THE RIGHT HANDS
OF
FELLOWSHIP
By
Shelby
G. Floyd
August,
2008
PART THREE
FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRISTIANS
LESSON SIX
FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRISTIANS
It is the object of this essay to discuss the fellowship of Christians one with another. It is to be understood, that when one hears, believes and obeys the gospel by being baptized, that one has fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28: 18-19.) All those who have come into fellowship with God, by the new birth, have fellowship with every other child of God who has been born into that family. That fellowship continues with every child of God, who is born into that family, so long as they abide in the teaching or the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
On the
great and notable day of the Lord, the day of Pentecost, the day on which the
church began, a great multitude heard Peter and the other apostles preach the
gospel of Jesus Christ, and were convicted of their sins. Having asked what
they must do to be saved, they were instructed to repent and to be baptized:
upon which we are advised 3,000 complied with those commands, and were added
to the church. Therefore, they entered into fellowship with God and all of his
children.
That
fellowship must be maintained by faithful and steadfast adherence to the
doctrine of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the author of the book of Acts says, “And
they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts
Today, some
are saying that doctrine has nothing to do with the state of fellowship with
God and his children, but it certainly was a very important duty incumbent
upon these early Christians: for they persevered, they adhered and continued
steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, giving constant and strict attention to
learn what the apostles further instructed them. According to Acts
The apostles’ doctrine is simply the teaching of the apostles or objectively that, which is taught. It is, “the doctrine which has God, Christ the Lord, for its author and supporter.” (Cf. Thayer, p. 144.) When these 3,000 Christians continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine they were abiding in the doctrine of Christ, and therefore they had both the Father and the Son. (Cf. 2 John 9.) That is, they were in fellowship with both the Father and the Son by continuing to abide in the doctrine of Christ.
Had they not continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine or in the doctrine of Christ, they would not have had God; meaning, they would not have had fellowship with God. By abiding in the apostles’ doctrine they were abiding or walking in the light, and everyone who walks in the light has fellowship with every other person who walks in the light. Those who are not abiding in the apostles’ doctrine are walking in darkness, and it is impossible for one who is walking in darkness to have fellowship with those who are walking in the light.
The apostle
John said, “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.” (I John 1: 7.) In this
verse the word fellowship is also from koinonia
and in this particular context it is used, “of the fellowship of Christians
with God and Christ, which fellowship according to John’s teaching consists in
the fact that Christians are partakers in common of the same mind as God and
Christ, and of the blessings arising there from.” (Cf.
Thayer, p. 352.)
The three thousand who were baptized on the day of Pentecost continued steadfastly to abide in the apostles’ doctrine; therefore, they continued steadfastly to walk in the light, and by virtue of their walking in the light, they had fellowship one with another. In what did their fellowship one with another consist? It most definitely consisted of studying and learning the instructions of the apostles. By coming together to study the Bible that we might show ourselves approved unto God, and that we might be workmen not put to shame, we are having fellowship one with another. (2 Timothy 2: 15.) We have fellowship then in the joint participation of studying God’s word. They also had fellowship one with another in coming together upon the first day of every week to break bread or to observe the Lord’s Supper. (Acts 20: 7.) Concerning the Lord’s Supper the apostle Paul said, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread, which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10: 16.) They also had fellowship one with another by coming together in public worship and jointly offering up their prayers before the throne of grace.
A wonderful
exhibition of the fellowship and common bond, which united these early members
of the church together, is found also in the second chapter of Acts. Luke says,
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold
their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”
(Acts 2: 44-46.)
Their love and their fellowship one with another was founded upon their common bond in following the apostles’ instructions, observing all of the ordinances and commandments of the Lord. (Cf. 1 John 5: 3.) The basis and foundation of all our acts of fellowship one with another is built upon our common bond in walking, abiding and steadfastly adhering to the apostles’ doctrine. *
*Shelby G. Floyd originally published The Right Hands of Fellowship
in The Informer, bulletin of the Garfield Heights Church of Christ in
QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON
1. What are the acts required in order for one to have fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Discuss.
2. How does one enter into fellowship with the children of God and on what condition does this fellowship continue?
3. Upon what conditions did 3,000 persons on the day of Pentecost enter into fellowship with God and his children? Discuss.
4. In what specific ways does the teaching of Acts 2: 42 tell us how to maintain our fellowship with each other?
5. Must one continue in the doctrine of the apostles in order to continue in the fellowship? Note Acts 2: 42.
6. Define the “apostles’ doctrine.” Is this doctrine identical with the “doctrine of Christ?” If so, can one go beyond this doctrine and continue in fellowship with God?
7. Since 1 John 1: 7 teaches that we have fellowship with one another when we walk in the light,’’ what does this mean?
8. In what particulars did the fellowship of the 3,000 on the day of Pentecost consist?
9. Is the Lord’s Supper part of the fellowship? If so, how often was it observed?
10. How did benevolence
exhibit the fellowship of the
11. What is the foundation of our entire fellowship one with another?
SCRIPTURE TEXTS
Matt 28:18-20
18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
NIV
Acts
42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers.
NKJV
2 John 9-11
9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God;
whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you
and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11Anyone
who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
NIV
1 John 1:7
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
NIV
2 Tim 2:15
15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
NIV
Acts 20:7
7Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready
to depart the next day, spoke to them and
continued his message until
NKJV
1 Cor
16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?
And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
NIV
Acts 2:44-46
44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions
and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in
the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
NIV
1 John 5:3
3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
NIV
MEMORY VERSE
Acts
42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers.
NKJV