The instructions given to the church about how it functions with corporate worship, mutual fellowship, corporate instruction, displays of compassion, showing compassionate support in sorrow and joy, and mutual ministry in general, cannot be effectively or consistently accomplished when the people of the church are not permitted to assemble. Some of these things can be accomplished at a distance for a limited time, but it demands much focus and intentionality, intentionality that we struggle with even as a gathered community. Some of the passages that come to mind are as follows:
Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:3-21; 14-15; 1 Corinthians 5 (discipline assumes assembly – not in part, but the whole); 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:17-34 (Communion assumes the participation of the entire church, assembled as one body); 1 Corinthians 12-14 (gifts assume connection and interaction); Galatians 6:1-2 (connection to restore fallen brothers and sisters in Christ – bearing their burdens); Ephesians 4:1-16 (unity and mutual ministry demands assembly); Ephesians 5:15-21 (Spirit-filled ministry of communicating truth to one another in song and word assumes assembly); Philippians 2:1-4 (practical ways of focusing on the interest of others assumes connection with the body of Christ); Colossians 3:12-17 (the fruit of fullness of the word expects assembly to be fulfilled); Most of the letters of the Apostle Paul are written to churches anticipating a united application bearing fruit in the assembly of followers of Jesus; Timothy and Titus are instructed in the rudiments of corporate ministry; Hebrews 3:12-14 (taking concern for the brothers and sisters who stray expects consistent connection and involvement); Hebrews 5:11-14 (teaching one another and maturing together anticipates assembling); Hebrews 10:24-25 (stirring up to love and good works and encouraging one another demands meeting together) Hebrews 13:7&17 (following godly leadership assumes assembling); James 2:1-13 (partiality is to be guarded against in the church assembled; James 3:1-18 (the benefit of teaching, the threat of the tongue, the pursuit of wisdom are corporate instructions) James 5:13-20 (states suffering, cheer, sickness among you – anointing and prayer over others by Elders, confessing sin to others, and restoring others is with assembled saints); 1 Peter 2:9-11 (all refers to community identity); 1 Peter 4:7-5:5 (the one-another’s, ministry of elders, corporate humility – assume the church assembled); 2 Peter (protection against false teachers and teaching is a congregational activity); 1-3 John (love of the Lord, love of truth, love of obedience, love of one another are corporate activities) Revelation (written to assemblies of believers). The gathered community or assembly of believers is the focus of the bulk of the inspired record of the New Testament.