The Fellowship
Bro David Petersen
1. Lesson Text
1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
KJV
2. Trivial Fellowship
a. Memorial Day Has Been Trivialized
Many things in our society have been trivialized. This is one of the by-products of our pop culture. Take the Memorial Day holiday for example. It is supposed to be a day to honor our fallen service people. But how many Americans actually do that? To most people, Memorial Day is simply the first of the three great summer holidays. It’s a day to barbeque. They don’t go to the cemetery to honor those who gave their lives in the service of our nation. For them the holiday lacks meaning. It has been trivialized.
b. Fellowship Lite
Our society’s notion of fellowship has also been trivialized. In the NT fellowship is not a casual, once-a-week social gathering. It is not just sharing some fried chicken and pecan pie together. It’s not simply sitting around and discussing the latest football stats. That’s not what the NT means by “koinonia.” There is nothing wrong with having good Christian company. It’s good for brothers to engage in conversation to get to know each other and to encourage one another. Visiting is one aspect of the fellowship but it does not represent the main idea or the full scope of the concept. I enjoy our church pot lucks, especially when we do have pecan pie. Please don’t forget the whip cream. But these activities do not even come close to expressing the NT meaning of fellowship. You can think of these types of activities as “fellowship lite.”
3. Definition of Communion
The word “communion” in verse 16 comes from the Greek word “koinonia.” The root “koino” means “common” and that which results from holding something in common, that is, a contribution.
The problem in trying to translate this word is that its meaning in the ancient Greek is so rich that there is no single English word that can substitute for it. In the New Testament (NT), the word is translated into various words depending on the type of usage. Sometimes it is translated as fellowship, partners, communicated, common, contribute or partake. Thus koinonia refers to “a communion, fellowship, sharing in common or partnership.” The concept reflects interdependence among those who participate in the koinonia.
4. A Contractual Partnership
According to various commentators such as Barclay and Aspan, koinonos in its fundamental translation signifies partnership. Our understanding of the term is gained from the language of torts in the Hellenistic world. Much of the case law of the time was dedicated to the break up of business partnerships. The word was used to identify a contractual arrangement between business partners. Secondly, it was utilized by the Greek philosophers to designate their ideal of the local governing body or polis. Citizens of the polis were expected to subjugate their concerns for personal profits to the overarching needs of the whole.”
In the NT fellowship is actually a contractual partnership. The same Greek root word is used in Luke 5:10 to describe the business partnership between Simon Peter and James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
Luke 5:4-10
4 Now when he [Jesus] had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
KJV
5. Thou Shalt Catch Men
a. The Lord’s work is a business partnership
Here in Luke 5:10 the word “partnership” (koinonia) indicates a formal, structured business partnership. It is a “having in common” with respect to a business enterprise. Peter, James and John were partners, co-owners in a fishing business.
When Luke used the term “koinonia” to describe the business partnership of Peter, James and John, he was not coining a new term or making a new use of an existing one. Instead he was using a term that was commonly understood in the 1st century Greek world to refer to a contractual business relationship.
Notice that the Lord compared his own enterprise “catching men” to the fishing partnership that Peter, James and John had. The Lord’s enterprise would be similar to the fishing enterprise in that it would be structured as a formal contractual partnership, that is, a koinonia. The Lord is taking care of business and he’s working overtime.
b. Metochos vs. Koinonia (verse 7)
The formal business partnership of Peter, James and John is contrasted with the looser type of association referred to in Luke 5:7 where it says that they “motioned to their partners” which were in another ship. Here in verse 7 the word partners is not koinonos (the root of koinonia), but rather “metochos.” Metochos indicates a sharing or participating in a casual type of association. The metochos relationship is not as deep as the koinonia. So fellowship is literally “some fellows in a ship”. As members of a local church we are in the same boat together, not in separate boats.
6. Structure Elements Of The Koinonia
Now going back to 1 Corinthians 10:16, if Paul wanted to describe the relationship between church members as a more casual association he could have used the word “metochos.” But instead he used the stronger word “koinonos” which indicates a more formal partnership. Just as it was back in the first century business partnerships today are structured by formal partnership agreements. Partners have a precise knowledge of who is in the partnership, what their responsibility is to the partnership and what reward they can expect from it. The partnership agreement may be written or verbal, but all these essential elements will be present in the minds of the partners. Similarly members of a NT church are partners in the Lord’s kingdom business. Church partners must also understand who is in the church, what their responsibility is to the church and what benefits they can expect for being a partner in the church.
