By
Shelby G. Floyd
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. –Galatians 2:9 KJV
PART FOUR
FELLOWSHIP WITH SPIRITUAL THINGS
LESSON SEVEN
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST
Near the end of the great letter, which Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome, he stated to them his desire to visit them on his way to Spain. But at the time he was writing the letter to them, he was on a trip to Jerusalem, to minister unto the saints in that area. He stated to them how the Christians at Macedonia and Achaia had been pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor saints, who were at Jerusalem, and then he added these significant words,
“It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things” (Romans 15: 27).
Often the subject of fellowship is treated in too general a way. It is the purpose of this essay and some which are to follow, to define Christian fellowship in more specific terms. In Romans 15: 27, we have a phrase that specifically defines Christian fellowship. Paul speaks of the Gentiles having been made “partakers of their spiritual things.” The word partakers, is from koinoneo, and is a first aorist indicative verb meaning, “to come into communion or fellowship, to become a sharer, to be made a partner” (Thayer, p. 351). Partaker is used in Rom. 15: 27, with the dative of the thing in which they shared and were made partners; therefore, the object of the verb partakers is the clause, “spiritual things.” Since the term partakers, is a verb, this implies certain acts were done in order to have and maintain fellowship with spiritual things. Continue reading “THE RIGHT HANDS OF FELLOWSHIP NO. 7”
