Sharing things in common with
others. In the New Testament, fellowship has a distinctly spiritual
meaning. Fellowship can be either positive or negative.
Positively, believers have fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit <John 17:21-26; Phil. 2:1; 1 John 1:3>, as well as with other
believers <Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3,7>. The only reason why we dare to have
fellowship with God, in the sense of sharing things in common with Him,
is that He has raised our status through the death and resurrection of
Christ <Eph. 2:4-7>. What believers share in common with God is a
relationship as well as God's own holy character <1 Pet. 1:15>. Those
who have fellowship with Christ should enjoy fellowship with other
believers. This fellowship ought to illustrate the very nature of God
Himself <John 13:35; Eph. 5:1-2; 1 John 1:5-10>.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) |
