Fellowship Forever
Today I would like to share with you the word "Fellowship" as
rendered from the Greek word in the New Testament in the KJV
"Koinonia". The word is from the Greek root word "Koinonos",
which is translated partaker five times, partner three times,
fellowship one time and companion one time for a total of ten
times.
The word "fellowship" (Koinonia) is used in the New Testament a
total of twenty times in eighteen verses. It is often rendered
fellowship, communion, communication and contribution. The word
koinonia often is used as the share which one has in something
or ones participation. In current vernacular, fellowship is
often used as a meeting or a get together of believers even as,
"hanging out with Christians". The word is also used today as a
state of being in alignment with God's Word and His Will.
We will take a look at the uses of this word koinonia in the New
Testament keeping in mind that today's vernacular is not to be
imposed on the Word but rather the Word should dictate how our
vernacular should be today.
First, we will look at when the Word uses koinonia as communion.
I Cor. 10:16 uses koinonia as Communion pertaining to the body
and blood of Christ. This section is setting forth the
difference between the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice to
idols which the believers were starting to partake in.
The communion of the Holy Ghost is another use of koinonia as
communion II Cor. 13:14 this is the share or stock that we as
believers have in the Spirit of God, our participation or our
intimacy with that part of the Father which is Spirit.
The next use of the word koinonia is communication, translated
this way once in Philemon and once in Hebrews both occurrences
telling the believers to communicate the good things that are in
them or that they have done.
The next use of the word koinonia is fellowship, it is used
throughout the New Testament and it is the most common
translation of koinonia. Throughout the books of the Epistles we
are told to have fellowship with the Apostles which represent
those who are our teachers and our leaders. The Word also tells
the Apostles to have fellowship with the believers one after
another in I John 1:7. The Word tells us to have fellowship with
the Father like the Apostles had indicating a greater state or
walking closer to the Father, this comes by a greater
understanding of the Word of God. Without knowing the Word of
God one cannot know God.
There is also the fellowship of suffering, of Spirit, of the
Mystery, of ministering and of His Son. We are told that these
are the kind of ways that we as Christians should have
fellowship. In all of the verses that use this word koinonia the
Word renders fellowship as a noun. There is also a verb form of
koinonia, sugkoinonia which is a command not to have fellowship
with devils. We will stick to the noun and see how God wants us
to fellowship.
In Ephesians we find in the third chapter and ninth verse the
word fellowship used and bringing this word to the apex of its
meaning in the Bible.
Eph, 3:9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of
the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid
in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
This fellowship of the Mystery that which was hid in God the
sharing, the partaking, the partnership, the intimacy and of
course the fellowship we have with God is that we the Gentiles
are fellow-heirs of the promise we are partakers of the promise
we share fully in that which God has ordained for the Mystery
believers since the beginning of the world.
We should look at one more use of fellowship and that is the
fellowship of ministering to the saints. We as Mystery Believers
are encouraged to minister to the believers with the good deeds
we can do by contributing (another use of the word koinonia) to
the necessity of the body of Christ by distribution (koinonia)
by making known what is the richness of the Mystery.
Fellowship is a wonderful word used in the Epistles, it has
significant meaning and I encourage you to do your own work on
this great Biblical word. Each and every word in the Bible has
many uses and usages which make the Bible the most intriguing
book to study. God Bless your wonderful hearts in Christ Jesus
our Lord.