Putting the Coin in the Koinonia

Fellowship has lost a lot of its first-century clout. To us it means a dinner in the church basement; in the early church, it meant a shared life. To us it's a soft fuzzy word, but to the ancient believers it had hard edges. First-century fellowship was a gift of God—a relationship the believers shared because they were common recipients of God's grace—but it also required intentional effort. They made a deliberate choice to "devote themselves" to fellowship, along with the apostles' teaching, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42).

At its root, koinonia, the term commonly translated "fellowship" in the New Testament, meant "common"—an ordinary thing made extraordinary because it's shared in common by others.

Scripture uses koinonia to describe the close kinship we share with God, who has called us "into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). The word describes our "partnership in the gospel" (Philippians 1:5) and our companionship in God's family (1 John 1:3). It expresses our "participation in the body of Christ" when we partake communally of the bread and the cup in the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16). It refers to the "communication" or "sharing" of our faith with others (Philemon 6).

The New Testament also uses koinonia when it's talking about giving material resources. It's the word Paul employs for "a contribution for the poor" in Romans 15:26. It appears in 2 Corinthians 8:4 where Paul commends the Macedonian Christians for giving generously after pleading "for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." It's translated "sharing" again in 2 Corinthians 9:13 right after Paul says God loves a cheerful giver.

The first-century Christians put the coin in their koinonia. For them, fellowship wasn't just an emotion to experience; it was something tangible to give. They sold their possessions and goods so they could take care of those in need (Acts 2:45). They made it a priority to take care of widows and orphans (Acts 6; James 1:27). They asked, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" (1 John 3:17).

Fellowship isn't just an emotion to experience; it's something tangible to give.

Fellowship? It's the generous Christians in Eastern Europe who give a home to a child living on the streets, and the American friends who help to pay for her college education. It's the group of young adults who quietly collect groceries for a single mom who's struggling to make ends meet. It's the parents who give a restaurant gift card to their kids' Sunday school teacher to show appreciation for her efforts. It's the auto mechanic who fixes the preacher's car for free, and the volunteers who build a Habitat for Humanity house.

Fellowship? It's the teenager who cheerfully mows the grass and rakes the leaves in his widow neighbor's yard. It's the Christian college professor who anonymously supports a promising ministry student so he can stay in school. It's the young woman in a poverty-stricken nation who uses most of her meager earnings to support her aging parents. It's the suburban church that makes a strategic decision to spend less on its own facilities and more to help urban ministries and new churches. It's the elderly couple on a fixed income who faithfully send monthly checks to missionaries who count on their support.

Fellowship is something we receive, but it also requires us to give. And oh, the blessings received through the giving.