Fellowship, what is it?

[Not me]

In the end it's the sense and reality of the vertical fellowship that informs in a prior sense our Christian fellowship horizontally. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1.3)

This is very good and true and the light that is seen in the scripture that is used...

Be so blessed in the increase of the vertical so the horizontal might increase as the fruit of the vertical.....

Rejoicing in Christ, Not me

 

[Waiting on him]

This is very good and true and the light that is seen in the scripture that is used...

Be so blessed in the increase of the vertical so the horizontal might increase as the fruit of the vertical.....

Rejoicing in Christ, Not me

James 3:17 KJV
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

 

[Joseph77]

Maybe this is my problem, a need for more vertical fellowship.

Partly, of course. Once that is established, or even just begun, and following the Shepherd, He Leads to Peace , Joy, Healing, Salvation, as written in the New Testament.
Problem is, too many go horizontal fellowship (worldly, as if possible), for love of the world or approval of others (people).... trusting in the flesh is always cursed by God, He Says. Only Truth Him.

 

[Joseph77]

Well I for one am overwhelmed that the brethren in the first century could all be of one mind. You just don't see this anywhere nowadays.

In the brethren , you do , if you find them.
Sometimes, it is only in Scripture people can see this.
(in the world today is very dangerous, destructive directions)

 

[farouk]

Maybe this is my problem, a need for more vertical fellowship.

@Waiting on him Oh we can all be challenged in this respect. Anyway I do think what John's First Epistle says about fellowship is very helpful and searching.

 

[Raccoon1010]

1 John 1:6-7 KJV
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If people are incapable of fellowship does this mean that the truth of Jesus is not in them?

For me: I find fellowship when I joined a church and received true teachings that I believe and apply. Being part of that church with friends in the church. Kinda hard right now with the virus problem. I watch online church at the moment.

 

[charity]

1 John 1:6-7 KJV
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If people are incapable of fellowship does this mean that the truth of Jesus is not in them?

'God is faithful,
by whom ye were called
unto the fellowship of His Son
Jesus Christ our Lord.'
(1 Cor. 1:9)

Hello there, @Waiting on him,

Paul tells us, that we are called unto the fellowship of God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord: and John in 1 John 1:3, tells us:-

'That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,
that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the Father,
and with His Son Jesus Christ.'

This is where our fellowship lies: and if our fellowship is not there, it cannot be with others, for we cannot give what we ourselves have not received.

Fellowship it seems means 'partnership' and 'communion', or 'communication', and as it has been said previously, in order to walk together you have to be in agreement. This is why in 2 Corinthians 6:14 we are told not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

However, it is not for us to judge someone on the basis of the fact that they cannot fellowship with us: for only God knows the reason why a person finds it difficult to fellowship with their fellow believers; for only He knows their hearts. We should continue to show love, and be gracious and kindly to that one, in the hope that this condition will change.

Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[charity]

'Wherefore putting away lying,
speak every man truth with his neighbour:
for we are members one of another.'
(Eph 4:25)

Hello @Waiting on him,

Do you notice that in 1 John 1:3, fellowship for John is in imparting to others what he himself had seen and heard, as one who had lived in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ and listened to what He had to say. I believe that this is what true fellowship is. Not that which many seem to consider it to be, which is getting together for coffee and a chat.

'Truthing' : or 'speaking the truth in love' is what true fellowship consists of. That we 'may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ' (Ephesians 4:15)

With love in Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Enoch111]

Kinda hard right now with the virus problem.

The virus *problem* was created so that churches could not continue with their meetings and worship and Christians would be subjected to bogus fear-mongering. The lock downs, social distancing, masks etc, have had absolutely no effect other than state control, totalitarianism, and the loss of civil liberties. Some extreme Leftist governors in the USA have publicly stated that all other kinds of gatherings (including protests) are fine, but churches are forbidden to meet as usual. So there you have it.

 

[Joseph77]

The virus *problem* was created so that churches could not continue with their meetings and worship and Christians would be subjected to bogus fear-mongering. The lock downs, social distancing, masks etc, have had absolutely no effect other than state control, totalitarianism, and the loss of civil liberties. Some extreme Leftist governors in the USA have publicly stated that all other kinds of gatherings (including protests) are fine, but churches are forbidden to meet as usual. So there you have it.

Yes, in line with all of God's Word.
As first written, prophesied, declared by God in Scripture: the governments , medicals, politicos, socios , educationos, financials, religious... etc, all of society, all of the world, leads only to death.... on purpose, by plan...
inevitable step by inevitable step, as God Himself Has Purposed and Planned , God Knowing and Directing all things...
Perfectly for those who love (obey) Him and are called according to His Purpose....

 

[marksman]

1 John 1:6-7 KJV
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If people are incapable of fellowship does this mean that the truth of Jesus is not in them?

