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Concise Bible Dictionary
:
This in
scripture
is association, and having things in common. The
Lord
's
table
is where the fellowship of Christians is expressed—all there being associated in the fellowship of Christ's
death
. Being thus associated, proper
christian
fellowship is in the
light
of
God
fully revealed—the
Father
and
the
Son
. The apostles specially made known the
truth
of this fellowship as specially given to know it (
1 John 1:3
3
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)
). Being brought into such association, it follows that as regards
the gospel
for
the world
, the welfare of the saints, and the maintenance of the truth, the
believer
has the same aims and objects before his
soul
as the Father and
the Lord
Jesus
Christ have. Out of this flows the fellowship of the saints one with another (
Acts 2:42
42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
;
2 Cor. 8:4
4
Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (2 Corinthians 8:4)
;
Gal. 2:9
9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. (Galatians 2:9)
;
1 John 1:3-7
3
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:3‑7)
). It is also called the fellowship of the
Spirit
(
2 Cor. 13:14
14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. <<The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.>> (2 Corinthians 13:14)
;
Phil. 2:1
1
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, (Philippians 2:1)
). The converse of this is also true: Christians cannot consistently have any fellowship with that which is evil or which brings dishonor upon the Lord Jesus (
Psa. 94:20
20
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? (Psalm 94:20)
;
1 Cor. 10:20
20
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. (1 Corinthians 10:20)
;
2 Cor. 6:14
14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
;
Eph. 5:11
11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (Ephesians 5:11)
).
In some passages the A. V. has
the word
“
COMMUNION
” for the same
Greek
word, with the same meaning. Thus in
1 Corinthians 10:16
16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)
, "The
cup
of
blessing
which we bless, is it not the communion of the
blood
of Christ? The
bread
which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" There is an allusion to the
peace
offering
in verse 18 to show that those who ate the
sacrifice
were partakers of, had communion with, the
altar
; hence to eat things offered to idols would be to have fellowship with demons.
From Anstey’s
Doctrinal Definitions
:
This is
sometimes
translated
“
communion
”
in the KJV (i.e.
1 Cor. 10:16
16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)
). It means to be
“partakers together”
in that which the parties involved have in common. Believers on
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ have been brought into
“
fellowship
”
with the
Father
and
the
Son
(
1 John 1:3
3
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)
), with
the
Holy
Spirit
(
2 Cor. 13:14
14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. <<The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.>> (2 Corinthians 13:14)
), and with one another (
1 John 1:7
7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
). Thus, abiding together in this fellowship,
God
and His people have their hearts knit together in intelligent thought, aim, purpose, desire, and affection regarding all things past, present, and future. If our thoughts and ideas are not in accord with the mind of God, then we are out of communion with Him, as far as those topics are concerned.
Fellowship of this kind does not appear in
Scripture
until
after
atonement
was made, whereupon God has come out to
man
in
grace
to form a relationship with believers in the
light
of the full revelation of
truth
.
Old
Testament
saints such as
Abraham
had communion with God, but not in the way in which Christians know communion with God by the indwelling Spirit. H. M. Hooke said, “The first
time
it [fellowship] occurs in the
New
Testament is in
Acts 2:42
42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
. Why don’t you get it before? Because until you have
eternal
life
revealed, manifested, and until it was communicated, there could be no such thing as fellowship. How could God take people into fellowship with Himself until He
put
their sins away? It is not until Christ died,
rose
again, and went to
heaven
, and the
Holy
Ghost
came down, that you get that word” (
The
Christian
Friend,
vol. 12 [1885], p. 234).
In Scripture, Christian fellowship (
1 Cor. 1:9
9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)
;
Acts 2:42-47
42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47
Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:42‑47)
) is all about togetherness. It involves being gathered
“together”
unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (
Matt. 18:20
20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)
), coming
“together”
for the breaking of
bread
(
Acts 20:7
7
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7)
), assembling
“together”
for
prayer
(
Acts 4:31; 12:12
31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)
12
And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. (Acts 12:12)
;
Rom. 15:30
30
Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; (Romans 15:30)
), assembling
“together”
for ministry from
the Word
(
Acts 11:26
26
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)
;
1 Cor. 14:23
23
If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? (1 Corinthians 14:23)
), assembling
“together”
for administrative actions (
Acts 15:30
30
So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: (Acts 15:30)
;
1 Cor. 5:4
4
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 5:4)
), being
“together”
for mutual comfort and encouragement (
Rom. 1:12
12
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. (Romans 1:12)
), walking
“together”
with one mind and with the same objectives (
1 Cor. 1:10
10
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
), and being labourers
“together”
in the service of the Lord (
1 Cor. 3:9
9
For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)
;
2 Cor. 6:1
1
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1)
).
All this is based on the fact that we have been quickened
“together,”
raised up
“together,”
and seated
“together”
in Christ (
Eph. 2:5-6
5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:5‑6)
), and also because we have been fitly framed
“together”
(
Eph. 2:21
21
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:21)
) and builded
“together”
for a habitation for God on
earth
(
Eph. 2:22
22
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
). Soon we will be caught up
“together,”
and thus gathered
“together”
to Him (
2 Thess. 2:1
1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2 Thessalonians 2:1)
), being glorified
“together”
(
Rom. 8:17
17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
), and ultimately we will live
“together”
with Him (
1 Thess. 5:10
10
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:10)
).
Related Books and Articles:
Communion or Fellowship: With What and With Whom Is It?
From:
Food for the Flock: Volume 7
Call: 1-630-543-1441
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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