Text: Galatians 2:9
The New Testament describes fellowship as something to be valued, built, and maintained. The “right hand of fellowship” was a symbol of acceptance and approval. But we cannot accept and approve of everyone. There are limits to fellowship. We will discuss them in this lesson.
Defining Fellowship
- Greek word (koinonia) – association, community, communion, joint participation (Thayer)
- Contribution made for needy saints (Romans 15:26) and participation in their support (2 Corinthians 8:4)
- Sharing in the body and blood of Christ as we partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16)
- Participation in the work of preaching the gospel (Philippians 1:5)
- We sometimes use the term fellowship in a generic sense (“fellowship” with Christians worldwide) – in the NT, the term has a much more limited scope; we are brethren (1 Peter 2:17) and part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13); but fellowship (community, association, communion, joint participation) demands a more personal and localized view of fellowship
- The proper view of fellowship is important because of the limits the NT gives to fellowship – there are certain people to whom we must NOT extend fellowship; it would be impossible to respect these limits if we were automatically “in fellowship” with others
Those We Cannot Have Fellowship With
- Unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-15) – it is impossible to avoid all contact with unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:10); but we cannot join into fellowship with them; “come out from their midst and be separate”
- False teachers (2 John 9-11) – it is common in the religious world to ignore doctrinal differences and accept anyone who claims to be preaching Christ; but anyone who goes beyond the teaching of Christ loses his fellowship with God; if we join into or maintain fellowship with such individuals, we lose our fellowship with God
- Christians living in sin (1 Corinthians 5:11) – many professed Christians overlook sin in the name of “unity”; the brethren in Corinth were “arrogant” over their “tolerance”; a brother in sin who refuses to repent must be removed from our midst (1 Corinthians 5:1-2; Ephesians 5:11)
- Christians who ignore NT teaching (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14) – we follow the apostles’ teaching (Matthew 28:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:15); in doing so, we keep the Lord’s commands (1 John 2:3); we cannot have fellowship with those who do not do this
- Those we believe to be in sin (Acts 9:26) – Saul persecuted the church (Acts 8:3), but was converted; the brethren in Jerusalem only knew him as a persecutor (1 Timothy 1:13), so they could not accept him; once they learned the truth, they welcomed him (Acts 9:27-28), but they could not before then
- Those who refuse to have fellowship with us (3 John 9-10) – Diotrephes “withdrew fellowship” from faithful Christians; he needed to be confronted, but until then, there could be no fellowship with this group
Conclusion
- Fellowship is one of the great blessings we have as brothers and sisters in Christ
- But there are limits – not just due to a lack of proximity to one another; also due to sin, error, misunderstandings, and poor attitudes
- We should work to remove these obstacles to fellowship when possible
- We must also strive to maintain fellowship with like-minded brethren as we all enjoy fellowship with God
