Assembly
In the Acts and Epistles (Authorized Version and Revised Version ) the English word assembly occurs as follows, but in each instance a different Greek noun is translated by it.
1. In Act 19:32; Act 19:39; Act 19:41 assembly () stands for the tumultuary mob gathered by Demetrius and his fellow-gildsmen in Ephesus to protest against the teaching of St. Paul, which was destroying the business of the shrine-makers. Though strictly denotes an assembly of the citizens summoned by the crier (), this was a mere mob, with all a mobs unreasonableness: Some cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. So runs St. Lukes logical, complete, and photographic narrative, (For a similar description of a Roman gathering, cf. Virgil, aen. i. 149: Saevitque animis ignobile vulgus.) In Ephesus the man revered for his piety and worth was the Secretary of the City ( [see Town Clerk]), who calls the gathering a riot (), and a concourse (). If Demetrius and his gildsmen had just ground of complaint, they should have earned their case before the proper court, over which the proconsul presided, for the present gathering was outside the law, and had no power to transact business. He, therefore, referred them to the lawful (Authorized Version ) or regular (Revised Version ) assembly ( ), which is the people duly assembled in the exercise of its powers (Ramsay). The Revisers change of lawful into regular is perhaps hypercritical; for in practice, under the Roman rule, the distinction is not appreciable.
2. Act 23:7 : The assembly [Revised Version ; Authorized Version the multitude] was divided ( ). The reference is to the council ( , Act 22:30) summoned by Lysias the tribune of the Roman garrison in the tower of Antonia, consequent upon the tumult in the Temple, and St. Pauls arrest. We are not to understand a regular sitting of the Sanhedrin, but an informal meeting for what is known in Scots Law as a precognition (a meeting of the councillors, aiding the Tribune to ascertain the facts [Ramsay]). As Lysias called the meeting, he probably presided and conducted the business. This would account for St. Pauls ignorance of the fact that Ananias was the high priest, and explains his apology. As to the charge made against him, the Apostle conducted his defence in a way that won for himself the sympathy of the Pharisees. It is a needless refinement to find here difficulties of an ethical kind. Luke saw nothing wrong or unworthy in this, and he was best able to judge. Paul was winning over the Pharisees not merely to himself but to the Christian cause. Paul states the same view more fully in Act 26:6-8 where there is no question of a clever trick, for there were no Pharisees among his judges (Ramsay, Pictures of the Apostolic Church, 1910, p. 283). The result of this defence was that became .
3. Jam 2:2 : If there come into your assembly (Authorized Version and Revised Version margin; Revised Version and AVm [Note: Vm Authorized Version margin.] synagogue: ).-James, writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, uses the old familiar word synagogue, which had become hallowed in the ears of the Dispersion by associations of worship and fellowship. This usage is a delicate indication (unintentional on the writers part, of course) that the Christian meeting had its ties not with the Temple, but with the synagogues which for ages had nourished the faith of Israel.
4. Heb 12:23 : Ye are come to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven (Revised Version ; , ). In classical usage is the festal assembly of the whole nation, gathered for some solemnity, such as the Olympic Games. But the word occurs only here in the NT, though it is found in Septuagint Eze 46:11, Hos 2:11; Hos 9:5, Amo 5:21. The passage has given rise to considerable variety of interpretation, indication of which may be seen in Revised Version text and margin. The difficulty is to determine how many classes are referred to.
(a) A. B. Davidson (Hebrews, Bible Class Handbooks, in loco) holds that the only subject is angels, and translates: to myriads of angels,-even a festal assembly and convocation of first-borns enrolled in heaven. In this interpretation he is followed by A. S. Peake (Century Bible, Hebrews).
(b) On the other hand, Westcott (Hebrews) contends for two classes-angels and men; and renders the passage: to countless hosts of angels in festal assembly, and to the Church of the first-born enrolled in heaven. So also Farrar (Cambridge Bible for Schools) and Edwards (Expositors Bible).
Against this latter interpretation, it may be pointed out that men are mentioned separately-and to the spirits of just men made perfect-and it is improbable that the groups occur twice. Tens of thousands is an almost technical term for angels; and, though firstborn is not elsewhere applied to them, it is a quite natural name for the sons of God. Besides, if living Christians are referred to, as this interpretation seems to imply, it is awkward to speak of their coming to a company which includes themselves (A. S. Peake). On the whole it appears better to abide by the first interpretation. It is the picture of noble souls returning home to God, and welcomed with the joy that is in the presence of the angels of God. Students of Dante will compare the corresponding passage in the Convivio: And, as his fellow-citizens come forth to meet him who returns from a long journey, even before he enters the gate of his city; so to the noble soul come forth the citizens of the eternal life. Bernards great hymn (Neales translation) Jerusalem the Golden may also be cited as instinct with the spirit of Heb 12:23.
W. M. Grant.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
Assembly
(in Heb. , moed’, etc.; in Gr. ), a term used in the New Testament to denote a convocation or congregation of persons legally called out or summoned. SEE CONGREGATION.
(1.) In the usual or secular sense (Act 19:39). Asia Minor, in the time of the apostles, was divided into several districts, each of which had its own legal assembly. SEE ASIARCH. Some of these are referred to by Cicero, and others by Pliny, particularly the one at Ephesus. The regular periods of such assemblies, it appears, were three or four times a month; although they were convoked extraordinarily for the dispatch of any urgent business. SEE ASIA (MINOR).
(2.) In the Jewish sense, the word implies a religious meeting, as in a synagogue (Mat 18:17); and in the Christian sense, a congregation of believers (1Co 11:18); hence a church, the Christian Church, and is used of any particular church, as that at Jerusalem (Act 8:1) and Antioch (Act 11:26). SEE SYNAGOGUE; SEE CHURCH.
