For the Third
Sunday in Lent
He that is not with me is against me: and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth. (Luke 11:23)
What does it mean to gather with Christ? It is
possible that the word "gather" was meant to convey the idea of kibutz (קָבַץ), a word that the modern world became familiar
with because of the early Zionists and the state of Israel
It is also significant that this line is recorded
in a context about spiritual warfare and the attack of the Kingdom of God, a
frontal assault to take back territory formerly siezed by Satan, and
to set hostages free. Going back to v. 20, we see that context:
But if I with the finger of God cast out devils,
no doubt the kingdom
of God
And what follows is about spiritual warfare also,
with a warning.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he
walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will
return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it
swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits
more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last
state of that man is worse than the first. (vs. 24-26)
Gathering with Christ and His Church seems to be
one and the same, at the very least inseparable. When on his way to die in
a Roman arena, St. Ignatius wrote several letters to various churches (circa
110 AD). Though he knew that he himself would never return to his bishopric in Antioch
The alternative is to be part of a great
scattering, a life of isolation where it is all too easy to avoid the clutter
of prayer, worship, sacraments and sound doctrine. In that scattering an
individual becomes such a house as Christ describes, "swept and garnished,"
ready for the habitation of evil plus more evil times seven. That last state is
worse than the first.
Koinonia
Another word that is relevant to the subject of
gathering with Christ and His Church is the word translated as
"fellowship," which is koinōnia (κοινωνία).
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship (κοινωνία) with us: and truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (I John 1:4) Here we see that this
fellowship is impossible without the truth of Apostolic doctrine, the
word of God in Scripture.
This same word, koinōnia, is
translated "communion" speaking very directly of the sacrament of
Christ's Body and Blood. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not
the communion (κοινωνία) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we
break, is it not the communion (κοινωνία) of the body of Christ?"
(I Cor. 10:16)
A form of this word is used also to say we are
partakers. That is koinōnos (κοινωνός).
"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye
are partakers (κοινωνός) of Christ's sufferings; that,
when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
(I Pet. 4:13)
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might
be partakers (κοινωνός) of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust." (II Pet. 1:4)
Contrary to that is a kind of fellowship from
which we are told to turn away.
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are
ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit
of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and
truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians
5:8-11)."
In that passage we see a form of the same word
translated "fellowship," sygkoinōneō (συγκοινωνέω). With
what have we fellowship, that is communion? The Body and Blood of Christ, or the
unfruitful works of darkness? With whom have we fellowship, that is communion?
Christ and His Body the Church, or "the world, the flesh and the devil?" Choose.
One can see the skillful use of words in our
Service of Holy Communion when we come across such lines as, "humbly
beseeching thee, that all we, who are partakers of this
holy communion, may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly
benediction." The scholars of the Church of England were second to none,
and they knew exactly what they were saying in light of the Biblical use of
words that formed their thinking.
We partake, we communicate, we have fellowship;
this is with Christ and His Church; and it is across all barriers of time and
space. As St. John
That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we
have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was
with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (I
John 1:1-4)
Our Synagogue
Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our
faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 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. (Heb.
10:22-25)
That word "assembling" is a translation
of yet another form of the word "synagogue." It is episynagōgē
(ἐπισυναγωγή).
I do not know what value each of you place on the
fellowship of God's Church, especially in countries where the choices seem
endless, and where it is so free and easy to gather together. Unlike the
ancient Christians under the Roman persecution before 313 AD, and unlike many
Christians in various countries where the Church suffers persecution, modern
western Christians do not take a risk or pay a high price for the opportunity
to assemble. But, to understand the value everyone ought to place on the
fellowship of God's holy Church, let us summarize the points we have learned in
this brief study.
When we gather as the Church we gather with
Christ Himself. If we do not so gather or assemble together, we scatter and
become prey for the enemy. If anyone doubts the reality of that peril, let
us look at the very next verse from the portion we have quoted of
the Epistle to the Hebrews. Vs. 26, 27 tell us, "For if we sin
willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Why
does the writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, warn that
forsaking the assembling together of the Church leads to a state of willful
sin? Need we really ask this question?
When we gather as the Church we have fellowship.
This is not merely social; more than that it is also sacramental and
theological. That it is sacramental is obvious, as we have seen from the
passage about the communion of Christ's Body and Blood. That it is theological
is obvious, because of what John tells us about the doctrine of the Apostles
who touched, who heard and who saw the Incarnate Christ (especially as they
again touched, heard and saw Him after He had risen from the dead). Our
fellowship and communion is in the truth of God's word and it is sacramental.
It is with God, and it is with one another. Across barriers of time, we have
fellowship with the Apostles themselves by believing their testimony
and doctrine; this fellowship is with God and with His Son. We have
communion with Christ's Body and Blood; we have fellowship one with another;
together we look forward to the day when we may be partakers of the Divine
nature.
I hope you are not planning to sleep late this
Sunday.
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