Fellowship: Spiritual or Social?

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" Acts 2:42.

Contemporary assembly conditions often show a marked departure from New Testament simplicity and dependence upon the leading of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. Often this is due to failure on the part of the elders to provide guidance and teaching from the Scriptures. There is a great need to promote spiritual growth and stability among promising young brethren and sisters.

There are five forms of fellowship in the New Testament.

1. Social Fellowship: "Breaking bread (eating of meals) from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart" Acts 2.46. This was especially necessary for those who had lost their houses and livelihood because of persecution. It is still good to show hospitality to the Lord’s people in our homes. "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?" 1Cor.11.22.

2. Fellowship of Service: Paul gives thanks; "For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" Phil 1:5.

3. Practical Fellowship: Paul rejoiced in the material support received from the believers at Philippi. "Ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction" Phil.4.14.

4. Fellowship in the Light: John writes: "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" 1 Jn.1.3. "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another" 1 Jn.1.7. All believers in the family of God, share the same life in Christ rejoicing in the grace of God’s salvation.

     In Acts 2 the order is Salvation, "They that gladly received His word"; Baptism, "Were baptized" (baptizo = overwhelm, immerse); Addition, "There were added unto them" (the company of believers at Jerusalem) Acts 2.41; Continuation, "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and [the] fellowship, in [the] breaking of bread, and in [the] prayers" Acts 2.42. What is this fellowship?

5. Local assembly fellowship (koinonos) is a partnership, sharing, oneness expressed in the apostles’ doctrine, the prayers and the breaking of bread, partaking of that one cup (not individual cups) and one bread (not cubes) as instituted by the Lord, in the fellowship of the Lord’s table (1 Cor.10.21) and partaking of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor.11.20). It is clear that this is a fellowship of local believers, known to each other and to the elders, who meet regularly in one place. When Saul of Tarsus got saved, "he assayed to join (glue) himself to the disciples" Acts 9.26. "He was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem" Acts 9.28. This involves a fellowship of labour and service.

     If no local assembly exists, we labour in the gospel to see one formed. If an assembly exists, then we serve to see it increase spiritually and numerically. "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost ... For from you [the assembly at Thessalonica] sounded out the word of the Lord" 1 Thess.1.5, 8.

     The only addition the gospel needs is that it be preached in the power of the Spirit of God. Innovations are usually introduced in children’s work. Beautiful Bible stories hold the attention of children if simply and prayerfully presented. ... When God sends the gospel He also sends the embodiment of the message in the messenger. Spirit-filled men with clean lives commend the gospel to seeking souls. Radio and TV preachers and videos create social attractions often disguising abominable doctrines, money appeals and, at times, immoral lives. Why should we copy the innovations of the charismatic confusion around us? Some say we need more music, with services that are more lively and have more activity for the young.

     In the New Testament, there is the book of the Acts, written by Luke; fourteen Epistles written by Paul, if we include Hebrews, three by John, two by Peter, one by James, and one by Jude. That totals twenty-two communications by six authors, inspired by the Spirit of God over seventy years, with no reference to musical accompaniment. The choice is either between quiet meditation, spiritual exercise and power in the preaching of Spirit-filled godly men or the clatter of the xylophone, the strumming of the guitar, the plaintive wail of the violin or the blare of the trumpet. The music of the piano or organ can be enjoyed privately in the circle of the home. These things develop, so that a soloist develops to a choir, the organ in the assembly becomes the orchestra in the auditorium and the trained pastor system develops into the clerical system that former generations left at great cost. Let us praise God, "singing and making melody in your heart [the organ] to the Lord" Eph. 5.19. Do we need to make a theatre of the assembly to have the thrill of the sensual or the attraction of the charismatic? Seminars, social gatherings, extra-assembly fellowships of entertainment are a gross infringement of the sovereignty of the Spirit and could be continued if local assemblies did not exist.

     All the meetings of the assembly for which we have Scriptural authority are spiritual exercises. The Spirit-filled exercise of priesthood and prayer; the spiritual outpouring of worship; ministry that is Spirit controlled; the exercise of spiritual gifts; the preaching of the gospel in the power of the Spirit of God sent down from heaven will lead to report meetings where we rejoice in what the Spirit of God has done. There is a great need for the godly shepherd care from spiritual men.

excerpted from an article by J. A. Davidson in Assembly Testimony magazine.

* This magazine is available free of charge on-line:  www.assemblytestimony.org