Sermon Tone Analysis

III} IN CHURCH

1 Corinth 11:18

Strong's Greek Dictionary

4905.

συνέρχομαι synerchomai (synérchomai)

Search for G4905 in KJVSL; in KJV; load in ESI.

συνέρχομαι synérchomai, soon-er'-khom-ahee

from G4862 and G2064; to convene, depart in company with, associate with, or (specially), cohabit (conjugally):—accompany, assemble (with), come (together), come (company, go) with, resort.

verb

1 Corinth11:33-34

1 Corinth 14:23

Strong's Greek Dictionary

1997.

ἐπισυναγωγή episynagoge (episynagōgḗ)

Search for G1997 in KJVSL; in KJV; load in ESI.

ἐπισυναγωγή episynagōgḗ, ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay'

from G1996; a complete collection; especially a Christian meeting (for worship):—assembling (gathering) together.

feminine noun

Public worship: —

I. THE ASSEMBLING TOGETHER.

All on the same level, except so far as we may differ in spiritual things.

1. Assembling together is a duty.

(1) God has commanded it.

(2) The practice is co-equal in point of time with the existence of the Christian Church.

(3) It is necessary for carrying out the Lord's work.

(4) It is essential for the spiritual well-being of every Christian man.

2. A privilege.

To neglect it is to starve the soul.

II.

THE OBJECT OF MEETING TOGETHER.

1. TO draw near to God.

2. To receive spiritual blessings.

3. To exhort one another.

III.

THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF THIS MEETING TOGETHER AS THE PARTICULAR DAY NAMED IN THE TEXT DRAWS NEAR.

1.

The day that you may be deprived of the opportunity of meeting.

(1) From sickness.

(2) From loss of inclination.

2. The day of trial and affliction.

3. The day of death.

4. The day of judgment.

(G.

Sexton, D. D.)

The importance of public worship: —

I. THE ADMONITION GIVEN.

1.

That to assemble together is a Christian duty.

2. Some who profess attachment to Christ's cause neglect this duty.

Some are once-a-day worshippers; others are fine-weather worshippers; while many are merely fancy-worshippers, and go to the Lord's house just when it may please them.

Great reason is obvious, no spiritual relish, only a name to live, &c.

Only form of godliness, etc.

3. It is of the utmost importance that we do not thus forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

(1) On God's account, who demands and infinitely deserves our service.

(2) On the Church's account.

The Church is to be visible.

(3) Especially on our own account.

We are deeply interested in these assemblies.

We might "forsake," &c., if we had no mercies to acknowledge, no sins to confess, no blessings to crave, no enemies to overcome, no soul to sanctify, no hell to escape, no heaven to gain.

II.

A SPECIFIC DUTY STATED.

We should exhort each other —

1.

To watchfulness and vigilance.

2. To determination and constancy.

3. To zeal and diligence.

4. To courage and perseverance.

III.

A POWERFUL MOTIVE.

1.

The day is approaching.

2. This day is truly a momentous one.

3. The believer sees the day approaching.

That is, he never loses sight of that truth.

Learn:

1.

The place of the Christian's delight will be God's house.

2. From our present circumstances, we all stand in need of exhortation (1Th 5:11; 2Ti 4:2; Heb 3:13).

3. We cannot fail to be stimulated, both to diligence and faithfulness, if we keep the truth before us that the day is approaching.

(J.

Burns, D. D.)

IV}IN CLOUDS

Ellicott's Bible Commentary for English Readers

1 Thessalonians 4:17

(17) Shall be caught up.—

"Our Assumption," as Bishop Ellicott well calls it.

The spiritualising of our natural bodies without death, as described in 1Co 15:50, et seq., will enable us to be "caught up" equally well with, and in company with (both of which thoughts are included in "together with"), the resurgent dead.

"Clouds" and "air" will be support enough for material so immaterial.

Theodoret says, "He showeth the greatness of the honour: as the Master Himself was taken up upon a shining cloud, so also they that have believed in Him."

The absolute equality, then, of quick and dead is proved.

To meet the Lord in the air.—

St. Chrysostom says:" When the King cometh into a city, they that are honourable proceed forth to meet him, but the guilty await their judge within."

The phrase "in the air" certainly does not mean "heaven."

The word "air") in itself properly signifies the lower, denser, grosser atmosphere, in which the powers of darkness reign (Eph 2:2); but here it is only used in contrast with the ground, and means "on the way from Heaven whence He comes," of course not to dwell there, but to accompany Him to His Judgment-seat on the earth.

And so.—

Now that St. Paul has settled the question of disparity between the dead and the living, he does not think it necessary to describe what is immediately to follow; that, the Thessalonians were sure to know (see Heb 6:2): it only remains to say that having once rejoined the Lord, they would never be parted from Him.

(15-16) Those asleep in Jesus are not at a disadvantage.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.

a.

By the word of the Lord: Paul emphasizes that this was an authoritative command, though we do not know whether Paul received this by direct revelation or if it was an unrecorded saying of Jesus.

One way or another, this came from Jesus and did not originate with Paul.

i. "In no place does the apostle speak more confidently and positively of his inspiration than here; and we should prepare ourselves to receive some momentous and interesting truth."

(Clarke)

b.

We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep: Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that those who are asleep - Christians who have died before Jesus returns - will by no means be at a disadvantage.