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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 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.

This fellowship was not confined to physical contact but was with all who shared the common faith in the Apostles doctrine. This fellowship was characterised by practical care and assistance to brethren afar who they would never meet, Rom 15:25-27, II Cor 9:12-13, 8:4, 13-14, Phil 1:3-6, 4:15-16.

Bro Roberts wrote in “Fellowship and Distance” (The Christadelphian, July 1887)

“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.”

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 and with one another, 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). This is the one true Ecclesia Jesus spoke of in Matt 16:18. 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 imay be 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. This is the ecclesia in the local sense that Jesus spoke of in Matt 18:17. Our practical fellowship in ecclesias 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.

Bro John Carter wrote in “The Ecclesia and Ecclesias” (The Christadelphian, October 1953)

“Twice during his ministry Jesus referred to his ecclesia: the first, after Peter’s confession, when Jesus said: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt 16:18); and the second when he was dealing with offences, when he said that if a man who is an offender will not listen to those who seek his reform, then the matter must be told to “the church”. “The church” is here used in two senses; in the first case it refers to the whole congregation of the redeemed, “the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph 1:23); “the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Heb 12:23). The second occurrence concerns the “ecclesia” in the local sense, which has to deal with offending members; for Jesus does not mean that ecclesias everywhere must be informed of an offending brother and that ecclesias everywhere must decide upon the merits of every case. There are matters which belong to the local ecclesia and yet the local ecclesia is not disconnected with the larger ecclesia. Because of this it is at once evident that there is need for the exercise of wise and good judgment should an unusual difficulty arise in a local ecclesia.”

Bro Graham Pearse wrote in “Ecclesial Responsibility in Fellowship” (The Christadelphian, March 1939)

“In view of all this we say that it is this “fellowship one with another” that we must concern ourselves with. In other words, “fellowship in the local ecclesia” is the practical functioning of fellowship in our present time. This is the boundary for partaking of the Lord’s Table. After baptism a person is given the right hand of fellowship in the name of the ecclesia (not of the Father and Son). And a visitor is welcomed to partake of the emblems because he is in fellowship with an ecclesia having the same foundation.

We ought to be clear that “fellowship in the local ecclesia” belongs to the present, and that fellowship with “the One Body” is not a reality now. The elements of the One Body are being prepared for future manifestation. “That he might present it to himself, a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:27). The One Body will be manifested when Christ partakes of the emblems anew in the Kingdom. But though this “One Body” is not yet an incorporated and visible fellowship, its qualities are revealed in the Scripture, and it is set as the pattern for the “local ecclesia” fellowship. The latter must conform to the standard of the “One Body” as nearly as possible. To this end the ecclesia is required to take action to maintain this standard, whenever its rejection is apparent and without repentance. This is the limit of the ecclesia’s responsibility. It must not, nay it cannot, judge the hearts of men. This Christ will do when gathering together all the elements of the One Body at the Judgment Seat.”

Scriptural Fellowship Defined

A good Scriptural definition of being in fellowship is found in II John 9-11. Whoever we are willing to 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. The principles of fellowship John outlines are not applicable to a private home. 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 Near and Far

There is no central Christadelphian governing body, each ecclesia is independant and manages its own affairs by the mutual consent of its members, and is 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 basis of fellowship as the Apostles doctrine which is defined in their own Statement of Faith (often ecclesias adopt the B.A.S.F. as their own statement of faith) and recognises fellowship with other ecclesias on that basis. Each ecclesia considers 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.

Conversely we do not recognise in fellowship any who do not uphold the apostles doc­trine in belief and practice, because we are 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.

In II John 9-11 and I John 4:1-6 we are told that those who receive and rejoice in fellowship with one they identify as an unrepentant offenders against the apostles doc­trine in belief or practice, are fellowshipping and condoning 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.

Bro Graham Pease wrote in “Ecclesial Responsibility in Fellowship” (The Christadelphian, February 1939)

“Now the ecclesia, being constituted as a unit of fellowship in the assembling together for the partaking of the emblems and the proclaiming of the Truth, and similar activities, has the responsibility of considering the qualifications of any who seek baptism and fellowship. Representative brethren examine the applicant’s beliefs to see that he agrees with the statement of faith and basis of fellowship, which in these days of widespread error, apparently supported by Scripture, is necessarily detailed in both positive and negative directions. All this is readily recognised by all as proper and essential for both the ecclesia and the one embracing the Truth.

We intend to establish this proposition from the Scripture: that each ecclesia is responsible for maintaining in its midst that standard of purity in conduct and doctrine which we have already seen is involved in “walking in the light.” Let us keep in mind that, when established, this proposition carries with it responsibility which extends to each member and must not be put aside in practice.”

He also wrote in “Ecclesial Responsibility in Fellowship” (The Christadelphian, March 1939)

“This, then, we have now most firmly established; that each ecclesia is responsible to God for maintaining a proper fellowship in its midst. In practice this requires that the Breaking of Bread, a symbol of our fellowship one with another, must be limited by the right conditions of fellowship. This must apply not only to members of the ecclesia, but also to all who come. In a few cases it should demand individual examination. Usually the Statement of Faith of another ecclesia is accepted as covering the individual. …

If each ecclesia resolves to maintain the right standard within, and with all who come, the larger issues will find their own answer.”