Koinonia; Community among Christians

Someone once said of “fellowship”, “two fellows on the same ship,” and if when you are out to sea on a long journey you should partner with that other fellow and get along or life won’t go as well.

In the New Testament of God’s Word, we first come to the English word “fellowship” in Acts 2:42. This is one of the great model passages for Christian living and church related ministry, doing God-honoring missional life with other Christ-followers. The original Bible language of Greek for “fellowship” here is “koinonia” which refers to community, sharing, partnering, togetherness.

One time I preached at a church on the subject of this kind of fellowship and I used the following illustration.

“Today, I want to do something that may help some of us remember the Greek word, koinonia, and its meaning of fellowship a little better. The ushers are going to give a real nickel coin to everyone here this morning. When you receive this coin, just hold it in your hand.

First, notice that the first few letters of the Greek word, koinonia, sound just like the English word “coin”. This coin is a reminder of the beginning sound of koinonia.

Second, now, we all have a nickel in common. This is a reminder that all redeemed Christ-followers have one very important thing in common. One of the meanings of koinonia is commonality. Christians have one key spiritual truth of oneness in common. All true born again Christians are spiritually in Christ. The nickel, of course, doesn’t mean you are a true Christian.  

By God’s grace through faith in Christ as your personal Savior and Lord means you are a saved Christ follower.

Third, one nickel by itself is worth five cents and it’s just a small piece of metal, but all our nickels together provide more value and a stronger weightier collection of metal. When individual Christians practice healthy biblical fellowship with other Christians they have more synergy and strength for the cause of Christ and are better able to minister to one another and grow in Christ. Christians are not islands intended to be isolated or separated from fellow Christians long term. Christ-followers are members of the Body of Christ, members of one another. We need Christian community and God’s will is to work in and through Christian community; doing life together with fellow Christ-followers. This is God-honoring fellowship.

Keep the nickel and let it be a reminder to you of koinonia; the meaning, the importance, and the practice of Christian fellowship.”

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

What are your thoughts about biblical community among Christ-followers that can be lived out today?

Mike

The Witness of Fellowship

Christian fellowship is about community, togetherness in love, doing some Christian life together. We see this beautifully illustrated among the earliest Christ-followers (i.e. Acts 2:42-47). Any group of people can socialize but Christ-followers are to fellowship with one another and such fellowship is not just for the believers’ benefit; it can be a life-impacting witness of the love of Christ.  

It was “Christian fellowship” that brought the local man, John Bunyan, the future writer of Pilgrim’s Progress, to Christ. In his book Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, he wrote about being a worldly and lost young man who was first spiritually drawn to Christ by overhearing the God-centered conversation of a group of local women enjoying sweet Christian fellowship.

..their talk and discourse went with me; for I was greatly affected with their words..

Therefore I should often make it my business to be going again and again into the company of these poor people, for I could not stay away..

(John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners; Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986; p29-30.)

Christians, let’s pursue opportunities to deepen our fellowship with one another in Christ and also, may we recognize opportunities to be the salt and light in Christ witness in this world Christ says we are (Mt. 5:13-16). For example, we can invite nonbelievers to certain fellowship gatherings and/or we can gather in public places near where strangers and nonbelievers gather. As we are living life with fellow believers, may we often have conversations about the things of God, testimonies of transformed lives in Christ, use our Bibles openly, pray aloud and minister to one another and may such activities be a powerful witness to the world that Christ is alive, working in and through His people.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:35 ESV

What do you think about the witness of fellowship? 

Mike