Paul’s charge to Timothy is instructive in 1 Tim 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. It’s easy to discern the importance of those focal points of Timothy’s devotion, but what’s really lost if Christians do not gather in the same location when that is taking place? The answer is that there is a mutual edification and a mutual accountability that is diminished if we fail to gather together to worship in our mutual submission to the Word.
Think about it this way: Haven’t you ever been encouraged when you have witnessed someone actively listening and submitting to God’s word? Isn’t it wonderful to look around on Sunday mornings and realize that we aren’t in this fight of faith alone; that all temptations are common to man and that we all need comfort and correction from God’s word?; When even the mature among us are hungry and attentively listening in order to come under the Scriptures and grow?
Furthermore, when we corporately expose ourselves to God’s word, we are putting ourselves on the hook to obey what we hear since we are listening in the company of many others. When we all drive away from a worship service, we are very aware that we all just heard the same thing and therefore we are called by God to submit to it because it’s his word and thus possesses his authority and we are also called to help others submit to it. Also, if you have been talking with another brother or sister about the truth and you know there was something that was extremely relatable to your conversations or discipleship, then it stirs up more directed content for future interactions. These are just some of the benefits of corporately coming under the truth together.
The benefit of corporate exposure to God’s word
