The Assembly in Matthew’s Gospel

Robert F. Wall

The Greek word translated assembly (ἐκκλησία or ekklesia), either in the singular or plural, occurs around 115 times in the New Testament, but only three times in the Gospel of Matthew (16:18; 18:17 (x2)). There are no occurrences of the word at all in the other Gospels.

Peter’s confession

The Lord spoke the well-known words about building His assembly in response to Peter’s confession ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matt. 16:15–18). This is significant. In the parallel passages in Mark 8:27–9:1 and Luke 9:18–27, the Lord Jesus is only confessed as the Christ, Peter is not named by the Lord or addressed individually by Him and there is no reference to His building the assembly. This underlines the fact that the assembly has its existence in connection with Christ known and confessed as the Son of the living God. He has accomplished redemption by His death and is now risen from the dead. It is upon Him as such that the assembly is built. This stable and immovable foundation can never be overthrown and no other foundation can be laid that is like it (1 Cor. 3:11). The assembly is not built on Peter (Πέτρος or Petros), whose name means ‘a stone’, but on Christ as the (mass of) rock (πέτρᾳ or petra).

‘I will build my assembly’

At the time that the Lord Jesus was speaking, this work of building the assembly lay wholly in the future. He said to Peter ‘I will build’, not ‘I am building’. The Lord’s prior statement ‘thou art Peter’ (i.e. a stone) makes clear that it was primarily the building of the assembly as the spiritual house of God that was in view (1 Pet. 2:5). This work of the Lord will continue until the assembly grows ‘unto an holy temple in the Lord’ formed of every Christian believer that has ever lived (Eph. 2:21). In other passages where human responsibility in the work is considered, failure may result, but that is not the subject here (1 Cor. 3:10–13; 2 Tim. 2:20; etc.).

The assembly is most frequently referred to as the assembly of God but here the Lord Jesus speaks of it as ‘my assembly’. We should never forget its preciousness to Him, and that He loved the assembly and delivered Himself up for it (Eph. 5:25). He adds that ‘hades’ gates shall not prevail against it.’ The gates of hades represent the power of death which the Lord Jesus met and broke for the believer by His own death and resurrection. In resurrection He gives life to His own, they are living stones, and this life is always theirs. Even if physical death comes in they depart to be with Christ while the body falls asleep. They are raised at the Lord’s coming and those believers who are alive and remain to His coming are caught up with them.

The assembly to be distinguished from the kingdom

It is important to distinguish between the assembly and the kingdom. The kingdom is a primary theme in the Old Testament and its establishment under Messiah is frequently referred to in the writings of the prophets. By contrast, the truth concerning the assembly was ‘hidden from ages and from generations’ and had not been made known ‘to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets’ (Col. 1:26; Eph. 3:5). In the millennium, the kingdom will encompass both Jews and Gentiles on earth as well as all the saints in heaven (Luke 1:32–33; Matt. 25:32–40; 2 Tim. 4:18; Matt. 13:43). The assembly on the other hand is formed of saints called out for heavenly blessing. Earthly differences (e.g. nationalities) disappear within the church: it is the ‘assembly of the firstborn who are registered in heaven’ (Heb. 12:23; 1 Cor. 10:32).

The kingdom of the heavens

The expression ‘the kingdom of the heavens’ only occurs in Matthew’s Gospel (x32). The early references to it clearly had the kingdom in the millennium in view (3:2; 4:17; 5:3, 10, 19, 20; 7:21; 8:11; 10:7).[1] In order that it might be introduced in this form, the people were called upon to repent and to receive and submit to Messiah then present among them. Had these conditions been met then many would have come from the rising and setting sun and lain down at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens (8:11). This would have involved Abraham, Isaac and Jacob being raised from the dead.

The king rejected

The mass of the people and their leaders, however, were unrepentant and rejected the Lord. In chapters 11 and 12 of his Gospel, Matthew gathers up the evidence that proves this. This open rejection by the people and their leaders marked a turning point in the Lord’s dealings with them. Chapter 13 shows Him going out from the house (speaking of Israel) and sitting by the sea (speaking of the nations). This reflected the new perspective that was being taken. From this point on, the remaining references to the ‘kingdom of the heavens’ refer to the kingdom in its present mystery form (13:11). This embraces the whole sphere of Christian profession: all those who, at least outwardly, acknowledge the authority of the Lord Jesus.

All of the parables of the kingdom of the heavens refer to the kingdom in this form. The first occur in Matthew 13. Sometimes they reflect the kingdom of the heavens in its broadest sense including those who are lifeless professors of Christ (e.g. the parable of wheat and tares: vs. 24–30 and 36–43), while at other times they refer only to those who are real (e.g. the parables of the treasure and the pearl: vs. 45–46). Many of them also speak of the outcome of faithfulness or unfaithfulness during this period. The faithful will be rewarded and the unfaithful (unbelieving Christian profession) will be judged.

The keys of the kingdom

It was to give admittance into this present spiritual form of the kingdom that the keys of the kingdom were given to and used by Peter. The idea that he was given the keys of heaven or of the assembly is not found in Scripture. Peter used the keys on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–36) and in the preaching to Cornelius (Acts 10:34–43).

