Biblical Foundations
Gaspar A. Cortez
DSMN630 D02: Small Group Ministries
March 30, 2025
Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................1
Comiskey Summary.................................................................................................................1
Dempsey and Earley Summary................................................................................................3
Primary Passages for Small Group Ministry.............................................................................4
Assembly Structure.................................................................................................................6
Bibliography............................................................................................................................7
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Introduction
Small group ministry is one of the most vital aspects the current Assembly of believers is
built upon. It isn’t simply and only because it was the model Yeshua used. It reaches far deeper
than that. There were many things that Yeshua did, which the body doesn’t do, but that’s not
the topic of this short paper (1 Cor 11:1; 1 Jn 2:6)1, so then why is small group ministry so
important?
This paper’s aim is to answer that very question, albeit in short. First, chapters two-four
of Joel Comiskey’s book Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights
for the 21st Century Church will be summed up, followed by a summary of chapters five and six
of Rod Dempsey and Dave Earley’s book Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying, Small Groups.
Next, there will be an overview of some primary passages that form a small group ministry
according to Rod Dempsey. And finally, a brief summarization of the personal Assembly and
small group structure of the author of this paper.
Comiskey Summary
In chapter two of Comiskey’s book, G-d’s Trinitarian Nature, he explores the man-made
belief in the Trinitarian nature of Hashem.2 Although never found in the Scriptures from Genesis
to Revelation, Comiskey attempts to explain how the doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to
try to understand who Hashem is and also how believers are called to live together in unity,
modeling Hashem’s communal nature.3 His very essence is relational, and believers are called to
imitate His love through this unity and fellowship. When this is embraced, true transformation
for the believer can happen.
1 All Scripture reference is from The Scriptures Version 2009, unless otherwise noted.
2 Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights for the 21st
Century Church (Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012), 38.
3 Ibid., 48.
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In chapter three, The Family of G-d, Comiskey aims at the concept of family and
community through the lens of biblical history. Despite sin corrupting the family concept,
Hashem continued to work through this structure building upon each family with blessings and
promises.
In the Tanakh4 or Old Testament the family concept is similar to many eastern
households in today’s modern world; they live in extended households, not nuclear ones, often
multigenerational.5 This was vital to survival and the social structure.
Even though the Israelites struggled, and many times failed to demonstrate Hashem’s
truth to the nations, the Prophets through the visions from Hashem foretold the restoration of
the family.6 Through this restoration the “household of Hashem” would even be extended to a
include the broader believing community.7
In the Brit Hadashah of [re]New[ed] Testament, this household would imitate the way
Hashem originally wanted it to be run, through obedience to include loving worship (Dt. 6:4-5;
Mt. 22:37 ), supporting one another (Lev. 19:17-18; Mt. 22:39) , and the social embodiment of
the good news (the gospel, Isa. 49:5-6; Mt.. 5:14-16). And due to many families being
introduced into the commonwealth of Israel (body of Messiah, Eph. 2:12), Shaul had to explain
in terms these former gentiles would understand; basic how-to instructions for roles in house
Assemblies.8
4 Tanakh or Hebrew Bible is the foundational text of the Scriptures. It is an acronym for the three sections
of the canon, the Torah (five books of Moshe), the Nevi’im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). In, Sefaria.org,
“Tanakh,” no date given, accessed Mar. 30, 2025, https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Tanakh.
5 Leo G. Perdue, Joseph Blenkinsopp, John J. Collins, and Carol Meyers, Families in Ancient Israel
(Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997), pp. 174–175, In Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-
Based Church, 53.
6 Comiskey, 57.
7 Halvor Moxnes, ed., Constructing Early Christian Families (London: Routledge, 1997), p. 62, In Joel
Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church, 63.
8 Comiskey, 66.
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And finally in chapter four, Revelation: Jesus And His Method Of Ministry, Comiskey
targets Yeshua’s ministry method. Similar to what Hashem states many times in the Tanakh,
Yeshua employs the very same tactic. People can choose to be obedient to His words or not.9
Yeshua chose twelve disciples who He taught through not only theoretical lessons, but
also through real-life experiences.10 In doing so, Yeshua modeled through leadership and doing
instead of simply talking. Yeshua often preached in the Synagogues, but discipled in homes. He
didn’t depend on big buildings, that was where they learned the Torah (Acts 15:21).
His process was personal. It was face to face, where He and His disciples could speak
privately to get to know them. He eventually, after teaching the small group of twelve (plus 72),
sent out His disciples to imitate His method, going home to home to reach individuals in order
to spread the kingdom message. From these homes, entire communities would be reached and
even further reach into the very fabric of the culture.11
Dempsey and Earley Summary
In chapter five, G-d’s Big Priorities, Dempsey and Early emphasize the small group
leader’s role in fostering community in the life of believers. They highlight that small groups are
a major priority in Hashem’s plan as they fulfill the human heart’s cry for community, an
identifying mark even.12 And being the leader of one of these groups is vital to fellowship as it
allows people to bring down fences and take off masks, bringing peoples most intimate feelings
of joy or even sorrows into the light, so that true fellowship can occur.