MASTERS OF ASSEMBLIES ( , baaley’ asuphoth’, lords of the gdtherings; Sept. , Vulg. per magistrorum consilum), is a phrase occurring in Ecc 12:11, and supposed to refer to the master-spirits or associates of the meetings of the wise and curious (, of the parallel clause), held in Eastern countries, and where sages and philosophers uttered their weighty sayings. SEE MASTER. The preacher endeavored to clothe the infinitely wise and perfect doctrines which he taught in proper language. They were the words of truth, and were designed to prove quickening to the sluggish soul as goads are to the dull ox (Act 2:37). They were received from the one great shepherd or teacher, and came with great power as the sayings of the most wise and eloquent of their learned assemblies; and they would take hold of the hearts and consciences of men, holding them to the obedience of the truth, as nails driven through a- sound board firmly bind and fasten it where we will (see Stuart, Comment. in loc.). Hengstenberg, however (Comment. in loc.), fancifully understands the participators in the sacred collection (or apothegms of Scripture) to be meant. SEE ECCLESIASTES.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Assembly
ASSEMBLY.See Congregation.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Assembly
a-sembl (, kahal; , ekklesa): The common term for a meeting of the people called together by a crier. It has reference therefore to any gathering of the people called for any purpose whatsoever (Exo 12:6; Psa 22:16 the King James Version; Psa 89:7 the King James Version; Act 19:32, Act 19:41). The solemn assemblies of the Jews were their feasts or religious gatherings of any kind (Isa 1:13). The word paneguris, a general festal assembly (Heb 12:23), is transferred from the congregation of the people of Israel to the Christian church of which the congregation of Israel was a figure. In the same passage, ekklesa has the sense of calling, summoning. In classical Greek ekklesa was the name for the body of free citizens summoned by a herald. In this sense the church calls all the world to become identified with it. It denotes the whole body of believers, all who are called. Or it may refer to a particular congregation or local church (sunagoge, synagogue Jam 2:2 the Revised Version, margin). See CALLED; CHURCH; CONGREGATION.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Assembly
Besides the use of this word for any ‘collecting together,’ as the ‘assembly of the wicked,’ it has a special reference in the O.T. to the children of Israel as ‘the assembly,’ whether they were collected together or not. Several Hebrew words are used, some implying ‘an appointed meeting,’ others a ‘calling together,’ etc. ‘The whole assembly of the congregation’ were to eat the passover, Exo 12:6, though each family ate it in its own house. They accused Moses of having brought them into the wilderness to kill the ‘whole assembly with hunger,’ Exo 16:3; so in many places. When they were especially called together to the feasts it is often called a SOLEMN ASSEMBLY, as in Lev 23:36; Num 29:35; Deu 16:8; 2Ki 10:20; 2Ch 7:9; Neh 8:18, etc.
In the N.T. the word is also used for any gathering of people, as at the tumult in Ephesus. Act 19:32; Act 19:39; Act 19:41. In Jam 2:2 the word ‘assembly’ is really the synagogue, or place of meeting. In Heb 12:23 the words ‘GENERAL ASSEMBLY’ should be joined to ver. 22, reading “and to the innumerable company of angels, the general assembly:” the word ‘and’ dividing the subjects. The Greek word used in Act 19:32, etc. is , and this often occurs in the N.T. where it is translated ‘church.’ It signifies ‘called out,’ and the church is a people called out by God to Himself from the mass of mankind. The church may more accurately be designated by the word ‘assembly.’ See CHURCH.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
ASSEMBLY
the meeting of the early Christians, so called
Mat 18:20; Joh 20:19; Act 1:4; Act 1:14; Act 2:1; Act 4:31; Act 16:13; Act 20:7; 1Co 11:33
–SEE United Prayer, PRAYER
Fuente: Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
Assembly
from ek, “out of,” and klesis, “a calling” (kaleo, “to call”), was used among the Greeks of a body of citizens “gathered” to discuss the affairs of state, Act 19:39. In the Sept. it is used to designate the “gathering” of Israel, summoned for any definite purpose, or a “gathering” regarded as representative of the whole nation. In Act 7:38 it is used of Israel; in Act 19:32, Act 19:41, of a riotous mob. It has two applications to companies of Christians, (a) to the whole company of the redeemed throughout the present era, the company of which Christ said, “I will build My Church,” Mat 16:18, and which is further described as “the Church which is His Body,” Eph 1:22; Eph 5:23, (b) in the singular number (e.g., Mat 18:17, RV marg., “congregation”), to a company consisting of professed believers, e.g., Act 20:28; 1Co 1:2; Gal 1:13; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1; 1Ti 3:5, and in the plural, with reference to churches in a district.
There is an apparent exception in the RV of Act 9:31, where, while the AV has “churches,” the singular seems to point to a district; but the reference is clearly to the church as it was in Jerusalem, from which it had just been scattered, Act 8:1. Again, in Rom 16:23, that Gaius was the host of “the whole church,” simply suggests that the “assembly” in Corinth had been accustomed to meet in his house, where also Paul was entertained. See CHURCH.
from pan, “all,” and agora, “any kind of assembly,” denoted, among the Greeks, an assembly of the people in contrast to the council of national leaders, or a “gathering” of the people in honor of a god, or for some public festival, such as the Olympic games. The word is used in Heb 12:23, coupled with the word “church,” as applied to all believers who form the body of Christ.
“a multitude, the whole number,” is translated “assembly” in Act 23:7, RV. See BUNDLE, COMPANY, MULTITUDE.
Note: For sunagoge, see ASSEMBLE, Note (2).