You would think so wouldn't you? I do get the feeling that any verses that nail us to the wall are somehow glossed over or ignored. We seem to place more emphasis on what the denomination requires of us.

Let us say we are in a fellowship of 50 people. In theory, on the basis of the priesthood of all believers, there are 50 people that can search the scriptures and build up the body of Christ with what God reveals to them if they are allowed to. The fact that they are not in most cases means that we have a body that is seriously ill with one person trying desperately to make it better by putting the same old remedy on the body. What I would call tunnel vision.

If we have only one person telling us what is right and wrong, we are going to walk in darkness because we only have one perspective to go by.
To enable the light to shine on us we need input from the whole body of Christ. The scripture does not say "let your pastor's light shine" It says let YOUR light shine. That means you. How are you going to let your light shine if you are kept silent for the most part?

This verse goes onto say if we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another. Fellowship is not shaking someone's hand and saying "How are you" and you reply "fine." That is two ships passing in the night. Fellowship is not looking at the back of people's heads. Fellowship is taking time to be involved in one another's lives and stepping in if needed to help and care.

If this is not happening, then I guess we can say we are walking in darkness. But this is rarely addressed because if we do, we might have to change the way we go about things and that may require effort on our part.

If we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another. If we walk in darkness we don't have fellowships with one another. We just have a passing acquaintance. How does this reveal itself? Simple. We have out little circle of friends and the rest are strangers to us.

The biggest churches were the New Testament churches because they only had one church in each town. The difference from today is that they met in hundreds of fellowships in the home. As it says in Acts they went from house to house so they were intermingling all the time. That is the way to have fellowship with each other.

It doesn't happen like that today because of one major problem. I will let you guess what it is.

 

[marksman]

There can be genuine fellowship only with genuine children of God. And they also have fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for fellowship is KOINONIA, which means communion. So fellowship is both spiritual union and communion.

This is outwardly displayed in the Lord's Supper (the Breaking of Bread) where one loaf and one cup are shared by all. Paul expounds on the spiritual significance of this in his epistles.

So what do we do if the cup is not one, just a lot of little thimbles full of wine?

 

[charity]

You would think so wouldn't you? I do get the feeling that any verses that nail us to the wall are somehow glossed over or ignored. We seem to place more emphasis on what the denomination requires of us.

Let us say we are in a fellowship of 50 people. In theory, on the basis of the priesthood of all believers, there are 50 people that can search the scriptures and build up the body of Christ with what God reveals to them if they are allowed to. The fact that they are not in most cases means that we have a body that is seriously ill with one person trying desperately to make it better by putting the same old remedy on the body. What I would call tunnel vision.

If we have only one person telling us what is right and wrong, we are going to walk in darkness because we only have one perspective to go by.
To enable the light to shine on us we need input from the whole body of Christ. The scripture does not say "let your pastor's light shine" It says let YOUR light shine. That means you. How are you going to let your light shine if you are kept silent for the most part?

This verse goes onto say if we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another. Fellowship is not shaking someone's hand and saying "How are you" and you reply "fine." That is two ships passing in the night. Fellowship is not looking at the back of people's heads. Fellowship is taking time to be involved in one another's lives and stepping in if needed to help and care.

If this is not happening, then I guess we can say we are walking in darkness. But this is rarely addressed because if we do, we might have to change the way we go about things and that may require effort on our part.

If we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another. If we walk in darkness we don't have fellowships with one another. We just have a passing acquaintance. How does this reveal itself? Simple. We have out little circle of friends and the rest are strangers to us.

The biggest churches were the New Testament churches because they only had one church in each town. The difference from today is that they met in hundreds of fellowships in the home. As it says in Acts they went from house to house so they were intermingling all the time. That is the way to have fellowship with each other.

It doesn't happen like that today because of one major problem. I will let you guess what it is.

Hello @marksman,

I don't believe that we can judge another, simply because he remains silent. A persons presence in itself is enough to encourage and strengthen surely, for he has taken the trouble to be with you. He may be praying for you quietly, secretly, before the Father, even though the only evidence of it is a firm handshake and a grasp of the shoulder in affirmation of mutual understanding and love in the Lord.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Joseph77]

So what do we do if the cup is not one, just a lot of little thimbles full of wine?

RUN AWAY!! RUN FAST AWAY !

 

[Joseph77]

As it says in Acts they went from house to house so they were intermingling all the time. That is the way to have fellowship with each other.

Most important statement I've seen in months , regarding the truth of fellowship and the need for in person, day to day.
online does not make it, at all.

 

[Hidden In Him]

1 John 1:6-7 KJV
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If people are incapable of fellowship does this mean that the truth of Jesus is not in them?

