Photo by Alonso Reyes on Unsplash.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. [1 John 1:1-4 ESV]
This is the key passage to help us understand koinonia or fellowship. John starts this letter with no greeting or salutation. He launches straight into his subject and introduces Jesus Christ to his readers but he does not use that name. Instead John, who was an eyewitness to the events of the life of Jesus, speaks about him using deep theological titles:
That which was from the beginning
The Word of Life
The Eternal Life
The way John speaks about Jesus, reveals that he knew Jesus intimately. It was not a casual or distant acquaintance. But John proclaims Jesus so that his readers too will become acquainted with Him and, in the context of today's blog, will have fellowship with Him. This fellowship will also be with God the Father. If we have koinonia or fellowship with Jesus, we have koinonia or fellowship with the Father.
There are two important aspects of koinonia in these verses and they go together. Firstly, it is fellowship with God the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Secondly, it is fellowship with each other. This elevates the word koinonia or fellowship and gives it a deep significance in the life of a believer. This is not just having a cup of tea and some sandwiches together. This is sharing in the wonderful discovery of the person of Jesus Christ and basking in the joy of a relationship with the Godhead. When two or more Christians share the joy of their fellowship with Jesus Christ, this results in a deep satisfying relationship and real joy.
John uses another term for fellowship - 'walking in the light.'
But 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 cleanses us from all sin. [1 John 1:7 ESV]
Maybe we need to reflect on the type of conversations we have with our fellow Christians. Are they conducive to sharing the fellowship we have with the Father and the Son? Could our lifestyle be described as 'walking in darkness' (verse 6)? John makes it clear that the greatest barrier to this fellowship is sin in our lives. We cannot enjoy fellowship with God or with each other, if we allow sin to grow unjudged. We must be honest with God and admit the existence of sin and genuinely repent of this sin if we are going to enjoy this koinonia.
Is it achievable? In one sense the ideal of koinonia will be fully realised in a future eternity in the New Jerusalem. But we may aim for this koinonia individually and collectively while living on this sinful earth. Are we suggesting that the blood of Jesus Christ will not forgive the sins that are blocking this fellowship and destroying our relationship with the Trinity? Admittedly, it is a challenge to maintain communion with God. Sin provides interference which distorts and blights the koinonia. It effectively drowns out God's voice. The evidence I have witnessed over the years is that maintaining fellowship with each other in a church is also a challenge which future blogs will tackle in more detail.
Comentarios