Do we believe God: Regarding Communion?

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16).

Hello To All:

During the last several months, a most interesting thing has been happening! The isolation from the fellowship of Western Christianity, that has come to be recognized as a necessary part of the work, that our Lord Jesus Christ has set before me, has become more intense, more tangible; and in some ways, more challenging.

In order for me to serve, both as an apologist for, and a critic of, Western Christianity, our Lord Jesus Christ has purposed for me to separate myself, from the institutional/denominational  influence of the Western Church (please see series of essays, from September of 2011, titled: Do I Believe?). This separation, has had the consequence, of severely limiting my fellowship with other believers. It is this lack of fellowship, that, in recent months, has had this intense and tangible and challenging impact on my life.

The Lord our God did not create us to live in a vacuum. Relationship is an essential part of who we are as humans. This is how God has made us.  Without fellowship, without a shared intimate relationship, we shall wither and die. I am so very thankful, that Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, has blessed me with a loving and godly wife, with whom I am able to share this intimacy of fellowship, that is available to us, in and through Jesus Christ. I am not withering; nor am a I dying. Thank you Jesus.

But, the lack of fellowship, with a body of believers, has become more evident; and this lack, impacts me, in intense and tangible and challenging ways.  What is most amazing to me, and what I am most thankful for, is that during these same several months, my awareness of my personal fellowship, with Jesus Christ, has become more intense and more tangible and, yes, more challenging: for, is it not true, my beloved, that when God made us, He made us, to be first, in fellowship with Him. Thank you Jesus.

Now, some of you are asking yourselves - what does all of this talk about fellowship, have to do with communion? A fair question - considering that our purpose, for this essay is to begin answering the question: "Do we believe God: Regarding Communion?" Let us see if a connection can be rightly made.

The opening text, for this essay, reminds us of the "communion of the blood of Christ," and the "communion of the body of Christ."  (It should be noted, that it is because of this text, that we most often identify "The Lord's Supper," as: "Communion.") Communion is the English translation of the Greek word: koinonia.

Koinonia is a marvelous word. It is translated, into English, in a variety of ways. Eventually,we are going to look at all of those translations; but, for now we are going to consider just one of them. Join with me, my beloved brethren, in being filled by the meaning of 1 John 1:1-7:

1.  "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;"
2.  "(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)"
3.  "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us: and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
4.  "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
5.  "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."
6.  "If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"
7.  "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

The word, "fellowship," has been capitalized, in the above texts, for the sake of emphasis. It needs to be emphasized; it is an extremely important word. It has the same level of importance as the word: "communion."  This mutual importance relates to the fact that the English word fellowship, and the English word communion, are both translated from the same Greek word: "koinonia."

In the beginning paragraphs of this essay, fellowship was defined as a "shared intimate relationship." This definition is supported by our text from 1 John. Please take another look at verse one: "That" (referring to Jesus) - "which was from the beginning" - "which we have heard" - "which we have seen" - "with our eyes" - "which we have looked upon" - "and our hands have handled" - "the Word of Life." Do we see and comprehend the intimacy of relationship, being described in this text?

Take another look: We have heard: the Word of Life - We have seen: the Word of Life - We have seen with our own eyes: the Word of Life - We have looked upon: the Word of Life - We, with our hands, have handled: the Word of Life. Hearing - Seeing - Touching: These words shout forth, to all of the creation, the reality of a "shared intimate relationship." Can we say Thank you Jesus?

We are going to close for now; and continue this examination of "communion," after the first of the New Year.  Between now and then, let us all, first ask ourselves, and then ponder the question: If fellowship is rightly understood as a shared intimate relationship; would it then follow that communion should be rightly understood as a shared intimate relationship?

Until next time, my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:

Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

P.S. We will be closing out the year with two essays from the end of 2011. Over this last year, the relevance of these two essays, to the declining condition of the Western Church, has become ever more apparent.