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WHAT IS FELLOWSHIP?
The Greek word for fellowship expresses the idea of sharing, of having something in common with somebody else. Common participation takes on a double form: giving and receiving. Christian fellowship seriously involves both aspects.
Moreover, Christian fellowship is vertical as well as horizontal. The horizontal plane presupposes the vertical for its very existence. John described the vertical dimension this way: "Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). This fellowship is what makes a Christian, Christian.
The horizontal dimension of fellowship is the habitual sharing, the constant giving to and receiving from each other, which is the true, authentic pattern of life for God's people. Fellowship with God, then, is the source from which fellowship among Christians springs; and again, fellowship with God is the end to which Christian fellowship leads.
Christian fellowship, then, is neither a luxury nor a devotional option, but a spiritual necessity. God intends that we have fellow ship with Him and with each other. Fellow ship with Him requires constant feeding for its own deepening and enrichment. Fellowship between Christians cements our fellowship with God.
Our fellowship with God covers all our giving to Him, all our taking from Him, and expresses our faith in and love for Him. God gives Himself to us on the basis of salvation through intimacy with Jesus Christ.
"He who receives you receives me," said Jesus, "and he who receives me receives the one who sent me" (Matt. 10:40). And John adds: "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
This adoption into the Body of Christ is the foundation on which all our subsequent fellowship with God, and thus with one another, rests. Day by day, as God's children, we thankfully take the gifts that our heavenly Father presents to us. He offers forgiveness of our sins and reveals Himself to us through His Word, and the eucharist and through one another.
Our fellowship on the human level is seeking to share what God has made known of Himself with others, as a means of finding strength, refreshment, and instruction for spiritual growth. In fellowship, one seeks to receive as well as to give. The apostle illustrates this when he tells the Romans, "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (Rom. 1:11, 12). Paul's understanding of fellowship is clear: it is a two-way channel where by both he and the believers may find mutual encouragement in the bond of Christian fellowship.
In summary so far: First, fellowship comes from God's grace. Through fellowship, one's is refreshed, fed, and strengthened. Second, fellowship is a test of active spiritual life. It means opening one's heart to fellow believers. Fellowship cannot exist where there is pretense or concealment. We can be free from pretension and concealment in our relation with others only as we are open and honest in our dealings with God and with others.
If we prevent or obstruct God's light from shining fully on ourselves, we cannot have free fellowship with other believers; we will shrink from fellowship. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:4).
Fellowship is God's chosen plan for spiritual life. It is where the Spirit is alive, where we find spiritual life, and where we grow in grace and are ready to help others to do the same. When we fellowship together, we need to do so in prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit.
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WHY IS FELLOWSHIP IMPORTANT?
The early Christians clearly emphasized the importance of fellowship. Acts 2:42 notes, "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." In the early church, "day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people" ( Acts 2:46-47). But why is Christian fellowship important?
The New Testament word for "fellowship," koinonia, expresses the idea of being together for mutual benefit. Hebrews 10:24-25 shares this idea, saying, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Two reasons fellowship with other believers is important are because it helps express love to one another and it encourages one another as disciples of Jesus.
A third important reason for Christian fellowship is its impact on unbelievers. Jesus told His disciples, " By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). The love Christians have for one another can influence others toward an encounter with Jesus Christ.
Still another important reason for Christian fellowship is the ability to pray together. Early believers were committed to prayer, both individually and in groups. In James 5:14-16, elders were called together to pray for the sick as well as for those who had sinned. This required being together.
Christian fellowship is also important for church decision-making. In both Acts 6 and Acts 15, the early church gathered together to make important decisions about the future direction of the church. These required community, prayer, and close discussion.
Christian fellowship is required for baptism. A new Christian cannot baptize himself or herself because it is not a public profession of faith. Christians gather together to celebrate a person's baptism and serve as witnesses of the person's commitment to a new life in Jesus Christ.
Christian fellowship is required for communion, or the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper doesn't quite work the same for an online church. This ancient practice requires time together with other believers to participate in the eucharist, the blood and body of Christ.
Though many believers today do not recognize the importance of fellowship or local parish involvement, Christian fellowship is essential to spiritual growth. Many aspects of our spiritual lives depend on being together with other believers to encourage, teach, serve, and share our faith journey together.
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TRUE AND FALSE FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship can be true or counterfeit, full or incomplete. Paul warns us of the perils of imitating Christian love (Rom. 12:9). False or limited fellowship springs only from within us and only goes so far as to depend upon our natural human affinities, affections, and associations. Such fellowship remains superficial, and may differ very little from that which exists in the secular world.
Authentic Christian fellowship is alive and always growing in quality and depth. Increasingly it affects the deeper parts of our personalities and calls for continual self-sacrifice; it is always humble.
In false fellowship, members are often afraid of one another, which makes them secretive and suspicious. True fellowship has no fear or flattery, and it speaks with grace, seasoned with love.
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