Fellowship is crucial in Christianity. We learned from the book of Acts that believers always gathered, devoting themselves to fellowship on various occasions, which was why the early church grew immensely.
In this article, we will talk about fellowship in the Bible, what it is, its importance, and some examples.
So without further ado, let’s dive in.
What is fellowship in the Bible?
A fellowship is a close relationship with someone that develops over time. This special bond can be established between two people or groups of people and this is what fellowship is all about. Fellowship takes place when you come together to study the Bible, share in worship, and discuss your faith in Christ.
Fellowship is a theological category that describes the relationship between Jesus Christ and his followers. Fellowship involves both “mutual aid” among people and leading a life worthy of imitation. Theologians have differed over how to define fellowship, but they traditionally use scripture as support for their argument.
What Is Spiritual Fellowship?
Spiritual fellowship is the unifying relationship between a Christian, the church, and God made possible by the oneness in the Holy Spirit.
“Koinonia” is the Greek Word from which the word fellowship was derived.
It means “holding something in common” and was used in 1 John 1:6-7.
Therefore, Spiritual Fellowship is the beliefs, hope, truths, convictions, behaviors, activities, and most importantly, the Spirit we have with God and other believers.
Believers Can Fellowship With Other Believers
So when believers gather to pray, teach, encourage themselves, study the Word, break bread, sing praises, and worship God, they are fellowshipping together.
Believers Can Fellowship With God
Also, when a believer talks to God, studies the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or worships him in songs and hymns, he is fellowship with God.
This was the same kind of fellowship Adam and Eve had with God in the Garden (Gen 3:8-9), including Abram having a launch with God (Gen 18), David enjoying the presence of God (Psalm 63), Apostle Paul following after Christ (1 Corinth 11:1), and many more.
Fellowships in the Bible were between believers and God.
Importance Of Fellowship In The Bible
Fellowship is a huge part of Christian life and should be expounded upon in the Bible. Fellowship plays an important role in the Bible, especially in Christian life.
The text of the Bible teaches us how to be better Christian because it consists of rules and regulations that apply to us, but more importantly, it tells us how to live our lives and what we should do every day.
Unity
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:10
Fellowship fosters unity among brethren.
Because when believers gather in the name of Christ, they have unity of mind, will, and action, we become one in Christ ( John 17:12) and united members of His body.
Growth
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.
~ 1 Corinthians 14:26
A Christian cannot grow in isolation. He has to fellowship with other believers, to learn from them while they learn from him.
And in Hebrews 10:25, we are warned not to forsake the brethren’s assembly (meaning fellowship), which also applies to our fellowship with God.
The more we fellowship with fellow believers and God, the more we grow from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Edification
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
~ Acts 2:41
In a Christian fellowship, beautiful voices are singing, teachers teaching, gifted prophets prophesying, and plenty more displays of God through His church.
You cannot get this kind of experience from yourself but through fellowshipping with other believers as everyone uses their gift to edify the church (1 Corinthians 12:4-23).
Opportunities For Joy and Peace
The presence of God is always among Christians, even if they are just two or three.
And the book of Psalms makes us understand that there is fullness of joy in the presence of God (Psalm 16:11).
So when you fellowship with other believers, you allow yourself to be filled with Joy.
Activation Of Miracles
The children of God never gathered in vain, as fellowships in the Bible were always known to produce one miracle or the other.
In a prayer fellowship, God poured down His Spirit (Acts 10:34), He gave them supernatural courage (Acts 4:31), God delivered Peter from prison (Acts 15:3-19), etc.
Paul and Silas shook the prison in a praise fellowship, miraculously broke free of their shackles, were released, and won souls for Christ (Acts 15:25).
Freedom To Confess Your Sins
When you are in constant fellowship with a group of brethren, you’ll find it easy to confess your sins and weakness to them.
They’ll help you with words of prayers, encouragement, and some advice, and you’ll become more robust and guilt-free.
Fellowship Attracts Unbelievers
The more believers gather and display their unity of love, faith, passion, and way of Christian life, the brighter they shine in their environment, attracting unbelievers to Christ (John 13:35).
Constant fellowship in the Bible was one of the significant factors that grew the early church (Acts 2:47)
8 Examples Of Fellowship In The Bible
The Believers Fellowship
Since apostles in the early church had many things in common, they usually stayed together whenever they were in the same vicinity.
