Scriptural Fellowship

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“Scriptural Fellowship”

The Meaning of Fellowship

To have fellowship is to associate, share and identify with. The root Greek words and their variants translated as, "fellowship" convey this meaning.

  • Koinonos: fellowship, share in common, associate, partake, participate, communion, communicate, distribution. 

  • Metecho: fellowship, share, participate, partner.

Thus fellowship is a recognised mutual relationship based on sharing something in common. There are many types of fellowship based on sharing something in common, such as common experiences, interests or professions. The etymology of the word "fellowship" does not define what the Scriptures mean by it.

"Fellowship" The Christadelphian, July 1923, W H Boulton

Fellowship in the Truth is a warm and loving relationship involving mutual friendship, support and encouragement. It is not technical but a real relationship that must be worked on like all relationships. It is based on a unity and oneness of mind concerning the truth of the Gospel taught by the apostles.

Fellowship with the Father and Son and One Another

The Scriptural basis of fellowship with the Father and Son is walking in the light, i.e. the apostles doc­trine in belief and practice, I John 1:3,5-7; Acts 2:42-44,  John 17:17- 23; II John 1-2, 9;  I John 2:6; Col 2:6; Eph 4:3-6; I Cor 1:2,9-10;  Phil 1:5-7; Eph 3:6-9; Titus 1:4; Jude 3;  Heb 3:1, 14;  II Cor 13:14;  Phil 2:1-5; Amos 3:3; Psa 119:63; Psa 133. 

By believing the apostles doctrine and being baptised we enter into fellowship with the Father and the Son, Acts 2:38, 41-47; John 17:19-21; John 13:20. We only continue in this fellowship by walking in the light, II John 9; I John 2:22-24. All those, wherever and whenever, who “walk in the light” comprise the One Body of Christ which is currently growing until it will be fully developed in the Kingdom age, Eph 1:22-23.

There are two aspects to this fellowship which should not be confused, I John 1:5-7.

  1. In the sight of God, all those comprising the One Body, are united together with him and Jesus as one in fellowship irrespective of place and time (John 17: 20-23). Not having divine in­sight, we cannot infallibly discern who is and who is not walking in the light and thus who does and does not have fellowship with the Father and the Son. II Tim 2:19; Heb 12:23. It is likely that some with whom we have fellowship, unbeknown to us, do not walk in the light and so do not have fellowship with the Father and Son. It is also possible that some to whom we do not extend fellowship are actually in fellowship with the Father and Son.

  2. The practical fellowship we share with others near and far in the truth should reflect as closely as possible the fellowship in aspect 1., I Cor 1:9-10. Our practical fellowship is the subject of scriptural principles, the basis of which are:

    1. To extend fellowship with those walking in the light, I Cor 1:9-10; Heb 10:25; Rom 15:5-7; III John 5-11.

    2. To refuse fellowship to those walking in darkness, Eph 5:11; 2 Cor 6:14-18.

Not having divine insight or authority we can only follow the Scriptural principles to extend or refuse fellowship to the best of our ability. We recognise as brethren and assemble as ecclesias with others who uphold the apostles doctrine, Matt 12:50; Mark 3:35; John 15:14.

"The Nature and Conditions of Fellowship" The Christadelphian, January 1939, Graham Pearse

Scriptural Fellowship Defined

A good Scriptural definition of being in fellowship is found in II John 9-11. Whoever we receive into the ecclesia and bid God speed to we are partakers, or fellowshippers with them. 

  1. Receive (Gk. Lambano) to welcome into the house. The definite article is used in II John 10 and means the ecclesial house where fellowship around the emblems was shared. We are to receive into the ecclesia for fellowship those who abide in the doctrine of Christ, i.e. uphold the apostles doctrine as their basis of fellowship, Rom 15:5-7, but not receive those who do not.

  2. Godspeed (Gk. Chairo) to rejoice (with), to bid Chairo is a greeting of joyful welcome or farewell with the implication to wish well and prosper, to consent with and condone. To greet someone joyfully into the ecclesia is to rejoice with them. We must not rejoice in iniquity with others but rejoice in the truth with our brethren, I Cor 13:6 cp II John 4,10-11.

