Joining the Fellowship

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-10

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we also declare to you so that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; ⁷ but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus 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 who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and 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.

Questions

1. John twice in the first three verses emphasizes what “we have seen and heard” why is this eyewitness element so important to him?
2. What does the word fellowship mean, is it simply spending time together or is there something more?
3. How does having fellowship with Jesus relate to having fellowship with the Church?

Background

Related Scriptures: Deuteronomy 15:4; Acts 2:37-47, 4:32; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Galatians 2:1-10

Κοινωνία (fellowship) describes participation in life together and is drawn from the element of sharing public or community life together with others. The concept underscores the idea that we as individuals must be tied to a community to be fully human and that to be tied to a community implies sharing with others and keeping company with the,.

The term Κοινωνία (fellowship) was often used of marriage relationships and the idea of marital property because of the nature of sharing and closeness associated with the word.

John wants his readers to understand that all the things he is writing about (not simply the events of Jesus’ life) are things he has personally experienced with God, this is why he frequently refers to the things he has seen and heard.

John emphasizes fellowship through the repetition of the term, demonstrating that Christians have fellowship with one another and with Jesus.

This passage talks of fellowship between God and Jesus which is then extended to believers giving us fellowship with God which then extends to fellowship with other believers. John is demonstrating that believing the historical events of Jesus’ life and ministry leads individuals into community because of the fellowship of God.

Reflection

If you are like me when you hear the word fellowship you think of getting together with people for some short-term fun. For me in the context of 1 John 1 that would mean try to get along with the others in the church, and make sure to spend time with them on a regular basis. Honestly, when I began looking at this passage this week that is where I thought I was headed, “make sure to come together with one another because Jesus wants us to get along and appreciate one another.” Trying to understand 1 John 1 this week I was struck by the fact that both the Greek Κοινωνία and the English “fellowship” used to translate it in most versions derive their meanings from the same concepts. Both words capture the idea of individuals putting their material resources together to accomplish a project. In modern English we would probably use the word “partnership” to describe what is going on in 1 John more than fellowship. John is telling the Church, “I have witnessed Jesus and now I want you to join me putting some skin in the game seeing his kingdom come to earth.”

As someone who has always thought about fellowship in terms of potluck meals this idea of entering into a partnership with God and with fellow Christians is different. It is one thing for me to say to say I will get together with you for an hour a week to worship or maybe two if we are eating, but this somehow feels more real. And that is what John wants from us, he wants us to understand that he has witnessed Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and has joined together with Jesus in this venture. But more than that, John witnessed as Jesus’ followers came together on Pentecost and began to “share everything in common”. That phrase used in Acts 2:42 is derived from the same root as the word for fellowship and so when John talks of fellowship he means as the Common English Version translates it, “share life together”. John saw the earliest Christians come together in Jerusalem to the point that when one person needed help the community rallied around them, and the community shared what they had in such a way that no one was in need. John saw this happen decades before he wrote this letter and wants the church to which he is writing to think about that time and to embrace the message he brings. And embracing the message means to understand that God and Jesus have partnered together to bring about a new kingdom on earth. John’s excitement about this project goes even further, he is excited because this partnership is open to us. We have the opportunity to buy into God’s kingdom. John is so convinced by the things that he has witnessed that Jesus’ kingdom is real and has come to earth that he has thrown in his lot with Jesus. And now he is coming to the Church saying to us all that we have the opportunity to invest in Jesus’ kingdom also. Investing in this kingdom is not simply saying yes to the concept that Jesus rose from the dead, it is investing in the church as you would a partnership, in such a way that you are concerned with it thriving.

So what does fellowship mean for us? It is investment, it is contributing time and resources to seeing the common cause thrive. The two analogies that are frequently used to help understand the meaning of fellowship in John’s sense are a business partnership and a family relationship (particularly a marriage). Institutions where those involved bear the weight of seeing their joint venture succeed and so contribute whatever they can to make sure the partnership works. John is telling us that he has witnessed what Jesus can do in the world and has pledged himself to contribute to the furthering of Jesus’ work in the world. Then he asks each of us to listen to him as he recounts what he has seen and heard, so that we too can join in  this partnership with God and one another. He genuinely believes that if we hear about how Jesus has led Christians to share life together we will want to join with others in sharing our life and resources in furthering Jesus’ message. The question John is asking all of us is, “have you seen enough of Jesus’ kingdom that you are willing to partner with God and so with this group of people to make it more of a reality in this world no matter the cost?”