BIBLE VERSES on FELLOWSHIP
WHAT DO THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FELLOWSHIP?
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
1 COR 1:9 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 JOHN 1:3-4 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
1 COR 1:9 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
PHILIPPIANS 2:4. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
What is Fellowship?
Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer
co-participation with Christ and one another to accomplish God’s will on earth
● The Greek word “koinonia,” the root meaning of the word “fellowship,” is “to hold
something in common.” From the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is
a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual. It is an
interdependent relationship.
● Koinonia is used nineteen times in the New Testament. In addition to being translated
as “fellowship,” it is also translated by the words “contribution,” “sharing,” and
“participation.”
● 1 Corinthians 1:9: "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship
with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Here fellowship primarily focuses on our spiritual
unity with Christ, an inner relationship.
● Philemon 6, 2 Corinthians 13:14 and Philippians 2:1 also emphasize the inner
relationship which is at the root of fellowship.
● In Acts 2:42 we read that one of the four things the early church devoted itself to was
“fellowship.” Fellowship was a very important part of their reason for meeting together.
It was one of their objectives.
● Fellowship in the early church was not gathering to have fun as the goal. Fellowship is
a partnership that involves working together and caring for one another like a company
of soldiers or members of a family.
● Often people do not take part in a church because they see no clear purpose. When
leadership sends a clear message of the goals & direction, people join in taking an
proactive part where they can best help by using their spiritual gifts and natural abilities
("Your Ministry Uniqueness").
● As you work with others, your gifts will become obvious.
● With the Holy Spirit's leading and the divine purpose for the local church, we work
and fellowship together until God’s plan is complete (Christ's Master Plan).
● Modern ideas of fellowship are so watered down that the word "fellowship" no longer
carries the same meaning it did in the 1st century church.
● Balanced fellowship includes:
1) Support and encouragement to others
2) Doing ministry work together to accomplish Christ's purposes on earth
3) Fishers of men = bringing people to Christ
4) Feeders of sheep = strengthening people in Christ