John repeats himself often but can be pretty deep. Let me quote the passage more fully:

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10)

Now, the word translated "fellowship" in the Greek technically just means "shared experience." So when he's saying we have fellowship with Him, it means that we are sharing in His experience; in this case walking in the light, and not just Biblical light. If you look closely, what he's actually saying is that "walking in the light" is when the Spirit of God among them is exposing sin, correcting and disciplining, and revealing things in our lives that have to be repented of, causing us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16).

I'm becoming of the opinion that this is actually done most effectively when interacting with other believers; the reason being that He will use others, especially through the gifts of the Spirit, to see into our hearts. As scripture says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." It will "cut to the chase" as they say, especially prophetic utterance and revelation that goes right to the heart of where a person's problem actually is (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

I don't see the gifts as ever intended to be operated in separately. They were meant to be operated in corporately, within gatherings of believers or at the very least smaller groups, so in answer to the OP question I would have to say that we make it increasingly more difficult to walk in the light if we cannot walk in fellowship with other believers. It is the Spirit of God that brings things to light, and he wants us walking in love with one another so as to open up the opportunity to confess our faults to one another before the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God, so that the darkness within us flees and He cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

Just my thoughts on the passage.

 

[Joseph77]

QUOTE="Hidden In Him"]John repeats himself often but can be pretty deep. Let me quote the passage more fully:

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10)

Now, the word translated "fellowship" in the Greek technically just means "shared experience." So when he's saying we have fellowship with Him, it means that we are sharing in His experience; in this case walking in the light, and not just Biblical light. If you look closely, what he's actually saying is that "walking in the light" is when the Spirit of God among them is exposing sin, correcting and disciplining, and revealing things in our lives that have to be repented of, causing us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16).

I'm becoming of the opinion that this is actually done most effectively when interacting with other believers; the reason being that He will use others, especially through the gifts of the Spirit, to see into our hearts. As scripture says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." It will "cut to the chase" as they say, especially prophetic utterance and revelation that goes right to the heart of where a person's problem actually is (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

I don't see the gifts as ever intended to be operated in separately. They were meant to be operated in corporately, within gatherings of believers or at the very least smaller groups, so in answer to the OP question I would have to say that we make it increasingly more difficult to walk in the light if we cannot walk in fellowship with other believers. It is the Spirit of God that brings things to light, and he wants us walking in love with one another so as to open up the opportunity to confess our faults to one another before the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God, so that the darkness within us flees and He cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

Just my thoughts on the passage.[/QUOTE
======================================================
The Father wishes to grant His Wisdom concerning all of this (and all about Salvation/ Healing) .....
as written in His Word , in complete and perfect harmony,
and in James - if anyone lacks this Wisdom, let him ask of God, Who (alone) Gives to all men generously and without reproach .... ..

 

[Waiting on him]

John repeats himself often but can be pretty deep. Let me quote the passage more fully:

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10)

Now, the word translated "fellowship" in the Greek technically just means "shared experience." So when he's saying we have fellowship with Him, it means that we are sharing in His experience; in this case walking in the light, and not just Biblical light. If you look closely, what he's actually saying is that "walking in the light" is when the Spirit of God among them is exposing sin, correcting and disciplining, and revealing things in our lives that have to be repented of, causing us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16).

I'm becoming of the opinion that this is actually done most effectively when interacting with other believers; the reason being that He will use others, especially through the gifts of the Spirit, to see into our hearts. As scripture says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." It will "cut to the chase" as they say, especially prophetic utterance and revelation that goes right to the heart of where a person's problem actually is (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).

I don't see the gifts as ever intended to be operated in separately. They were meant to be operated in corporately, within gatherings of believers or at the very least smaller groups, so in answer to the OP question I would have to say that we make it increasingly more difficult to walk in the light if we cannot walk in fellowship with other believers. It is the Spirit of God that brings things to light, and he wants us walking in love with one another so as to open up the opportunity to confess our faults to one another before the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God, so that the darkness within us flees and He cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

Just my thoughts on the passage.

Have you ever experienced this in church gatherings?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Have you ever experienced this in church gatherings?

No, Lol. But I have helped a number of people experience it by interpreting their dreams for them, which is a form of prophecy. The Lord goes right to the heart of an issue like that. I would much prefer to be an atmosphere where direct prophecy was going forth, but there aren't a lot of churches operating in that right now.

 

[marksman]

Hello @marksman,

I don't believe that we can judge another, simply because he remains silent. A persons presence in itself is enough to encourage and strengthen surely, for he has taken the trouble to be with you. He may be praying for you quietly, secretly, before the Father, even though the only evidence of it is a firm handshake and a grasp of the shoulder in affirmation of mutual understanding and love in the Lord.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

I am not judging anyone. I am just stating facts.