Acts 14:26-28 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the disciples.
When Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch from the first missionary journey they realized God’s grace in the work they had done. Their first order of business was to gather the church together and tell them all that God had done for them. They wanted the church to know that the Gentiles had received the gospel and God had given them open doors for ministry. They were excited about what God was doing. The Bible says they ‘gathered’ the church together. The Greek word translated ‘gathered’ is sunago. I understand this word well. It is what I have spent a lot of time doing. Growing up, we gathered lots of cows.
Interestingly, this is the root word from which the idea of a Synagogue comes. A Synagogue is a place where Jews gather to worship. It is important that we understand that God’s people are to gather together. Do you consistently gather together with God’s people? It is something we are told to do.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Once again, the word translated ‘assembling together’ has the root of sunago. The manner of some is to forsake the assembling together of the church. The Bible says, “Don’t do that. Don’t develop a habit of forsaking the assembly.”
Jesus used the word sunago in another context that is interesting. He said:
Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
This verse leaves no room for fence-sitting! You are either with Jesus or you are against him! You either gather with him or you scatter abroad. How do you gather with Jesus? Well, first of all you help him to gather up lost sheep. Secondly, you gather together with his church, where he has promised to be when they are gathered!
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Are you gathering or scattering? There is no in between…
In Christ,
Rody
