“Koinonia” is the Greek word that is most frequently translated by your English Bible as “fellowship.” The early church experienced the reality of a newfound fellowship, which came because of the Gospel. They were place in “koinonia” with one another, and they experienced “koinonia” in a way which we should pursue.
Paul wrote to the Philippians about how this kind of experienced fellowship is part of what makes our joy in Christ complete, when he wrote, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Philippians 1:1-2).
While he keeps saying “if” in that statement, what he is really doing is getting our minds to do is to respond to each statement with, “and there is.” So that mentally as the 1st century listener, and as the 21st century reader, hear the words of Paul saying, “If there is any encouragement in Christ.” We mentally and emotionally respond, “And there is.” Each statement gets that response, “if there is any consolation of love… and there is,” and so on.
Believers have encouragement in Christ, consolation of love, fellowship of the Spirit, affection, and compassion. These are our possessions. Not like clothing we own that hangs in our closets, which we sometimes wear and sometimes leave behind. But like our skin, bones, tissue, tendons, corpuscles, and cells. We possess His love, His fellowship, His affection, and His compassion as believers in Christ because it becomes the structure and status of who we are.
As His very own then, Paul goes on to write, “make my joy complete.” How do we complete His joy and our joy? By pursuing in practical living who we have become in person and being by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul lists four ways we can pursue “koinonia.” We are cells, bones, muscles, hands, eyes, ears, and toes of the same body of Christ. That is our reality. What must we do to experience the fellowship that has become ours?
- Have the same mind – not uniformity but unified about the Gospel
- Maintain the same love – not ignorant of sin but ignited by lostness
- Be united in spirit – not from mystical experience but mutual edification
- Be Intent on one purpose – not mutual dreams but making disciples
The best way for a local congregation to be devoted to unity, passion, encouragement, and disciplemaking is to worship week by week with one another, actively seek relationships with one another outside of Sunday gatherings, read God’s word privately, and discuss God’s word publicly in small groups like Sunday School. The Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work through this will help us experience the “koinonia” which Christ died to give.
By His Grace and For His Glory,
Pastor Mark