In chapter six, Jesus Was a Small Group Leader, they transition from the person being
the leader to Who was the greatest small group leader, Yeshua. He set an example for those
9 Ibid., 73.
10 Ibid., 77-78.
11 Ibid., 83.
12 Rod Dempsey and Dave Earley, Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups (Nashville, TN: B&H
Academic, 2018), 23-24.
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who would follow Him. And since Yeshua prioritized doing this, His followers should do the
same. What’s being done isn’t just another program orchestrated by the Assembly; it’s a sacred
calling that aligns with what the Father ordained for His Son to do, and His believers, to imitate.
Primary Passages for Small Group Ministry
According to the video by Dr. Dempsey, there are five primary passages that form a small
group ministry.13 The first is from Matthew 22:34-40. Without breaking this down into the meat
of the passage, the key focus points here are that believers in light of small groups, should put
Hashem first in all they do, meaning they should be obedient to what He has said all through
the Scriptures, in this case the Tanakh. Even Shaul backs this when he mentions that all
Scripture, at the time only Torah, is profitable for reproof, for correction, and instruction in
righteousness (1 Tim. 3:1 6-17). This is why the body must establish Torah (Ro. 3:31), it’s how
the body knows what sin is (Ro. 7:7; 1 Jn. 3:4). If the body loves Him, they will follow His
commands (1 Jn 2:3-6).
If the body follows the first part here, the second is easy, because a command of Hashem
is to love your neighbor or brethren who love Hashem. Everything falls into place for the
believer when they are in lockstep with His commands through love.
The second passage is from what is known as The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20). This
command was not directly given to all men, as the context speaks only to the disciples there
with Him. However, as followers and this being a command to them, the body should want to
also do the same by implication. Yeshua gives three principles directly out of the Torah. 1—Go
make disciples out of all the nations, in other words be a light to them so they may also come
out of darkness (Isa. 8:20). 2—Immerse or baptize them. When people come in front of the
13 Rod Dempsey, “Biblical Foundations,” Liberty.edu, accessed Mar. 30, 2025,
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/756543/pages/watch-biblical-foundations?module_item_id=82785445
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Father, they should be cleansed (Ex. 30:18-21). And 3—teaching them to guard the commands
of the Torah in which the Father already gave them (Jn 14:15; 15:10; 1 Jn:2-5).
The third passage is from the book of Acts 2:41ish through 47. Again, immersion rings
through a passage. When a believer is ready to give their life to the Father under mediation of
His Son, then they should be immersed in water and cleansed. Another important principle is
that believers must not only continue in the Synagogue or Assembly, but also fellowship and
pray with likeminded believers (2 Cor. 6:14). And a final principle that stems from the greatest
commandment, is to always praise Elohim, the Father.
The fourth passage is from Ephesians 1. A deep principle to remember is that if a
believer is chosen, there is nothing that can change that. They are in the body and part of it,
working together as a whole.
The fifth and final passage spoken about is from Ephesians 4, the role of the body
selected. Not everyone will have the same job. Within the body, five jobs are available. Those
are disciple/emissary, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. This is a truly important
principle as many believers who want a job they may not be good at and in fact hurt the body.
However, when the Spirit begins to guide, the path set forth begins to clear up and the road is
obvious.
Assembly Structure
This is a difficult concept as I have no local Assembly to be a part of where I am from. To
answer the first part of the question, I currently have no Assembly structure in person. My
online Assembly is The Vineyard Fellowship in Greenville, Tennessee. I catch on every Sabbath
to watch, listen, and worship with their local congregation. They have a five-fold ministry
following after the passage in Ephesians 4.
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The model would fall under the organic Assembly structure in both building and lived
out in the community. The evangelism and discipleship would fall under both attractional and
organic as they have a small school curriculum attached to the Assembly as well as several small
groups that operate. The majority of the Assembly would fall under attractional and organic. In
the with/of/is, the Assembly would fall towards the organic side of it.
I personally met with a small group of men every Wednesday. We are very organic in
that we have me and one other who are well experienced as well as aged, teaching other young
men how to be developed and confident men in Hashem imitating His Son Yeshua. The one
thing not done yet is Assembly/church planting as we are still a small group teaching and
leading others in Scripture.
Bibliography
Comiskey, Joel. Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church: New Testament Insights for the
21st Century Church. Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012.
Dempsey, Rod, and Dave Earley. Leading Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Small Groups. Nashville,
TN: B&H Academic, 2018.
Dempsey, Rod. “Biblical Foundations.” Liberty.edu. Accessed Mar. 30, 2025.
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/756543/pages/watch-biblical-foundations?
module_item_id=82785445.
Moxnes, Halvor. Ed. Constructing Early Christian Families. London: Routledge, 1997.
Perdue, Leo G., Joseph Blenkinsopp, John J. Collins, and Carol Meyers. Families in Ancient Israel.
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.
Sefaria.org. “Tanakh.” No date given. Accessed Mar. 30, 2025.
https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Tanakh.
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