1Cor 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Matt 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying, 2 The kingdom of the heavens has become like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, yet they would not come.
[Part 1 of 2] In 1:9 Paul says that God has called us into the fellowship of His Son. The meaning of the word fellowship is deep and profound. The New Testament illustrates this fellowship by a feast. In the Gospels the Lord Jesus said that a feast had been prepared and that people were invited to it (Matt. 22:1- 3). We all have been invited to a marvelous feast. Here at the feast we are enjoying course after course. This enjoyment of the feast is a mutual participation, a co-participation. Thus, in the fellowship of God's Son we have enjoyment. This enjoyment, however, is corporate, not individualistic. As we enjoy this feast together, we have fellowship, communion. Some versions translate the Greek word for fellowship, koinonia, as communion. Fellowship definitely implies communion. To have communion is to share something in common. When you eat breakfast alone, you do not enjoy communion. But when you come to a feast attended by a large number of people and enjoy the feast with them, you have communion. This communion is a co-enjoyment, a coparticipation. Fellowship also includes communication. Whenever we feast together with others, there is communication. You communicate with others, and they communicate with you. [Continued tomorrow] (c) Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of 1 Corinthians, pp. 100. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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