The Legacy of Jacob - Moriel Ministries

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TRUE FELLOWSHIP
“And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread and the prayers. And
fear came upon every soul: and many
wonders and signs were done through
the apostles. And all that believed were
together, and had all things common;
and they sold their possessions and
goods, and parted them to all, according
as any man had need. And day by day,
continuing steadfastly with one accord
in the temple, and breaking bread at
home, they took their food with gladness
and singleness of heart, praising God,
and having favor with all the people.
And the Lord added to them day by day
those that were saved.” Acts 2: 42 – 47
I was speaking to someone a while ago,
and they were reminiscing about a church
many years back. They said that at this particular
church the fellowship was sweet like
nothing they have experienced before or
since. Over the last few years, I’ve spoken
to quite a few people who have told me the
same thing. In fact I, myself, as a youth leader
in the late 70s, early 80s, have memories
which are so sweet of fellowship with the
crowd I was involved with then.
So is fellowship consigned to the past
Does it exist only in the nostalgic memories
of a few Or is there a possibility that fellowship
can be lived and experienced among
believers today Despite what we see so
often in our churches, despite the apparent
shallowness of some of our relationships, I
believe fellowship is a distinct possibility for
you and me if we endeavor to do two things:
Firstly – We fellowship to the depth and
breadth which the New and Old Testaments
indicate;
Secondly – We see fellowship as what it
really is: something which needs to be constantly
worked at. I don’t know about you,
but I carry baggage that hinders my fellowship—stuff
that I need to let go of if I desire
to grow in this area.
The text for today is probably the text
that most people would come up with when
thinking about New Testament fellowship,
and that’s why I chose it. For here we see a
group of believers who shared everything together
in those early days straight after Pentecost.
But today I am not going to exegete
that text fully because when one looks at the
original Greek and Hebrew texts concerning
the whole area of fellowship, we begin
to see a lot deeper into what God desires for
us. For example, the word ‘fellow’ in the Hebrew
has four uses: It can just mean man or
‘ish.’ ‘Isha’ is the feminine for woman. It’s
a generic term. Another is ‘Reya,’ an associate,
an acquaintance. Another is ‘Amiyth,’
which means a comrade, a closer association
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than ‘Reya.’ And finally there is ‘Kawbare,’
which literally means ‘to be knitted together’
or intermeshed.
When we look at the Greek we get an even
more in-depth look, because it suggests what
we must do or be with our fellows.
In Ephesians 2: 19 it says we must be
‘fellow citizens’ or ‘soompolytare.’ In other
words, a native of the same town or faith.
In John 11: 16 we are called ‘fellow disciples’
or ‘soomathetes.’ A co-learner under
the same master.
In Ephesians 3: 6 Paul says we are ‘soongklayronomos’—‘fellow
heirs’ in Christ; we
participate in a common inheritance. We are
also fellow members of the body, fellow partakers
of the promise.
In 1 Thessalonians 3: 2 we are called ‘fellow
laborers,’ or ‘helpers.’ It’s the same Greek
word ‘soonergos’, a companion in labor.
In Romans 16: 7 we are called
‘fellow prisoners’—‘soonaheekmalotos,’—
a co-capture in Christ or for Christ.
In Colossians 1: 7 we are to be found as
fellow servants, ‘soondoulos,’—co ministers
with the same master.
Then in Philemon verse 2 the word suggests
‘fellow soldier’—‘Soostiateotare’—a
companion in battle.
So when we look just at the depth in the
way Scripture suggests how you and I are to
interrelate in Christ, we see that even here,
sometimes what we know as ‘church’ pales
into insignificance. But there is one more
‘fellow’ which even makes these fall short
of what I believe God really desires, and that
‘fellow’ is ‘fellow-ship.’ In the Hebrew we
have several words;
The first is, ‘tesoometh’ or to be pledged
together.
Secondly we have ‘yad’ which means an
‘open hand’ quite literally, and can be used to
both grasp and also smack if necessary.
Thirdly is ‘kawbar,’ similar to ‘kawbare,’
and it literally means to ‘be fascinated’ by
one another.
In the Greek it is just as fascinating.
Firstly, ‘soongkoynoneho’—to share
company with someone.
Secondly, ‘Metoche’ which means ‘fellowship,’
but not at a particularly deep level.
But thirdly we have that word for fellowship,
mentioned not just in Acts 2, but in
many places. It is a word that lies at the heart
of all relationships—‘Koinonia.’ Literally to
have everything in common.
So let’s look at three points in this word
study, which we will cover over three sermons.
Firstly What is koinonia How could it
affect us That is this session.
Secondly Who and what we have koinonia
with and who we don’t. We will look at
this in the next session.
Thirdly Obstacles to koinonia, which will
be our final session.
Koinonia, according to Vine’s is “Communion,
fellowship, sharing in common, that
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which is the outcome of fellowship, a contribution.”
When we look at our picture of
the early Church in the book of Acts we do
indeed see all these things occurring. Five
in particular which to me stand out significantly
in our text are: In verse 44 they were
together! It is impossible to have fellowship
unless we meet as an extended family and as
Hebrews 10: 25 says, “all the more as you
see the day approaching.” It upsets me terribly
when I see the amount of Christians out
there, keeping away from a local church because
of heavy shepherding churches and the
abuses of the word of faith movement and
other heresies. I understand, I sympathize,
even empathize. BUT someone once said,
and I agree, ‘The answer to bad church is not
no church, but good church.’ But these believers
were together.
Again in verse 44, they had all things in
common. Now let me make a point here
because this is where quite a few churches
go wrong. When we look at other contemporary
groups of the time, we see some living
lifestyles in a similar way to communes.
The Qumran documents show clearly that
the Essenes and the Qumran sects lived in
a similar fashion; being together and having
all things in common. In Acts 4:32 – 5:11
though, it clearly shows that the selling of
possessions was voluntary, and the fact that
the Christians moved from house-to-house
in verse 46 shows that the Christians were
distinct from the communes from the time.
In fact what it does mean is that to hold together
and have things together does not
mean you join a kibbutz or a commune;
what it does mean is that even though we
may own land, things, finances, a cricket bat,
lawnmower—whatever—we can make them
available to the community of believers if
there is a need. In other words, if you have
two coats, food, whatever, you should share
with whoever has none. 600 years ago the
welfare system of society was ‘the Church.’
Justine the Apostate, enemy of the Church,
said “These followers of Christ, they not
only look after their own poor, they look after
ours as well.” When we look at some of
the great welfare movements of all time with
people such as Shaftsbury, Muller, Barnado,
etc., we see that it was always the Christian
at the forefront. We see that the Church
played a prominent role. In the UK after the
1 st and 2 nd world wars, we see a paternal state
taking the place of the Church. And now as
these systems become so expensive to maintain
and institutionalize, we see the failure of
the state, and people untouched and adrift in
poverty. In our society, times are economically
difficult, and I believe once again the
fellowship of believers must fill the gap as
we see brothers and sisters in terrible need,
children orphaned, as we see an HIV pandemic
shattering lives and families. We must
respond in Christ’s love.
Verse 46 says they had one mind, one ac-
March 2012 • Moriel Quarterly 19