, Aquila and Priscilla, his wife, “with the church that is in their house.”
The same principle is observed at Laodicea: “Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.” Note, there are the brethren, and also the assembly, in the house of Nymphas. Is it not, then, clear that the assembly in such a house, in one place in each city, is not the same thought as the assembly of God in such a city, which must embrace all the brethren, whether in Rome or Laodicea? (Col. 4:15). Still more: — “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans.” It does not say in the separate assemblies, but, in the assembly; and we see the house of Nymphas as the one place named, as the assembly place. It would follow it was to be read there, until all the brethren heard it. The unity of the Spirit may have been thus maintained in every city, however many thousands may have composed the assembly of God in that city. One place, marked out by the Lord, and recognized by all, as the center, or assembly, for all purposes of administration. Such a place there was, evidently, in Jerusalem. This did not set aside the breaking of bread in other places, or preaching in the temple, or in every house. So in Rome, although there were so many local companies, perhaps converted through the persons named, at all events under their spiritual care, but one place only called the assembly in their house. There was evidently one place in Jerusalem for deliberation (Acts 15).
Was it not a beautiful sight at Antioch to see all the servants of the Lord Jesus in that city met together in one place, fasting, and waiting on the Lord, He guiding them by the Holy Spirit, as to all service, whether in that city, or far away? It is by no means implied that the whole assembly of God was assembled together, but the Holy Spirit specially acting in that one place for the whole. How simple, and how effective also, would discipline have been in such a case. It would not require, say the whole of the saints, in such cases as Jerusalem and Rome, and probably Corinth, to have been together in one (physical) place. The same may be said now of even those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus in London. If it requires, the whole to be actually together, then calm deliberation and discipline would be impossible; and since Jude wrote his Epistle; unanimity would be still more impossible.
If we read 1 Corinthians 12, and 2 Corinthians 1:1, it is evidently all these; all saints everywhere; and again, “All the saints which are in Achaia” could not be together in one place.
And yet the act of discipline was evidently in one place, and surely binding on all. And note, though the apostle is writing to the whole church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia, yet he says, “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.” It therefore does not follow that either all were present, or that all were unanimous. But the punishment was inflicted by many If we have here the principle on which the Spirit of God acted in the beginning, we see at once how the perfect unity of the Spirit would be maintained, as to fellowship, administration, discipline, and service, however large the city, or great the numbers; and it would. be very difficult to explain the scriptures we have looked at, and many others, on any other principle.
It is, however, evident that, though there was one recognized place of the assembly in every city, yet all the saints were free, surely, to go to that place, and when anything unusual occurred, great numbers did assemble together, as in Acts 15.
In applying these scriptures to our present time, and the Lords present testimony, it is true we must remember the present ruin of the church (viewed in responsible testimony) as a witness of Christ, looked at in its profession, but the question is this: are these scriptures to guide those gathered to Christ, in whatever weakness? and if not, what scriptures will meet the case of a large city, with several meetings in it, say like London? If the scriptures do not speak of assemblies in a city, can we?
May we all have spiritual discernment to understand the Lord’s mind from His word, by the Holy Spirit. Let the mind of the Lord, in any case, be thus known by the saints gathered (together) to the name of Jesus in one place in a city, and admitted to be binding on the whole church of God; let that one place be the recognized place of the whole assembly’s deliberations, for administration, discipline, and service; and, above all, let the Lord be owned and waited upon there for the whole church of God in that city; then surely none who own Him, and meet together on the ground of the one body, would refuse to bow to the decision of such an assembly, open to all, but not requiring all to be present, to arrive at His mind.
[We have inserted the above in our pages, not as endorsing the views expressed, but as desiring, with others, prayerfully in the light of scripture, to consider the important and intensely practical question raised in them. They are, by the wish of the writer, put before our readers as simply suggestive, and in no sense as direct teaching. -Ed.]
From Words of Faith, 1883, vol. 2, pp. 47-52.
(The reader should consult the subject index to Letters of J. N. Darby, under Assembly, and the sub-heading “in a city” for more on this subject. )