Those who profess to be Christians, even though they may not have real faith in Christ and His work, enter the kingdom in its present form. However, because they are not true sons of the kingdom, they will be cast out of it before it is manifested in glory (Matt. 13:36–43). They will never enter heaven (22:1–2, 8–14; 25:1–13). By contrast, those who have faith in Christ and His work enter the kingdom in a vital way and will be with and like the Lord forever (see John 3:3, 5).

Not only were the keys of the kingdom of the heavens to be given to Peter but the responsibility of binding and loosing would also be committed to him. This refers chiefly to the exercise of discipline in the assembly. We will examine this in more detail as we consider the two other references to the assembly in Matthew 18.

The local assembly

In chapter 16, the Lord had the assembly in its widest aspect in view, but here the references are to the local assembly. It is not the Jewish synagogue but the company of called out Christian believers (again, ekklesia). This is clearly shown by the verses themselves and the context in which they are found.

In Matthew 5:23–24 the Lord showed how difficulties among the godly in Israel were to be dealt with, and that chapter continues to have a moral application today. This part of Matthew 18 shows specifically how problems between Christian brethren are to be addressed. The Lord knew that such difficulties would arise and here provided the needed guidance for such cases.

Binding and loosing

Binding and loosing was not committed to Peter exclusively. Here in verse 18, it is also the action of a Christian assembly either in exercising discipline by putting away (binding) or in receiving back again into the company when there has been repentance (loosing). If the one who had sinned against his brother was still unrepentant after the matter had been brought before the assembly, this discipline might be necessary, and it is the responsibility of those who gather to the Lord’s name to exercise it in appropriate cases.

Binding or loosing is not the act of part of a local assembly but that of the whole local assembly united in the same judgement (1 Cor. 5:4–5). The two or three referred to in verse 16, the brother sinned against and the one or two others that he was to take with him, cannot act on behalf of the assembly in such a matter. Nor can a divided company bind or loose and any attempt to do so would not be recognised in heaven.[2] Verse 18 refers to believers gathered, as assembly, to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in that locality including the two or three referred to in verse 16.

Verse 19 is again addressed to the whole local assembly. Verse 18 begins ‘Verily I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on the earth’ and verse 19 begins ‘Again I say to you’. Both are therefore addressed to the same company, the whole local assembly. Verse 20 explains why in verse 19 the Lord could say ‘whatsoever it may be that they shall ask, it shall come to them from my Father’. It also explains why their binding and loosing is valid in heaven (v. 18). It is because Christ is in the midst of the two or three gathered to His name in assembly.

Later, in John 20:23, the Lord addresses those who shortly after would form the assembly. He said to these disciples: ‘whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.’ In this verse, the order seen in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 is reversed and remission is mentioned before the retaining of sins. The binding and loosing in Matthew’s Gospel refer to those who are already within the Christian assembly whereas John 20:23 refers to those who joined themselves to be recognised as the Lord’s (e.g. Acts 8:21). Assembly discipline is to be exercised in every case where necessary: ‘For what have I to do with judging those outside also? ye, do not ye judge them that are within?’ (1 Cor. 5:12). All three passages are administrative and relate to sins, not in any eternal sense but in connection with God’s present moral government of His people (see 1 Pet. 4:17).

‘For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them’

The fact that the Lord assures His presence even to two or three gathered to His Name shows the greatness of His grace to the assembly on the one hand and the contrast with Judaism on the other. Whether in days of great power as recorded in Acts, or now in days of great weakness, Christ is the resource of His assembly, to help and direct in all its concerns and activities.

To be gathered together to His name is to be gathered together in assembly, in faith of all that His name shows Him to be. He is to be before His people as their only centre on earth even though He has been and still is rejected here and is bodily in heaven. This promise does not apply simply to any meeting together of the saints of God but specifically to saints coming together and allowing the Lord to lead them by the Spirit in meetings of the assembly as such (see also 1 Cor. 11:18; 14:19, 23–25).

Prayer is of great importance: individual prayer, prayer in the Christian family and prayer on the part of those who may together be exercised about a particular matter. The prayer referred to in verse 19, however, is prayer in the local assembly.

This wonderful promise is not made void because the assembly (in terms of its testimony on earth) is now divided. It is hardly anywhere the case that all the real Christians in a particular locality come together into one place. Nevertheless, those real Christians that are gathered to Christ’s name according to the directions given in Scripture can still count on His presence and help. It is therefore still their responsibility to bind and loose as the need may arise.

Matthew 18: the wider context

Both the wider context in this part of Matthew’s Gospel and that of the passage within the chapter make it clear that verses 15–20 refer to the local aspect of the Christian assembly. Before as well as after this section, the present ‘mystery’ form of the kingdom is referred to. In order to enter it in a vital way one must become as a little child (Matt. 18:1–3). It is not the kingdom in the millennium but the kingdom on earth now while the King, our Lord, is in heaven (vs. 6–10). There was no kingdom of the heavens on earth until the Lord had gone back to heaven (11:11). The parable at the end of the chapter makes clear how important Christian forgiveness is in the sight of God. It is a parable of the kingdom of the heavens and refers to the present Christian era (18:23–34).

We can well understand the deep interest of the Jews in the kingdom but the Lord introduces this new subject of the assembly and shows how the form of the kingdom has been modified at the present time because of His rejection.

[1] At the same time, passages such as the so-called ‘sermon on the Mount’ (Matt. 5–7) also have a moral application to us today (eds.).

[2] On the other hand, unanimity is not required (consider the punishment inflicted by the many: 2 Cor. 2:6) (eds.).