This constant gathering usually involves teaching, corrections, breaking bread, etc.
And it later came to be known as a standard way of life for the apostles, which other believers should continue (Acts 2:42).
Paul talked about him and Barnabas being invited into this kind of fellowship by James, Peter, and John after they perceived God’s grace in his life.
The Fellowship Of Christ The Son
We have fellowship with and in Christ in all manner of things.
This is because fellowship means ” holding something in common” with someone, and believers not only have things in common with Christ, they were so similar to him that they got the name Christian in Antioch (Acts 11:26).
This fellowship (or mutual commonality) we have with Christ goes from how we live in society to how we live in secret; it also includes how we pray, tackle the urgency of evangelism, experience the same challenges He faced on earth, and have a firm belief in the second coming.
When an unbeliever is born again, he is called into this fellowship of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9).
The Spirit’s Fellowship
Someone once defined fellowship as “the focus on the development of a fellow.”
This is precisely what our fellowship with the Spirit is like.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to partake in our lives, we come into fellowship (or partnership) with him.
And this kind of fellowship brings more understanding of the Word of God, the comfort of love, affection and mercy, like-mindedness, and being in one accord with God (Philippians 2:1-2).
In this kind of fellowship, the Holy Spirit starts to partake in your growth as Christians, developing you as you are now a partner (or fellow) with him.
Fellowship Of The Gospel
One of the most crucial fellowships of the Bible is the fellowship of the Gospel.
During the early church, the believers had one mind when it came to sharing the Gospel, to the extent that even when they were scattered abroad, they continued preaching the Gospel in their various locations.
In Philippians 1:15, Apostle Paul thanked God on behalf of the believer’s fellowship in the Gospel.
In this verse, the Greek term he used, “Koinonia ” translates to “partnership” in the Gospel.
The Fellowship Of His Suffering
If there is anything believers have in common throughout the history of the church, then it is the suffering that comes with being a Christian.
Firstly,
- It’s killing our flesh and depriving ourselves of lovely pleasure for eternal gains,
- Then we become fully aware of the evil around the society, which could become a burden of knowledge,
- The height of it is the persecution that Christians suffer globally.
In Philippians 3:10, we know that this is the fellowship (or partnering) of His (Christ) suffering, conformed to His death.
The Fathers Fellowship
God has always been interested in having fellowship with believers.
Right from when he created Adam and Eve, He would come and fellowship with them in the cool of the day.
He came down by himself to have a launch with Abram, involving himself in the day-to-day lives of the Israelites and sending The Messiah to be the link for anyone in the world to bring Him into their lives.
One of God’s most significant efforts to bring us to fellowship (or togetherness) with him is giving us his Word (The Bible).
Because through the Word, we can now come in contact with the person of God, His awesomeness, passion, and mission for our lives.
Also, in 1 John 1:3, we understand that when we are in fellowship with other believers, the fellowship is really with God the Father.
The Fellowship Of The Mystery
In 1 Corinthians 15:19, Apostle Paul says that we will become the most miserable of all men if our hope in Christ is only here on earth and not till the afterlife.
This made him start to teach about life after death, principalities and powers, the hidden wisdom of God, and his eternal plans.
These messages were called mysteries.
And today, believers are in one accord when. So it comes to this mystery of God’s eternal plan, which to unbelievers looks foolish (Ephesians 3:8-11, 1 Corinth 1:27).
The Fellowship Of Prayer
What is Christianity without prayers?
Prayer meetings were one of the most common fellowships in the Bible because they brought the believers together so many times.
Our introduction emphasized that the believers always gathered and prayed. It was a norm; it was a must.
In Acts 1:14, “they all gathered together constantly in prayer…”.
In Acts 4:31, ” when they prayed, the place where they gathered together was greatly shaken.”
In Acts 12:12, the release of the Apostle Peter from Herod’s prison was because “many people had gathered and were praying.”
While they valued their personal prayer lives, praying together was something they shared in common (fellowship).
Bottom Line
Anything we constantly do with other believers in one faith is a fellowship.
This also applies to our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It is God’s will that we are in fellowship with him and our brethren.
That is why He gave us Christ, to draw us closer to him, and through His Spirit, we are unified across the body of Christ.
