Meditations

Open line on Nov 23, 2024. Hour 1.

Listener:

I have read in the bible where two or more together in worship, is that considered church? I could be interpreting wrong. Or do I have to be going to a corporate church, to be worshipping with others?

Answer from the two Michaels from openline @16:35

https://www.moodyradio.org/radioplayer.aspx?episode=623238&hour=1

Summary of answer:

The verse where two or three gather together is in Matthew 18 and is in the context of church discipline and not in the context of church worship, it is not talking about prayer or worship. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11,12 and 13, God is giving the church for all time until He comes back pastors and teachers, to equip us, to build up the body of Christ. They are given to us not to stream online but to go and gather together as in Hebrews 10, instructing us to forgeting the assembling of ourselves together, as some are in the habit of doing.

Matthew 18

 ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” -nkjv

²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. -kjv

²⁰ For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” -nasb

²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” – niv

Ephesians 4

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; -nkjv

¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: -kjv

¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. -nasb

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. -niv

Hebrews 10

 ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. -nkjv

²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. -kjv

²⁴ and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, ²⁵ not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. -nasb

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -niv