FELLOWSHIP
“Fellowship” (Gk. “koinonia”)
means companionship, a relation in which parties hold something in common (Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 349).
It means “association” or “participation”, and is translated as “partnership”,
“sharing”, and “contribution”. Paul’s use of “koinonia”
emphasizes the reality of our mystical union with Christ; whereas, John focuses
on our experience of fellowship (joint-participation
with someone else in things possessed in common by both; e.g., a divine nature
– 2 Pet. 1:4; common likes and dislikes; common interests and activities – Wuest’s
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, vol. 4, “1 John”, p. 101) – L.
Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, p. 276. Fellowship means
a sharing in common (Vine, Unger, and White’s,
An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, p. 420). A joint sharing in or participation with someone or a group in a
common activity, interest, viewpoint, and/or possession.
1 Jn. 1:3 With
Whom did the apostles (“we”, “us”, “our”)
have fellowship (companionship, common
likes and dislikes; e.g., loving righteousness and hating sin)?
Why did
the apostle John (with the other
apostles) proclaim to his/their readers what he/they had seen and heard?
Could
you say that you would have had fellowship (i.e.,
a joint-participation in common) with the early apostles as they had (e.g., hating sin and loving righteousness)
with God the Father and Jesus Christ?
1 Jn. 1:5-7 If we say we have fellowship (i.e., joint-participation, common likes and dislikes; common interests
and activities) with God and yet walk (live/act)
in darkness (i.e., sin), what do we
and don’t we do?
[“truth” – that which is in line with
reality].
Are you
self-deceived, thinking that God is your companion, that you’re in harmony with
God, yet you’re living in disobedience to God’s Word, the Bible? How do you know?
When do
we have fellowship with one another (i.e.,
God and I as a believer – vs. 7)?
Are you
having fellowship (i.e., joint-participation;
a sharing in common likes and dislikes for righteousness and sin) with God
by walking (i.e., living/acting) in
the light (i.e., God’s nature of holiness
and truth)?
If you
are, what does Christ’s blood do for you?
Are you
grateful for the fact that while we are having fellowship with God, the blood
of Jesus keeps cleansing us from sins we commit in ignorance (i.e., that we are unaware of committing)?
What
should we do, however, when we realize that we have committed a sin (vs. 9)?
And
what will confessing/acknowledging our sins to God result in?
Do you
do this whenever you realize you’ve sinned? Why?
2 Cor.
Are you experiencing the
fellowship/companionship of God which the Holy Spirit made possible?
How do you know?
Acts
Besides
being taught the Bible by good teachers, are you devoting yourself to fellowship
(joint-participation with other believers
in the Lord’s Supper/communion/the breaking of bread – 1 Cor.
Why?
Is it
necessary for us to continually do so, just because these Christians did?
Why?
Phil.
Do you desire to fellowship/share
in Christ’s suffering, that is, to suffer for the sake of righteousness as
Christ did?
Why?
How do you feel about Phil.
1:29, 30, and why?
2 Cor. 6:14, 15 Why should believers/Christians not be bound together with
unbelievers (in any kind of binding
relationship, whether in marriage, business, fraternal order, etc.)?
Would
you compromise your Christian/biblical beliefs, values, goals, priorities,
perspectives, attitudes, character, and purpose in life in order to be in a
binding relationship with an unbeliever, or for that matter, with a carnal (worldly, backslidden) believer, and why?
WHAT
ARE SOME THINGS CHRISTIANS CAN AND SHOULD FELLOWSHIP (i.e., be joint participants)
IN, AND ARE YOU DOING ANY OF THEM? IF SO,
WHICH ONES, AND HOW?
Heb.
10:24, 25
Rom.
Gal.
6:2
Phil.
1:27; 2:2
1 Pet.
3:8
Rom.
15:2
Rom.
15:6
Eph.
5:19
Eph.
5:21
1 Jn.
4:7
Heb.
3:13
1
Thes.
1
Thes.
Col.
3:16
Col.
3:13
Eph.
4:25
Gal.
5:13
1 Pet.
4:10
1 Cor.
12:25
2 Tim.
2:2
Acts
4:23; 15:3, 4
Acts
IN THE FOLLOWING
PASSAGES, WHEN IS FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS FORBIDDEN?
1 Cor.
5:1, 2, 6, 11, 13
Rom.
2 Jn.
1:9-11
As a result of this Bible study, what will you do
differently regarding your fellowship with other Christians, and why?