FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship (Gr. koinonia) means companionship or partnership and communion with others on the basis of something held in common. Christian fellowship can be considered under several headings.
Participants. The Christian's fellowship is first with God (1Jo 1:6), with Christ (1Co 1:9), with the Holy Spirit (Phi 2:1; 2Co 13:14), with the Father and the Son (1Jo 1:3; Joh 14:6,23,26). It is second with fellow Christians (Joh 15:12; 1Jo 1:3,7).
Basis. The Christian's fellowship with men is, however, to be based, first, upon his clear confession that Christ is the promised Messiah and has truly assumed human flesh (1Jo 4:2-3; 2Jo 1:7-11); and, second, upon his not living in open overt sins such as fornication, idolatry, covetousness, drunkenness (1Co 5:11). Yet the Christian may company or mix with unsaved who have these sins, and will have to do so because he is a part of the world. That he is forbidden, however, to do so with Christians, shows the dangers of such overt sins not only to the Christian who lives in sin but also to others. Further, the Christian is forbidden to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2Co 6:14-18). In the context Paul is speaking to those who have recently left heathenism. Still, the principle of separation from paganism is hard to distinguish from separation from those holding erroneous doctrines of Christ, particularly since the latter is forbidden by John (1Jo 4:2 f.; 2Jo 1:7-11).
Means of fellowship. There are five specific kinds of fellowship or sharing enjoyed by the Christian.
1. Communion or fellowship together at the Lord's Supper (1Co 10:16-21), in which the believer professes his faith in Christ's atoning blood and shows forth His death till He comes again (1Co 11:23-26). Paul gives very careful instruction concerning this fellowship and warns us to examine ourselves before we take part in the Eucharist (1Co 11:27-28).
2. Membership in the Church. Our God established His NT Church, or body of called-out believers, on the public profession of Himself as Saviour (Mat 16:18). In Himself He established a vital unity, making of both Jew and Gentile one new "man" or "body" (Eph 2:14-16). He loved it as His own bride and gave Himself for it (Eph 5:25 f.). In the local churches or assemblies Christians are to be nurtured (Heb 10:24-25; cf. Mal 3:16) and to enjoy fellowship in the Word and prayer (Acts 2:42).
3. Giving, which is commanded (1Ti 6:18; Heb 13:16) and may consist in systematic giving on a regular basis (Rom 15:26; 2Co 8:4; 9:13), or it may occur in the gift of large sums or even all one owns at a particular time (Acts 4:36-37; 5:1-11). In cases where all is given, the gift is entirely at the discretion of the giver (Acts 5:4) though it may be necessary in certain cases because the particular individual is turning away from his besetting sin of covetousness (of. the rich young ruler, Luk 18:18 f.).
4. Ministration to the saints, such as relief funds for other churches (Acts 11:29; Rom 15:25), help to Christians in need (Rom 12:13; 2Co 8:4) and perhaps other people as well (Heb 13:16), and sharing other people's burdens (Rom 15:1; Jam 5:16).
5. Fellowship in suffering. This refers to suffering as a member of Christ's body, partaking of "the fellowship of his sufferings " (Phi 3:10; cf. Col 1:24).
Is there not another fellowship, namely, that of the community of goods or Christian communism mentioned in (Acts 4)? The experiment of having all things in common was tried immediately after Pentecost. Since it is neither commended for future use nor condemned, and because it has never since been practiced by any except some of the smaller Christian groups, the general consensus is that it proved to be a failure, or was meant to be only a temporary expedient. See Community of Goods.
Limits of fellowship. The question as to how far the doctrine of Christian fellowship requires the chruch to go in the removal of denominational boundaries through merger and union has received increasing attention during the past 50 years. In 1923 all the Methodists, the Congregationalists and 55 percent of the Presbyterians united to form the United Church in Canada, and many other unions have occured since in the U.S. Currently 25 million Protestants in the U.S. are working on a plan of church union. While undoubtedly many divisions within the body of Christ are unnecessary and harmful, the almost universal leveling of all distinctives in order to attain on great united church presents real questions and dangers.
Christ, it is true, prayed "that they may all be one...just as We are one" (Joh 17:21-22, NASB); nevertheless the basis upon which union is being fostered must be examined. Any unity founded upon the joining of those who truly believe Christ is the only begotten Son of God, who became incarnate, died on the cross to bear the sins of the believer, and rose in a resurrection body on the third day, with men or churches which do not believe these fundamentals of the faith, is unscriptual.
The move to bring about a reunion of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism also raises the problem of true biblical fellowship, though in another form. It is not the question as to who Christ is that separates Catholics and Protestants, but what Christ did. Did He offer the only sacrifice sufficient to save the sinner from his sin, or a sacrifice which was ineffectual without our good works? Is Christ the only mediator between God and man, or must we depend also on the intercessory work of Mary and the saints? Christ prayed for a unity of fellowship, not of organization; a unity in His new life and in the Spirit (2Co 13:14) in which all the members of His one body are different (1Co 12), not for a uniformity of structure. The eternal distinction and plurality of persons in the Trinity indicate that in making His comparison, Christ allows for diversity within the unity of His body (Joh 17:21-23). See Communion of Saints.
Bibliography. Friedrich Hanck, "Koinos, etc.," TDNT, III, 789-809. R. A. K.
BELIEVERS
A term (from Gr. pisteuo, "to trust ," "to rely upon") applied to Christian converts (Acts 5:14; 1Ti 4:12). It is thought by B. B. Warfield that "believer" was the first name given to Christians ("The Biblical Doctrine of Faith," Biblical Doctrines. Certainly the great stress in the teachings of Christ is that men are to believe in Him (Joh 3:16,36; 5:24; 10:26-30; cf. Rom 10:9-10; 1Jo 5:1; Heb 11:16). The Philippian jailer asked what he must do to be saved and was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31). In Romans and Galatians Paul stresses that Abraham was justified by faith, that is, by believing God, and that this is the only way in which man can be saved (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16,21).
Believers are those who have exercised saving faith by taking Christ as their own personal Saviour on the authority of the Word of God, the Bible, and thus have obtained a position of sonship to God. They are spoken of as "in Christ" (Eph 1:3; 1Co 1:2; Rom 8:1). Their position in Christ is sealed in the Holy Spirit, in whom they are baptized unto the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (Eph 1:13; 1Co 12:13; Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27). This position is the basis of all the Christian's spiritual possessions. Because of his sonship, he is obligated to live in accordance with his position and with the character of his heavenly Father (Eph 4:1; Mat 5:48; Rom 6:1). R. A. K.
The above is taken from the Wycliffe Encyclopedia, a component of Bible Research Systems' Verse Search program.
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