N.Drew - regardless of the strict definition of "forsake" I think most would understand that it means not to abandon something. Evidently the NT doesn't lay down a certain number of meetings per week/month/year, but the idea of regularity is surely inherant in "all the more so as you behold the day drawing near." (it's funny thinking about that that one meeting got cut even though the day must be nearer). I think I'm finding it difficult to exactly grasp some of your application of that passage. I prefer a simple reading, but I will give it some more thought.
As to the purpose of the congregation being to "preserve the word through the ages", I don't think that is stated anywhere, and I don't see any evidence that a "congregation" has been successful at doing that from the intervening period between Christ and now. Do you have some scriptural reasoning to identify that as the purpose? I would be interested to understand that. It seems to me that the "inciting to love and fine works" is more intrinsic to the purpose, and that would apply all the more so nearer the conclusion of the system of things.
miles3 - Of course I accept that my questions are presented from with my own frame of reference, and that is shaped by external influences (including in part WT teachings). In principle that is true of all of us. To imply however that I am unable to analyse the scripture in any form of objective manner is wrong. You may feel that way, but that is without knowing me personally, so it would seem to be an unfair judgement. If some of my conclusions coincide with WTS teachings that does not automatically make them wrong. That would be unless we could categorically say that EVERY WTS teaching is wrong (just because). I would say that someone who took that view would have to be able to somehow justify that as a blanket statement, otherwise it is just as narrow minded as someone who accept all WTS teachings as correct (just because)
Tammy - I still feel that "gathering together" is a form of command. "Command" just might a negative connotation because it sounds like a "demand", so maybe there is a better way of describing it because nether word occurs in relation to congregation meetings. But it is similar to when a parent might ask their child to do something that will strongly benefit them if they do, and have a serious negative effect if they do not. Is that a command? Well from the parent's point of view (if he/she is a good parent) the child's actions are not optional. But it might still be presented as a strong plee or request, and if the child is correctly motivated he/she will see it as non-optional. I think that encouragement to gather is a bit like that.