On Fellowship
       
       Part of Good News Huddle’s mission is to promote the idea of fellowship among retired, or soon to be retired, Christians. As Christians, we’ve heard our whole lives about the idea and importance of fellowship. Churches focus on the idea of fellowship. Small groups, potlucks, men’s breakfasts, and women’s studies are all examples of fellowship.

What is Fellowship?

        The word fellowship comes from the word koinonia in the New Testament. The word koinonia is used 20 times in the New Testament. Some verses where it is used are Phil. 2:1-2, Acts 2:42, and 1 John 1:6-7. According to John Piper, “koinonia signifies having a share in something, or sharing with someone in something, or you could say participation in something or with someone.” An article entitled “Koinonia: God’s Gift and Calling. A Report For The Whole Oikoumene” defines koinonia this way, “It means ‘communion, fellowship, sharing, participation and partnership’, above all it ‘refers to sharing in a reality that is greater than ourselves and our own individual needs.” This article stresses that koinonia, or fellowship, is God’s gift for us as Christians. 

        So koinonia signifies sharing in something. It signifies having a mutual bond with someone in some way. Some examples of Christians sharing in things in the New Testament are:

• 1 Corinthians 10:16: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a fellowship in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a fellowship in the body of Christ?” This verse is talking about the practice of communion, which signifies Jesus’s body on the cross. When we drink the blood and eat the bread we are sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• 2 Corinthians 8:4: “They begged us earnestly for the grace and the sharing in the ministry to the saints.” In this passage, believers are begging to be a part of the ministry to the saints. They want to share in that ministry, according to the will of God.
• Philippians 3:10: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.” Paul is speaking of wanting to share in the sufferings of Christ. To proclaim the gospel with no regard to his own wellbeing.

Each of these verses show different ways that Christians share together in their faith. As Grace Theological Seminary says, “Koinonia describes the unity of the Spirit that comes from Christians’ shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviors.” True fellowship occurs when two or more Christians share the same foundational truths connect with and enjoy the company of one other. John Piper says, “Fellowship is a mutual bond that Christians have with Christ that puts us in a deep, eternal relationship with one another.”

        If you don’t take anything from the above sections, remember this. Fellowship is not simply two people hanging out with each other. Fellowship is not simply having fun with anyone. Fellowship is not just friendship. As Dale Dorsey says in an article, "On Fellowship," “Friendship is compatible with, but is not necessary for, what we might call ‘fellowship’.” Instead, true Christian fellowship occurs when two or more Christians who share the same union and participation together in Christ enjoy each other’s company.

Why is Fellowship Important?

        Now that we’ve established what the idea of Christian fellowship is, we need to ask the question as to why it’s important in the first place. The first and most important reason for fellowship with other Christians is that we are biblically mandated to have fellowship with one another. The idea of fellowship is not up for debate in the New Testament. God and the apostles, who spoke through the inspiration of God through the Spirit, make it clear that we must have fellowship with one another.

• 1 Corinthians 1:9: “You were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” In a sermon on the Christian idea of fellowship, John Piper said this speaking of this passage, “Which probably means both sharing vertically in the union each of us has with Christ, and sharing together with other believers the common union we have with Christ and each other.” Sharing with other believers is fellowship. This verse clearly mandates our fellowship with one another.
• 1 John 1:3: “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may share in what we have seen and heard; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” This verse also implies a clear mandate for fellowship with one another. The part of the verse, “… share in what we have seen and heard;” can also be interpreted, “so that you too may have fellowship with us.”
• Acts 2:42: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” This verse shows us that the apostles’ taught fellowship to the very earliest members of the church.

These three verses all mandate Christian fellowship with one another. They help to show us that the idea of fellowship was taught to Christians from the very beginning and is clearly a Biblical mandate from the Lord. But these verses are not the only verses speaking to fellowship with one another. There is also 1 John 1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 10:24-25, John 17:11, and on and on.

        However, fellowship also has other benefits for Christians. There are tangible reasons why fellowship was mandated by God for His church. Here is a list of some things that fellowship helps Christians with on a day to day basis:

1. Discipleship – It is a good and intended thing for Christians to have other godly, influential people in their lives. Those around you will help you to grow in your own faith. You will be able to follow their examples and learn from them in areas where you are not as experienced. Having fellowship with other Christians will help you grow in your faith.
2. Accountability – Having other godly men and women your life will help you to stay accountable with sin. Every Christian deals with sin struggle. God did not intend these struggles to be a solo journey. Christians are to come along side one another and provide encouragement and support. Along with encouragement and support, Christians are supposed to provide critique and correction with one another. Having other strong believers surrounding you in your life will help you fight sin. James 5:13-20 is an amazing passage speaking to this point.
3. Perseverance – Christian fellowship is crucial to perseverance in the Christian faith. We are to come along side one another and provide encouragement and support for each other. Hebrews 3:12-14 is an important passage to this point. It says, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” This passage is clearly talking about the encouragement and support that fellowship provides Christians. We are to come alongside one another and lift each other up. Christian fellowship as a means of perseverance is a way to show love to one another. We were not meant to fight this battle alone. But not only that; we can’t fight this battle alone. We need each other.

