The Duty of Social Meetings by William Nelson Glenn

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Aug 9, 1883

The Duty of Social Meetings

By William Nelson Glenn

"BRETHREN, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." Here we have an illustration of the manner of the Sabbath service as conducted in the synagogues. After the reading and expounding of a portion of the law or prophecies by the leader, others had opportunity to speak. Here we have authority for our system of social meetings—a system sanctioned by our Saviour, as it was his custom to attend the synagogue services (Luke 4:16), and also by the apostles as shown by their example and precepts. Paul was especially solicitous in regard to this duty and privilege, when writing by inspiration of the Spirit. See 1 Cor. 14:26; Col. 3:16; Eph. 4:15-21; Heb. 3:12, 13; 10:24, 25. And the same Spirit, speaking through the prophet Malachi, foretells what they who fear the Lord in the last days will do in this regard. See Malachi 3:16, 17.

"AND when the Gentiles heard this they were glad." That is, when they heard that the Lord had sent messengers specially to them with the word of salvation. And we of to-day have fully as great reason to rejoice that, although Gentiles after the flesh, we have been grafted in to the Israel of God, to be the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise. Let us, then, the recipients of so great privileges, "be not high-minded but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he spare not" us. The natural branches were cut off for want of faith and a consequent lack of fruitfulness; and we have no reason to expect greater favors than they. See Rom. 11:13 and onward. W. N. G.