Fellowship

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). 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; 2 Cor. 8:4; Gal. 2:9; 1 John 1:3-7). It is also called the fellowship of the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 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; 1 Cor. 10:20; 2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 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, "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). 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), with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14), and with one another (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. 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; Acts 2:42-47) is all about togetherness. It involves being gathered “together” unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 18:20), coming “together” for the breaking of bread (Acts 20:7), assembling “together” for prayer (Acts 4:31; 12:12; Rom. 15:30), assembling “together” for ministry from the Word (Acts 11:26; 1 Cor. 14:23), assembling “together” for administrative actions (Acts 15:30; 1 Cor. 5:4), being “together” for mutual comfort and encouragement (Rom. 1:12), walking “together” with one mind and with the same objectives (1 Cor. 1:10), and being labourers “together” in the service of the Lord (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 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), and also because we have been fitly framed “together” (Eph. 2:21) and builded “together” for a habitation for God on earth (Eph. 2:22). Soon we will be caught up “together,” and thus gathered “together” to Him (2 Thess. 2:1), being glorified “together” (Rom. 8:17), and ultimately we will live “together” with Him (1 Thess. 5:10).

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