7. The Basis Of The Fellowship
a. The Lord’s Capital Contribution
Usually when someone creates a legal partnership they make some contribution of capital to the partnership. This ownership capital is usually in the form of cash, but it can also be equipment, real estate or personal property. The Lord contributed his blood as the partnership capital of his koinonia. This idea is expressed in Acts 20:28 where the Apostle Paul said, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (KJV).
The Lord contributed 100% of the equity in the partnership and his enterprise is fully funded. He Lord owns the kingdom business and brings us in as functional partners. He gives us a share freely.
b. The Documentation
As I mentioned above, partnership agreements are usually documented as written or verbal agreements. The Lord’s partnership agreement is documented by the cup with the fruit of the vine which represents his blood. In Luke 22:20 the Lord took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” The cup is the documentary evidence of the new testament or covenant.
In 1 Corinthinans 10:16, Paul connects the cup which represents the blood of the new covenant with the koinonia or contractual partnership. That’s why Paul calls it “the communion of the blood of Christ.” It is a blood covenant. The cup is the Lord’s signature on the partnership agreement. It is the documentary evidence of the new covenant.
c. The Koinonia Is A Church Fellowship
Notice also in Acts 20:28 that Paul connects the blood purchase with the church. As we have already seen in 1 Corinthians 10:16, he also connects the blood covenant with the koinonia. Therefore we can say that the koinonia is a church fellowship. The Lord’s partnership is executed in the context of a church. In order to be a participant in the Lord’s partnership, one must therefore be in a local church. The koinonia as used in the New Testament is not referring to partnership between an individual and God. Yes, we become sons of God when we are saved, but the koinonia is not about salvation. One must be saved to be part of the koinonia. Salvation and scriptural baptism are prerequisites for participation.
As we see in Acts chapters 1, 2, 8 and 10, the model in the New Testament is that new converts were baptized and joined to a local church as soon as they were saved. The idea of a “lone ranger” Christian who was not joined to a local assembly is foreign to the NT. This is clearly seen in Acts 2:41.
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
KJV
d. Baptized The Same Day
They were baptized the same day they believed and immediately began to participate in the fellowship. I’m not saying that everyone should be baptized and join the church on the same day they believe. The point here is that they did promptly join the fellowship.
Saved people who remain outside of local assemblies are simply not addressed in the New Testament. Baptism and church membership were the logical next-steps immediately after salvation. There is no example of any individual in the NT who got saved and then held out on baptism or church membership citing scriptural grounds for individual service over participation in the koinonia.
Any saved persons who may have chosen to live purely as individuals outside the church are not recognized in the NT. They were not factors in the kingdom work of Christ. The whole idea of a purely individual service to God outside of any church is completely foreign to the NT. Throughout most of church history, the Christian life was normally lived in the koinonia and within the context of the ekklesia (Greek for church or local assembly).
8. All Things Common
Acts 2:42-44
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common.
KJV
a. A Crack Team Of Spiritual Commandos
Here’s our word koinonia, translated “fellowship” in Acts 2:42. What was the actual nature of this fellowship? Did they sit around and eat fried chicken and pecan pie and talk about Brother Sam’s new car? Again let me emphasize that casual conversation can be good, but it falls far short of the idea of koinonia. Read on because the sections below will explain the true meaning of this important concept.
But first please allow me to note something interesting from verse 43 at no additional charge. It says that “fear came upon every soul.” This is in stark contrast to the conflict free zones of stability and predictability we have created in our local churches today. When people are actively participating in the koinonia, God will move in powerful and amazing ways. When the Spirit of God is moving powerfully in a church people are taken out of their comfort zones.
Verse 44 says that they “had all things common.” That is, they had all things common with each other in their service to the Lord. This is not saying that the early church was communistic, but rather that they worked together toward a common purpose. Sure there was a pooling of resources as shown in Acts 4:32 -34. We will get into that more later on in this lesson. However the NT has many examples that the early churches did not abandon the idea of personal property. The early NT church was more like a crack team of spiritual commandos who trained and worked together to prepare for a mission rather than a hippie commune. This is the true nature of the fellowship.
