18: Rediscovering the Biblical Purpose of Church Gatherings (Hint: It's Not Worship) - Dr. Tom Wadsworth

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tom Wadsworth to explore a vital yet often misunderstood topic: the true purpose of early Christian gatherings. Many of us assume that worship has always been the central focus of church meetings, but Dr. Wadsworth’s research reveals a different story.

Together, we discuss how modern church practices have shifted away from the original biblical model, which prioritized mutual edification and spiritual growth and excluded temple-based worship rituals. Dr. Wadsworth breaks down the disconnect between the New Testament assemblies and today’s church services, the meaning behind key Greek words for worship, and why reclaiming the biblical intent of gathering matters for Christians today.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tom Wadsworth to explore a vital yet often misunderstood topic: the true purpose of early Christian gatherings. Many of us assume that worship has always been the central focus of church meetings, but Dr. Wadsworth’s research reveals a different story.

Together, we discuss how modern church practices have shifted away from the original biblical model, which prioritized mutual edification and spiritual growth and excluded temple-based worship rituals. Dr. Wadsworth breaks down the disconnect between the New Testament assemblies and today’s church services, the meaning behind key Greek words for worship, and why reclaiming the biblical intent of gathering matters for Christians today.

▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 - Intro
02:39 - Tom's background of research and dissertation development
04:55 - The purpose of gatherings
06:58 - Understanding worship language and edification
08:52 - The difference between ancient and modern gatherings
11:10 - The worship anomaly
15:12 - Are worship and edification mutually exclusive?
17:09 - If you're not getting something out of the meeting, maybe you're not the problem after all
19:10 - Greek words for worship
26:15 - Martin Luther's translation work
28:30 - Why weren't these worship words used in the early church?
31:38 - God's people as temples
32:40 - How can we be sure these words didn't take on new meaning?
39:30 - Christianity is a way of life
40:43 - The shift toward worship services as we know them
45:33 - How we got off track and the continuing reformation
50:18 - Why is this important to the average person?
52:08 - How does this affect our modern churches?
55:50 - Ignore the walls, focus on the people
57:15 - Pushback and responses
1:00:00 - How small groups affect edification
1:03:10 - Conclusion

The Assembly: How We Got Worship Wrong:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBymWQLP-rkGoTzyS81-MIi5q63Aq4UgI&si=tuXacmFHhkGv72vW

Tom's web site:
https://www.tomwadsworth.com/

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