The Great Commission
Assembling
Here are two simple truths forgotten by Christianity that must shape how we assemble.
- Jesus said, "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren"[1]
- Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them"[2]
Look around. Don't you see a deviation from these two simple guidelines and commands? Masses of people meet to listen to a man they've titled "Pastor," "Teacher," "Reverend," and, or, "Minister." A lot of these men have earned titles like "Doctor" or "Master" from their seminaries for the purpose of entering a career as a certified professional. But all of this mustn't be if we're listening to Jesus, our one Master--our one Teacher.
Are you aware that the assembling of two Christ-followers together is an assembly? Many Christians wouldn't agree. But I ask why be concerned with the masses who attend vain worship in their decorative temples?[*] If you wish to add people to your assembly of Jesus-focused disciples, all you have to do is share the teachings of Jesus and pray that more are added to the fold.
It needs to be understood that men and women are equals in assembly. Remember, "all ye are brethren." What hierarchy can exist if everyone was intended to be equals according to Jesus? The dynamic must never be that the woman is ruling over a man, but it must also never be that a man is harsh towards, neglectful of, and/ or dismissive of a woman. In other words, don't mimic the destructive, perversions of the Paulinists.
As you go forth, preaching the Gospel that Jesus taught, you might encounter people who accept the truth and who might want to assemble ("gather" or "meet") with you. Here are some things to help keep the meeting as simple and Jesus-centric as possible.
- Meet: meet at an agreed-upon time at an easily accessible place like a home, park, or other free/ public space.
- Pray how Jesus taught us.
- Worship: take turns reading or singing the psalms; perhaps read a proverb.
- Read: as a group, choose a book to study. read a chapter of a book together—take turns reading verses: male, female, boy, girl; young and old; rich and poor. (Reading Material: Torah and the Prophets, the Gospels; epistles of the true Apostles. Not Paul.)
- Discuss: perhaps discuss what was read. Sometimes, questions arise and some study will need to unfold.
- Pray how Jesus taught us.
This is a basic model of ekklesia. Anyone at any time can do this. The next idea is "making more disciples." What might this look like in light of the Gospels with such a simple, repeatable model? - Witness: everyone needs to be aware of opportunities to preach the Kingdom of God to those in the community. Everyone needs to be prepared to give an answer.
Discipling
Really, discipleship is learning from Jesus. How do we "make more disciples"? We teach others about what Jesus said and did; we ourselves must be aware that we have the responsibility of practicing Jesus' example by obeying him. This is easily ascertained by the following sayings of The Teacher:
- Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"[3]
- Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"[4]
There are other words of Jesus to this point, but these are some basic starting points. Now, when people encounter Jesus through your efforts at introducing them, they'll have a choice: repent and believe the Gospel, choosing to follow The Way, or reject and disbelieve the Gospel, choosing to follow some other way. For people who are accepting of the Gospel of the Kingdom, they need to be immersed and continue in their instruction by Jesus' words. This is the meaning of the following command of Jesus:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.[5]
Jesus told us to go and "teach" all nations the Gospel. Remember that we aren't to be called "teachers" by others. I tolerate no such designation of myself by others. I'm not a teacher, for I myself am but a disciple; still, the process of making other disciples requires that we introduce people to The Teacher. If a person repents and is baptized, they become a brother or sister and are welcome to assemble with you; Men who've perverted the truth disregard Jesus' stern warning of being called such by other men and enjoy such titles. But the discerning disciple will guard themselves against such foolishness. Notice the message a disciple brings: "all things whatsoever I [Jesus] have commanded." Every word must be measured and subjected to the words of Jesus--The Truth. Because Paul's message is wildly different from Jesus',[6] it's apostate and should be discounted.
Conclusion
Christianity has done a great deal to complicate the mandate to bring The Way, The Truth, and The Life to the nations. They settle in buildings, becoming comfortable with their menial traditions. They've been gathered to worship a false god (the trinity) on a false sabbath (Sunday); they listen to a false shephered (their pastor/ their apostle Paul). Their conception of witnessing and making disciples and "church planting" is cumbersome and convoluted--requiring massive amounts of money and infrastructure and people. We see, therefore, that Christians of all denominations have been busy sowing leaven into the world! However, Jesus' plan is simple: "where you are gathered with but one other believer, I'm in the midst of you" (ekklesia); "bring my teachings to others and show them how to live by my example."
In keeping this simple the way Jesus demonstrated, we can easily replicate "Jesus-centric assemblies" everywhere. Each meeting with another brother or sister brings you into a meeting wherein Jesus is present. Each meeting with a neighbor is an opportunity at establishing another "assembly" if they repent and are immersed. Discipleship becomes more joyful as you realize that each person you meet with the intention of showing them Jesus' words is potentially being made into another follower with the same capability as you. If they receive you not, then peacefully move on.
My desire is to help people see how simple and joyful this can be. It needn't be complicated. Do as our Master said: "Go, preach. Baptize them. Instruct them by my words. I am always with you."
__________
[1] Matthew 23:8, KJV
[2] Matthew 18:20, KJV
[3] Matthew 5:16, KJV
[4] John 13:35, KJV
[5] Matthew 28:19,20, KJV -- NOTE: The reason "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is crossed out is because it isn't necessary we introduce people to the false deity of Christianity known as "the trinity." There is no such deity; therefore, Jesus uttered no such words. Jesus knew of only one God, that is YHWH, who is one person, not three.[**] In the book of Acts, we see the Apostles immersing "in the name of" (by the authority of) "the Lord Jesus." Simply put, Jesus has given us the same authority the Father gave him: Go, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, and baptize people, making them disciples of The Way. The earliest disciples knew this. There's no record in Acts of a "triune name" being used. The three "names" or "titles" (whatever you designate them makes no difference) are conspicuously unique to Matthew's account. It's reasonable, therefore, to suspect that they're interpolations as it's been suggested by countless other Gospel readers before me. The reasonable understanding should be that men who wish to obfuscate the truth for the sake of their later traditions (Trinitarianism, for example) have reasons to corrupt even the words of Jesus. When such error is discovered, it must be rejected as such. Therefore, I don't believe--not even for a second--that Jesus said these words. But don't take my "opinion," study the issue yourself.
[6] Jesus' Gospel versus Paul's Gospel
[*] A "church" is group that's a 501c3 State Church and Slave to Caesar for tax and liability purposes.
[**] Mark 12:29; John 17:3