KEY POINT:
In the NT, “fellowship” means taking care of business: the Lord’s business.
9. You Shared In My Affliction
We said above that the fellowship is a sharing in common. What do we share in common in the Lord’s koinonia? Philippians Chapter 4 gives us an idea.
Philippians 4:14-16
14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
KJV
The church at Philippi supported Paul after he left them and moved on to spread the gospel at Thessalonica. Both the NIV and the NASU Bibles translate the words communicate and communicated as “share” and “shared.” The word communicated in verses 14 and 15 is a form of koinonia, that is, a sharing.
Paul said that by supporting him, the church at Philippi “shared in his affliction” or troubles. To say that they shared “in his affliction” shows that Paul is not simply referring to the sharing of money. The church at Philippi was concerned about their partner Paul. There was interdependence between Paul and the church at Philippi. They were troubled by him being troubled. They shared in his trouble by getting him out of it. The koinonia partnership they had with Paul was the framework in which they sensed a stake in what was happening to him. That’s the nature of the koinonia. It is a sharing in common. Paul expressed the same idea in 1 Corinthians 12.
1 Corinthians 12:26
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
KJV
10. Making A Contribution
Romans 15:25-27
25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
KJV
Here in verse 26 koinonia is translated “contribution.” The essence of business partnerships is a pooling of resources. Each of the partners contributes their respective share of capital to the partnership enterprise. The koinonia is also about pooling resources. It is about making a contribution (verse 26) and it is about a sharing and a ministry (verse 27). Here again the action that was taken was a contribution of funds. The local churches in Macedonia and Achaia in Greece contributed money to help the church in Jerusalem. They pooled their resources. However, the idea of contribution in the koinonia goes beyond the mere sharing of resources.
The definition of koinonia includes a generalized notion of contribution, not just money. Those who are in the fellowship should contribute to the body in some way. Everyone has a job to do. Everybody has a ministry, not just the pastor or missionaries. Everyone must bring something to the table, the Lord’s table.
They took pleasure in making this contribution. They got off on it. That’s what our attitude should be toward our own contribution to the Lord’s partnership. Again, I’m not just talking about money here. It is a privilege to serve the Lord in his New Testament church and one of the benefits of doing so is the pleasure that comes from making a significant contribution.
In verse 27, koinonia is translated “partakers.” The Greek Gentiles shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, so the least they could do in return is give some material aid. As members of a local NT church we are “partakers in spiritual things.” We have salvation, the Word of God, Christ, the church, sound doctrine, kingdom service, and other spiritual blessings. These are benefits of being in the Lord’s koinonia partnership.
11. If You Consider Me A Partner
Philemon 17-19
17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
KJV
Here Paul appeals to Philemon on behalf of the slave Onesimus on the basis of the koinonia. He says “if then you consider me a partner (koinonos) accept or welcome him as you would me.”
Again notice the use of business terminology in connection with the koinonia: “put that on mine account.” The implication here is that Paul has an “account” with Philemon and that the basis of that account is the koinonia partnership. Paul sees himself as having built up some equity in the partnership. He intends to draw on that equity and spend it in behalf of Onesimus.
Paul’s koinonia business proposition to Philemon is that he will use accumulated spiritual capital to repay a material debt. The statement “You owe me your very self” indicates that Paul was instrumental in Philemon’s salvation.
Conclusion
The English language lacks a single word that can express the meaning of the Greek term koinonia. Koinonia means sharing something in common, partnership, fellowship and contribution. It is the word used to refer to business partnerships in New Testament times.
Koinonia in the New Testament refers to the church partnership that the Lord established to advance his kingdom business on this earth. He did this by purchasing the church with his own blood. It is a spiritual partnership enterprise. The cup of communion is his spiritual signature on the partnership agreement.
Fellowship in the NT does not refer to mere visiting or casual association. It means taking care of business: the Lord’s business. Those who participate in the koinonia fellowship have interdependence on each known as a sharing in common. They share in each others joy and afflictions. They work together toward common goals such as spreading the gospel and ministering to the body. They pool their resources for the advancement of the kingdom. They take pleasure in making a contribution to the partnership with their time, talents and resources. And they partake in spiritual benefits by being part of the fellowship.