The New Testament records many activities of the gathered church. When Paul listed “a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation” (1 Corinthians 14:26), he was not giving an exhaustive list of activities, he was responding to a local problem. A more complete list of church activities can be compiled from New Testament narrative accounts where the writer, through inspiration, told the story of the early church, and in expository or didactic passages that teach Bible doctrine.

Though this list is by no means exhaustive, a full understanding of the activities of the gathered church begins here. These are the topics and passages that will be studied in this continuing series of Baptist Bulletin articles.

  1. Prayer (1 Timothy 2:1, 2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
  2. Scripture reading (1 Timothy 4:13)
  3. Songs of praise and edification (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)
  4. Collection of offerings for the church (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2)
  5. Collection of offerings for the poor (2 Corinthians 9:11-15)
  6. Expressions of fellowship (Jude 12; Acts 2:42-47)
  7. Personal testimony (Acts 4:23-33; 12:13-16)
  8. Confession of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)
  9. Confession of sin (1 John 1:8-10)
  10. Teaching: lessons from Scripture
  11. Preaching (Acts 20:7)
  12. Lord’s Supper (Communion) as thanksgiving and unity
    (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
  13. Ordination and commissioning (Acts 13:1-4)
  14. Church discipline and church meetings (Matthew 18:15-20)
  15. Baptism as confession of faith (1 Peter 3:21)
  16. Congregational or individual responses (1 Corinthians 14:2; 16:22; Romans 16:16)
  17. Greetings and benedictions (1 Corinthians 1:3; 13:13)