Fellowship Forever

Today I would like to share with you the word "Fellowship" as rendered from the Greek word in the New Testament in the KJV "Koinonia". The word is from the Greek root word "Koinonos", which is translated partaker five times, partner three times, fellowship one time and companion one time for a total of ten times.

The word "fellowship" (Koinonia) is used in the New Testament a total of twenty times in eighteen verses. It is often rendered fellowship, communion, communication and contribution. The word koinonia often is used as the share which one has in something or ones participation. In current vernacular, fellowship is often used as a meeting or a get together of believers even as, "hanging out with Christians". The word is also used today as a state of being in alignment with God's Word and His Will.

We will take a look at the uses of this word koinonia in the New Testament keeping in mind that today's vernacular is not to be imposed on the Word but rather the Word should dictate how our vernacular should be today.

First, we will look at when the Word uses koinonia as communion. I Cor. 10:16 uses koinonia as Communion pertaining to the body and blood of Christ. This section is setting forth the difference between the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice to idols which the believers were starting to partake in.

The communion of the Holy Ghost is another use of koinonia as communion II Cor. 13:14 this is the share or stock that we as believers have in the Spirit of God, our participation or our intimacy with that part of the Father that is Spirit.

The next use of the word koinonia is communication, translated this way once in Philemon and once in Hebrews both occurrences telling the believers to communicate the good things that are in them or that they have done.

The next use of the word koinonia is fellowship, it is used throughout the New Testament and it is the most common translation of koinonia. Throughout the books of the Epistles we are told to have fellowship with the Apostles which represent those who are our teachers and our leaders. The Word also tells the Apostles to have fellowship with the believers one after another in I John 1:7. The Word tells us to have fellowship with the Father like the Apostles had indicating a greater state or walking closer to the Father, this comes by a greater understanding of the Word of God. Without knowing the Word of God one cannot know God.

There is also the fellowship of suffering, of Spirit, of the Mystery, of ministering and of His Son. We are told that these are the kind of ways that we as Christians should have fellowship. In all of the verses that use this word koinonia the Word renders fellowship as a noun. There is also a verb form of koinonia, sugkoinonia which is a command not to have fellowship with devils. We will stick to the noun and see how God wants us to fellowship.

In Ephesians we find in the third chapter and ninth verse the word fellowship used and bringing this word to the apex of its meaning in the Bible.

Eph, 3:9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

This fellowship of the Mystery that which was hid in God the sharing, the partaking, the partnership, the intimacy and of course the fellowship we have with God is that we the Gentiles are fellow-heirs of the promise we are partakers of the promise we share fully in that which God has ordained for the Mystery believers since the beginning of the world.

We should look at one more use of fellowship and that is the fellowship of ministering to the saints. We as Mystery Believers are encouraged to minister to the believers with the good deeds we can do by contributing (another use of the word koinonia) to the necessity of the body of Christ by distribution (koinonia) by making known what is the richness of the Mystery.

Fellowship is a wonderful word used in the Epistles, it has significant meaning and I encourage you to do your own work on this great Biblical word. Each and every word in the Bible has many uses and usages which make the Bible the most intriguing book to study. God Bless your wonderful hearts in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul Griffitts has been a Bibical Researcher for over 30 years
Currently Paul is the Editor of The Good News Letter for Believer.com.

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