  3. Partaker (Gk. Koinoneo) to enter into fellowship with, join oneself as an associate, make oneself a sharer or partaker with. To receive and rejoice with others, are the tokens of our fellowship with them, II John 10-11 cp Luke 19:5-10.

Recognition of Fellowship

There is no central Christadelphian governing body, each ecclesia is independant and manages its own affairs by the mutual consent of its members, being responsible for its own actions. Acts 14:23; 20:17,28; Tit 1:5; I Pet 5:1-2. The ecclesia has thus been scripturally constituted as the unit of fellowship. 

Ecclesias have a responsibility to uphold the one faith of the apostles doctrine in their midst and as a basis of union amongst themselves. Each ecclesia declares their own Statement of Faith defining the apostles doctrine (e.g. BASF) as their basis of fellowship and invites and recognises fellowship with other ecclesias on that basis, considering for itself other ecclesias individually on a one to one basis. Although independent, ecclesias are not sovereign, they are related to each other as the ecclesias of God, the body of Christ, and have mutual responsibilities to uphold the truth and to each other. The basis of inter-ecclesial fellowship is the mutual reception and upholding of the same principles and basis of fellowship.

We recognise in fellowship all those near and far who we are willing to receive and rejoice with in the ecclesia because they uphold the apostles doc­trine in belief and practice, irrespective of whether we are practically able to do so or not. In I Cor 1:2 Paul told the Corinthians that they were "called to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ". Whoever and wherever they were, the Corinthians were in fellowship with them.

Bro Roberts wrote;

“Some inaccurate ideas appear to be entertained by some on the subject of fellowship. They think they are not in fellowship with a meeting or ecclesia if they do not pay or receive a visit from it, and that they are only in fellowship with those actually in their midst. If this were correct, there would be no fellowship “one with another” in personal absence, whereas John declares this to have been the case with those from whom he was personally absent. Fellowship is that recognised mutual relation of harmony that only waits the opportunity of personal intercourse for its fullest enjoyment. This harmony exists or does not exist quite irrespective of the opportunity of its practical illustration.” (The Christadelphian July 1887, Robert Roberts).

Conversely we do not recognise in fellowship any who do not uphold the apostles doc­trine in belief and practice. We should not be willing to receive or rejoice with them. We must only recognise in fellowship brethren and ecclesias who uphold the apostles doctrine in fellowship and who restrict their fellowship to those who do likewise, Rom 1:7-12; Phil 2:1-2,5,17-18; I Thess 3:6-11.

When we fellowship someone we not only share, associate and identify with them but also with what they are identified with, viz. God or the world. In Mark 9:37 and Luke 9:48 we are told that if we receive a child of God we also receive Jesus and God because he is identified with them. 

Conversely in II John 9-11; I John 4:1-6 we are told that those who receive and rejoice in fellowship with one they identify as an unrepentant offender against the apostles doc­trine in belief or practice, also fellowship and condone their evil deeds. By wilfully and knowingly having fellowship with them they are themselves offenders against the scriptural principles of fellowship. 

We must therefore not receive and rejoice with unrepentant offenders against the apostles doc­trine in belief or practice, or those who are willing to tolerate them in fellowship as they also are offenders. We become responsible for the evil deeds of others if we are willing to receive them in fellowship, because responsibility comes by identification and association with them.

During New Testament times ecclesias communicated with others and news spread enabling ecclesias throughout the world to know of each other. Rom 1:8; 16:19; Acts 11:19-22. But it was not always possible to know in advance of every ecclesia in the world. New ecclesias were being established by various apostles and evangelists and by persecution which scattered certain of the brethren to various places from time to time. 

In Acts 28:13-14 Paul found (Gk. Heuro = to discover by chance without search), brethren in Puteoli which he had no knowledge of but having identified them as such recognised them in fellowship and tarried seven days with them, which must have included a memorial meeting. 

In I Cor 1:2 Paul told the Corinthians that they were "called to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ". Whoever and wherever they were, the Corinthians were in fellowship with them.