February 2009 Newsletter


“Fellowship”

By: Craig Rippy

Fellowship is God’s loving care experienced through God’s family. From Acts 2:42, we read that the newly born church is devoted to fellowship.

This word has been more recently defined as being in community with believers. Even as the term community can help define “Fellowship,” it is still lacking. Fellowship must be traced from Acts 2:42 throughout the New Testament to understand how God uses this word to apply to the activity of the church.

In the verses following Acts 2:42, we find the believers had “everything in common” (Acts 2:44). The word “fellowship” is a cognate of the word “common.” So, Biblical fellowship is having things in common, especially provisions. The early church provided the needs of one another and that was called fellowship.

Romans 15:26, 2nd Corinthians 8:4 and 9:13 help us to understand that financial gifts to needy Christians was fellowship. These passages may use words like “share” or “contribution,” but the Greek word is the same.

Thus, the early church was to share (fellowship) with the brethren in need financially. Of course, that is difficult when we find ourselves in bondage to debt. The story of the Macedonian churches is inspiring to proper management of our finances.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 reads, 1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. (from New International Version).

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 reminds us that we do not have eternal commonality with non-believers and nor with sin. And, that we should categorize our relationships, remembering our commonality with the church and participate in Godly ventures with God’s people in holiness. In 1st Corinthians, chapters 10 and 11, the Apostle Paul writes about the participation we are to have in the Lord’s Supper. The word “participation” is the same as “fellowship,” 1 Corinthians 10:16. The King James Version and other versions translates this word as “communion.”

The depth of fellowship is great. We are to share in Christ’s blood and body (1 Cor. 10:16-17). Within chapters 10 and 11 other words are used to draw our attention to the participation we are to have with Christ and to one another as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. So, taking Communion isn’t just about “me and Jesus,” but about “us and Jesus.” We celebrate as a saved body of believers. We rejoice in the common salvation we have received by His sacrifice. The Lord’s Supper is a fellowship meal of thanksgiving.

There is much more to glean about “fellowship,” but from what we have learned, we are to have a special affection for those of the church, and to care for one another as fellow partakers in the thanksgiving meal; the Lord’s Supper.