Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
R___ wrote:
I appreciated your call so much the other day. Just hearing your cheerful voice and
knowing that you care enough to want to take some time out of your busy day to talk with
me, really speaks volumes about your character. God bless you for that!
I was doing a study on II Thessalonians, when I felt led to compare this phrase, in Chapter
2, verse 1...:
"And they
(the angels) shall gather together his elect......"
I noticed that the words gather, gathering, and assembling are all the same Greek word,
Strongs' #1997 (episunagoge), and is from #1996 (episunago) .....(To collect upon the same
place).
And "episunago" is taken from #4863 (sunago), which is taken from #4862 (sun), the prim.
prep. denoting union, with or together.
I also observed that there are a lot of applications that are taken from #4862 (sun). Some of
them are repetitious, but here is a short list showing the various ways that assembling and
gathering are defined and described:
If I'm understanding all of this correctly, then the gathering or the assembling, as described
above, is a process that goes on over a long period of time, and not some literal, physical
event that takes place at some geographical location, at a pre-arranged time.
This has less to do with a physical meeting, and more to do with our collective state of
mind.
Throughout my entire life, whenever the Hebrews 10:25 verse was mentioned during
sermons, it was always explained as meaning the people who neglected their church
attendance or other types of christian fellowship meetings.
In letters alone, that would certainly apply. Without question, our times of fellowship, when
people are drawn from all over this country to meet in a physical building, are wonderful
indeed.
When the Christ of Christ comes together physically for fellowship, there is nothing like it!!
But when compared to the totality of our christian experience and our time here on earth,
those events are very short-lived and far between.
And then, we go back to our individual homes, where we often feel isolated, lonely and
rejected.
But in the spirit behind those letters, it seems to be saying something much deeper.
Mike, what I'm seeing here is the body of Christ being developed, unified and completed,
over time.
As we, the chosen, are being gathered and assembled, we all partake of the same process of
scourging and chastening and experience the same things (listed above) as we learn to live
by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
But before we can go through this gathering and assembling process, we must first (II
Thess. 2:3) fall away, and then that man of sin that is inside of us must be revealed,
consumed and destroyed.
Thanks to our God-given, modern day communication technology, you are now able, with
your web page, to easily reach out to the few who are scattered all over the map, bringing
us all together in unity of mind and purpose, and:
"......so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Heb. 10:25)
If I'm not seeing this right, please set me straight. Maybe the next time you call me we can
discuss it, at your convenience.
Thank you for being my faithful friend and fellow soldier in Christ!
R____
That list of meanings of that word is so incredibly revealing. We are "together" in every
imaginable way in spirit.
I thank you for your appreciation for what God is doing through iswasandwillbe.com.
Mike