        Beyond these three things, there are also plenty of other reasons that fellowship is a good and beautiful thing and Scripture supports it. We need one another.

What are the Restrictions for Christian Fellowship?

         We’ve established both what fellowship is and its importance to Christians. But there are also restrictions upon Christian fellowship. Christians are not mandated to simply share together with anyone out there. We are specifically commanded to fellowship with other Christians.

        Concordia Theological Monthly published an article on the restrictions on Christian fellowship. The article is titled “Christian Fellowship.” The article starts off by pointing out the obvious, “There are restrictions; not man-made, originating in the decrees of church councils or in synodical resolutions, to be sure, but imposed by God Himself, the Head of the Church.” It then references those Christians who believe that fellowship should be unrestricted. These Christians believe that we should be allowed to join in communion with anyone. They reference Jesus joining and eating with sinners (I think it’s important to note here that Jesus was not sharing fellowship with these people. He was having a meal with them. There is a crucial difference). Concordia Theological Monthly then points out that these Christians quote verses such as, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned” and “Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves.” The article accurately points out that these verses are being taken out of the context of Scripture as a whole. We cannot take one or two verses out of context and prove a theological point. We must take the Bible as a whole and learn from it that way.

        2 Thessalonians 3 says this, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us.” A little later on Paul says, “If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” We can see in these two passages of Scripture that as Christians we are not to permit sin in our congregation. We are to admonish and rebuke. We should not have close fellowship and sharing with other Christians who are living in sin. We are not called into that. The article in Concordia Theological Monthly titles their article this way, “Restrictions Resulting from Unholy Living.” I think that is a perfect way to sum up this first restriction. We are not to share in fellowship with anyone living in sin. That does not mean we cannot talk to them or be their friend, but we are not to have fellowship with them.

        A second restriction on Christians, in regard to whom we can share fellowship with, relates to doctrine and practice. This is perhaps an even greater restriction upon Christians. Concordia Theological Monthly puts it this way, “What was said of the restrictions resulting from unholy living applies with equal, if not greater, force to limitations resulting from unscriptural doctrine and practice.” The reason that this is so important is because fellowship is a very deeply emotional thing. We are influenced greatly by those who we fellowship with (Indeed, this is a positive for fellowship, as long as you are sharing your time with wise and godly people). But if those who are influencing you are wrong, or even unbiblical in their doctrine and practice, this could greatly harm you. Grace Theological Seminary also agrees, “Though many Christians seem uncomfortable with insisting that believers maintain unity over our various doctrinal distinctives, this is a necessary part of what it means to be Christian.” As Christians, we must have unity together in what we believe. Not in everything, but in the essentials. This is especially true of who we share fellowship with. Grace Theological Seminary highlights six doctrines that are at the core of the Christian faith:

1. The inspiration of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:15-16)
2. The Holy Trinity (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9; Acts 5:3-5)
3. The Deity/Godhood of Christ (Col. 2:9)
4. The virgin birth of Jesus (Isiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23)
5. The literal, physical resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:14; Luke 24:38-39)
6. Salvation by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9)

All six of these doctrines are core to Christianity. These are the things upon which true, Biblical fellowship should be built.  Grace Theological Seminary ends their section on this with this sentence, “Biblical fellowship in the worship of God, the work of God, and doing the will of God with others should be based on these fundamentals, apart from which genuine Christian fellowship cannot exist (Gal. 1:6-10).”

Where to go From Here?

         As older Christians who are either retired, or on the verge of retirement, it can be very tough to find other believers to have fellowship. Indeed, I think finding solid Christians to fellowship with is a challenge for most Christians. Good News Huddle hopes to help in finding other strong and godly Christians to walk alongside you in these years. We urge you to go and get connected into one of our huddles now. These huddles are full of other Christians who are also seeking fellowship in their retirement years. Go and follow the instruction of the Lord to fellowship.

         As well as joining a huddle, joining a local church and getting plugged in is of paramount importance. We see it commanded time and time again in the scripture to join with our fellow believers in the flesh.

Works Cited 

Dorsey, Dale. “On fellowship.” Philosophical Studies, Vol. 181, December 2023, pg 133-152

Grace Theological Seminary. “Understanding Biblical Christian Fellowship.” Grace Theological Seminary, 20 Apr. 2021, seminary.grace.edu/understanding-biblical-christian-fellowship/. 

“We Need Each Other: Christian Fellowship as a Means of Perseverance.” Desiring God, 2 May 2024, www.desiringgod.org/messages/we-need-each-other. 

​Shulz, Brian. "The Spiritual Disciplines as Practices of Transformation," www.researchgate.net/publication/315475412_The_Spiritual_Disciplines_as_Practices_of_Transformation. Accessed 2 May 2024
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Hardt, C. August. “Christian Fellowship.” Concordia Theological Monthly, Vol. 16, Article 50, 1945.
Carter, David. “Koinonia: God’s Gift and Calling. A Report For The Whole Oikoumene.” One in Christ, Vol. 55, Issue 2, 2021, pg. 181-197.