The Greek word translated “fellowship” is only found about eight times in all the writings of the apostle John. In his lexicon, Joseph Thayer gives these possible definitions for the Greek term: “fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, contact … intimacy.” Certainly fellowship is a subject which permeates John’s writings as he seeks to express the love of God and exhort love for God; however, this study will focus primarily on “Fellowship With God” in the writings of John.
Fellowship with God is made possible by the Person of Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus is the one and only mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the only possible “Way” for man to be reconciled to God (John 14:6; Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21). He is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
Therefore, John wrote in an epistle, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)” (1 John 1:1–2). John goes on to say that the Person of Jesus is being declared so “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). “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another” (1 John 1:7). “One with another” is fellowship between man and God. There is no greater joy than for a man to be in fellowship with God (1 John 1:4).
Fellowship with God makes one a partaker with the Family of God. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). Second only to fellowship with God is fellowship with God’s family. From the very conception of the Lord’s church, “all that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44). Interestingly, the word translated “common” here is a root for the word translated as “fellowship.” The faithful fellowship of the Lord’s church is one of the greatest tools for evangelism: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20–21).
Clifton Angel preaches for Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater.
