Now we need to consider the nature of a meeting of the believers. According to the meaning in the original Greek text, the most accurate translation of Matthew 18:20 is, “For where two or three are gathered together into My name, there I am in their midst.” Generally this verse is translated, “For where two or three meet together in My name.” Apparently it is we who take the initiative, but actually it is the Lord who takes the initiative. It is He who gathers us into His name.
We all have the experience of being reluctant to come to the meeting. At such a time, either some brothers or sisters may call you on the telephone to remind you of the meeting, or some saints may come to your house to invite you to the meeting. The fact that you come to the meeting is actually not your own doing but the Lord’s. In this evil generation, who would want to go out in the evening? Who would not want to stay home and watch television? Who would want to come from a distance for a meeting and sit for one to two hours? Who brought us here? It is the Lord. He is the One who gathers us together. We are gathered into the Lord’s name. In every meeting the Lord digs us out of everything that is not of Himself and gathers us into His name.
In the principle of the New Testament, the name denotes the person. The name is the person. To be gathered into the Lord’s name is simply to be gathered into the Lord Himself. At home we are always occupied. The sisters are busy washing dishes and taking care of the children; the brothers are also busy at the office. When it is time for the meeting, the Lord digs us out of everything and gathers us into Himself to meet together. This is the nature of our meeting.
After reading Matthew 16 and 18, we can see that in chapter sixteen is the revelation and in chapter eighteen is the practice. In Matthew 16:18 the Lord said, “On this rock I will build My church.” This denotes the universal church, while the church mentioned in chapter eighteen is the local church. Matthew 18:15-17 says that if there is a brother who sins against you and does not confess his wrongdoing, then take with you two or three witnesses. If he refuses to hear them, then tell it to the church. In the practice of the local church, whenever two or three are gathered together into the Lord’s name, the Lord is in their midst. Some may ask, ”Is it all right to have only four meeting together?” I would answer, “Four already exceeds the required number; the Lord said ‘two or three.’”
For example, suppose there is a saved couple who does not have a neighbor or anyone else in their home before the meeting. As the wife is washing dishes and disciplining the children, the husband may be angry with his wife’s disciplining. When the time comes for the home meeting, the husband may look at the wife, and the wife may look at the husband. Then the wife may stop washing dishes and stop disciplining the children, while the husband may also calm down. They then may go to the living room and sit down. Initially, there may be a little reluctance; however, they may begin to pray. The husband may say, “Lord, though we are not good, we can still come to meet.” The wife may follow, saying, “Lord, I am really sorry, but no matter what happens, by Your grace we can still meet here.” This is being gathered into the Lord’s name. In such a situation, the Lord will surely be in their midst. How could the Lord not be in their midst? They have been dug out from all things and brought into the Lord Himself.
The characteristic of a Christian meeting is, first, mutuality, and second, speaking. Speaking in mutuality is not talking about common things but speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and exhorting one another. Mutuality is not one-sided. It is not only one speaking, but everyone speaking. You speak to me and I speak to you. This is the characteristic of a Christian meeting.
The big meetings in today’s Christianity are not proper. This is not God’s ordained way for the saints to meet. God’s ordained way of meeting has a characteristic, that is, speaking to one another in mutuality (Eph. 5:19), exhorting one another (Heb. 10:25). Speaking to one another is speaking, while exhorting is also speaking. In a proper Christian meeting each one has a psalm, a teaching, or a revelation (1 Cor. 14:26). These are all speaking. The teaching and bringing the good news of Jesus as the Christ in Acts 5:42 are also speaking. When believers gather together without speaking, the characteristic of a meeting of the believers is gone. However, when everyone cannot wait to speak, the characteristic of a meeting is manifested.