The first premise we want to make in our discussion of larger corporate gatherings is that we need them. However, the reason we need them requires some fellowship. To properly understand the pattern and Biblical basis for larger corporate gatherings, we would ask you to firstly read the section on "House to House" because we feel the home establishes a base for the church life (living Christ as members of His Body with other members of His Body) as God intended.

Let's begin with considering that many people have become Christians and deny or reject the concept of meetings together corporately. They often hold strongly to the view that they can worship God by themselves or independently from other believers. This thought violates and annuls all the spiritual insights given throughout the Old Testament concerning Israel as a type of the New Testament church AND the many references to gathering together in the Lord's name as the church throughout the New Testament.

The Bible is filled with the concept that God's children should assemble together regularly and not remain independent nor individual. Hebrews 10:25 says, "And let us consider one another so as to incite one another to love and good works, 25 Not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near."

1 Corinthians 12:13-14, "For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and were all given to drink one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member but many." A body cannot exist if the individual members are set apart from one another. Likewise, no believer in Christ can live the life of Christ if set apart from other believers by their own choice. 1 Corinthians 12 goes on, "But now the members are many, but the body one. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." The fact is that ALL believers are members of the ONE body of Christ and we need each other.

It was never God's intention that large meetings would dominate our worship or following of Him as they often do in today's so-called churches. "Going to church" on Saturday or Sunday may only be a traditional and ritualistic kind of worship of God and gathering together rather than a Spirit-filled, Biblical worship or gathering of His saints. The Bible emphasizes that the majority of our church life (living Christ as members of His Body with other members of His Body) centers around our family, our home and our job, not on "going to church." Therefore, the stress of "attending church on Sunday" with larger congregations has misguided and deceived many into thinking that this somehow satisfies God and is according to the Bible in itself. It is not!

Many Christians and non-believers go to so-called "churches" on Saturday, Sunday (the Lord's day) mainly out of tradition and convenience, not out of spiritual revelation and commitment to the Lord. For instance, most employers give people that day off so it makes sense to utilize Sunday, the Lord's Day, to "go to church." But the Lord desires us to worship Him and gather together as members of His Body EVERY day in our spirit. If there was no day off during the week or if we had to work on Sunday, would we worship and gather together on another day? If we see the revelation in the Bible and the Lord's interest we will. Hospitals, police stations, nursing homes, airlines and many other jobs cannot shut down for Sunday so people have to work. Surely, this does not free them from the responsibility to worship and gather together with other members of the Lord's Body at another time.

Most Christians only break bread (communion, Lord's Table, etc) on Sunday, the Lord's day, but can we break bread with other members of Christ's Body on a day other than Sunday, the Lord's day? If we see the revelation in the Bible and the Lord's interest we can. We are not at all limited by a physical day to come together corporately as members of the one Body of Christ.

I would say that all the kinds of gatherings that were mentioned in the scriptures could be accomplished in small settings or large corporate gatherings. This would apply to all the different kinds of gatherings we will consider below. However, this section will emphasize the larger corporate gatherings, not the smaller groups of saints coming together for the same purpose.

There is definitely the mention of larger corporate gatherings of the New Testament church which goes beyond the "House to House" base of the church life. For instance, in the church in Corinth (~A.D. 60) the whole church would come together in one place. 1 Corinthians 14:23 says, "If therefore the whole church comes together in one place." The context of this verse indicates that all the believers in the city of Corinth came together in oneness to prophesy (speak for the Lord or speak forth what the Lord has spoken to us) for the building up of the Body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 14). At that time in church history, it is estimated that there were approximately 200 believers in the city of Corinth who actively met together in the Lord's name. Therefore, we can correctly conclude that there were times when close to 200 saints in Corinth met in the same place at the same time for a specific purpose.

An important aspect of the growth and building up of the Body of Christ is ministry. Ephesians 4:7-16 speak of gifted members who perfect the saints for their operation so the Body of Christ can be built up by every member of the Body functioning as God apportioned. The gifted members minister to the saints in order to infuse divine life into them, to speak revelations for the saints to see the divine things and to establish a pattern based on the Word of God for their living.

And with many other words he solemnly testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this crooked generation. 41 Those then who received his word were baptized, and there were added on that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:40-42)

The entire New Testament is the writing down of the apostles' teaching and fellowship to all believers throughout the church age. This teaching and fellowship is the New Testament Ministry of Jesus Christ and is embodied in 27 books of the New Testament for our "teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 That the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16)

And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them and said, It is not fitting for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables. 3 But brothers, look for seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this need. 4 But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word. 5 And the word pleased all the multitude (Acts 6:2-5a) The apostles made the decision to continue in the ministry of the Word to the saints. If you put together Acts 2:40-42 and Acts 6:2-5 we see that the ministry to the saints was most likely in large corporate gatherings. There were more than 3000 saints in Jerusalem at that time (Acts 2:41) who were all receiving the teaching and fellowship of the apostles. There is no way this was done on an individual basis, but surely on a larger corporate basis.

When Peter was imprisoned by Herod after Herod had killed the apostle James, a large group of saints was praying for his release. An angel of the Lord came to Peter in prison and lead him out. Peter did not know whether he was dreaming or not at first. And Peter came to himself and said, Now I know truly that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me out of Herod's hand and from all the expectation of the Jewish people. 12 And when he became aware of this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where there was a considerable number assembled together and praying. (Acts 12:11-12)

The first and most prevalent at the church's inception was to break bread from house to house in smaller gatherings (see "House to House"). Acts 2:42 and 2:46 mention this in a clear way: "And they continued steadfastly ... in the breaking of bread and the prayers. ... 46 And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart.

By the midpoint of the apostle Paul's ministry the early church practiced breaking bread in larger corporate gatherings on the first day of the week which is called the Lord's Day. One example of this is seen in Acts 20:6-7, "And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread and in five days came to them in Troas, where we spent seven days. 7 And on the first day of the week, when we gathered together to break bread, Paul conversed with them since he was to go forth on the next day; and he extended his message until midnight." This differs from the thought of breaking bread from house to house, but surely does not annul breaking bread in the homes in a small gathering of saints.

Probably one of the most used large corporate gatherings is the gospel meeting, gospel campaign, etc. Especially in the past two centuries the Lord has raised up many evangelists to preach the gospel on a large scale basis. The most recent and renown evangelists being Billy Graham. It was and is their practice to hold large corporate gospel gatherings for the preaching of the gospel and the functioning of the saints to support the gospel, to follow up on the ones the Lord saves, and to continue what the Lord has initiated in people.

In the New Testament, the gospel was preached in every conceivable setting from one on one to huge multitudes of people. The Lord Himself often spoke to 10,000 plus people at one time. Peter spoke in a gathering in which 3000 were saved. How many attendants must have been present to get 3000 Jews saved!