Hello To All:
1. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the FELLOWSHIP of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9).
2. "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." (1 John 1:3).
3. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body." (Matthew 26:26).
The Personal Account:
When our Lord Jesus Christ, was gathered with His disciples, in the upper room; He was with them in a very intimate and personal fashion. Jesus took the bread. Jesus blessed the bread. Jesus broke the bread. Jesus gave the bread, to His disciples. Jesus said: "Take, eat, this is my body." The disciples take the bread that Jesus gives them. The disciples eat the bread that Jesus gives them. The disciples hear the proclamation - "This is my body" - and they "take" and they "eat" - without complaint - without asking how can this be - without any stated exception or unbelief regarding what Jesus was saying and doing.
In John, chapter six (please see essay titled: "Do We Believe God: Conclusion"), the disciples, of the upper room, were present, as Jesus was speaking to a larger group, including the larger group of disciples. Jesus spoke, very directly, regarding His flesh and His blood. He concluded His proclamation with these words from John 6:57-58:
57. "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me."
58. "This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as our fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."
Many of the disciples, from the larger group, had a complaint, in response to the words of Jesus Christ. Verse 60 states: "Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" In verse 66, we find written: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." The disciples, of the upper room, stayed with Jesus. The saying was not too hard for them. We need to ask ourselves why. Why is it that they were able to accept what Jesus said? - while others "went back, and walked no more with him." Why is it, that in the upper room, they took and they ate, without complaint? - and continued, for the rest of their lives, to walk with Him.
The answer can only be found in and through the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The why is found in our growing understanding of and our submission to: Koinonia. Go back and look at our opening texts. In the first text, we find that fellowship (koinonia) is of Jesus Christ. In the second text, we find that fellowship (koinonia) is with Jesus Christ. In Part 2, of this series, we recognized that communion/fellowship (koinonia) is of the Holy Ghost; and is given, as a gift, to the body of Christ, the church.
The King's Book is telling us that fellowship (koinonia) is both of the Holy Ghost and of Jesus Christ. If we are willing to see it; this reality of koinonia, being both of the Holy Ghost and of Jesus Christ, affirms the truth that a right understanding of the work of the Holy Ghost, is found in the recognition that the Holy Ghost always directs us to Jesus Christ; and always works in and through Jesus Christ. Thus, communion/fellowship (koinonia) is always going to be in and through and with Jesus Christ. Look, again, to our opening text: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."
Fellowship (koinonia) is not forced upon us. It is a calling. A right response to a calling is obedient submission. The effects and blessings of koinonia can only be enjoyed in the context of our submission to koinonia that is both of and with Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Thus, in the upper room, when Jesus says, to His disciples: "This is my body" - the disciples are able to accept this as truth - without complaint - because, in the context of their submission to Jesus Christ, they are also submitted to the realities of the koinonia that is of and with Jesus Christ. The personal presence of Jesus Christ, establishes communion/fellowship (koinonia) in such a way as to make the supernatural understanding of "This is my body," both possible and without complaint. Thus, in the personal account, of the Lord's Supper, the disciples were able to recognize the truth of "This is my body," by virtue of their koinonia (communion/fellowship) with Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Can we say thank you Jesus? Amen and Amen and Amen!
When next we gather, we shall take a deeper look at the revelational account of the communion (koinonia) of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Until next time, my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:
Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Do We Believe God: Regarding Communion? Part 2.
Hello To All:
"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)
Towards the end of our last essay ("Do We Believe God: Regarding Communion?): The question was asked if communion should be rightly understood as: "a shared intimate relationship?"
Towards the end of the essay, previous to the last one ("Do We Believe God: Conclusion!): Our attention was drawn to the relationship between the personal accounts and the revelational account of the Lord's Supper - most commonly referred to as "communion."
In this essay, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ; we shall begin to answer the question and recognize the relationship: all relating to the personal and revelational and relational qualities of: "Koinonia." Join with me in examining the text, that will help us to find our answers.
1. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." (2 Corinthians 13:14 King James Version).
2. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." (New King James Version. This text contains a footnote directing us to an alternate translation for COMMUNION. The alternate translation being: FELLOWSHIP).
3. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the FELLOWSHIP of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (New American Standard Bible)."
In 1994, compelled by the Holy Ghost, I wrote a letter to the True Church of God, scattered throughout the world. The letter was titled: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY GHOST - The Unity Of The Church Of God - The Visible Manifestation Of Discipleship To Jesus Christ." It was a lengthy letter, consisting of 93 typewritten pages on legal size paper. The following two paragraphs are quoted from the first page of that letter:
"In these last days, I am compelled to write to you, by the Holy Ghost given unto us, by the Lord Jesus Christ. My heart is heavy and burdened by so many of our brethren, who seem to be turning aside from the faith once delivered unto the saints of God."
"Of special concern, are the increasing numbers, who are embracing false teachings about the Holy Ghost, and our relationship to Him. Our brother, the apostle Paul, concluded his second letter to the Corinthian church, with these words: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
It is not possible to condense the full contents of 93 pages, into this essay; but, just as this essay seeks to find our answers in the text from Second Corinthians - so did that letter from 1994: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
Please note, that the text addresses the reality of: "the grace of" - "the love of" - "the communion of." The operative word, in the text, is: "of." The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is to: "be with you all." The love of God is to: "be with you all." The communion of the Holy Ghost is to: "be with you all." The phrase, "be with you all," would be rightly understood as meaning the church, the body of Christ. The meaning of the text should be clear to all. Grace and Love and Communion, are gifts proceeding from the Godhead and given to the church, as gifts, for the benefit of the church.
Our focus, in this essay is the communion/fellowship given by the Holy Ghost, to the church. This communion/fellowship is rightly understood, in the Greek, as koinonia. Thus, to say that the Holy Ghost, gives KOINONIA, to the church, is a right revelational understanding of the Word of God. The phrase revelational understanding is used, because our natural intellect cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God.
Please consider these texts, regarding our ability to understand the Word of God:
1. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14).
2. "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he (that is Jesus) expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." The comment, in parenthesis, is added for clarification, regarding who was expounding. (The text is from Luke 24:27).
3. "Then opened he (that is Jesus) their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." The comment, in parenthesis, is added for clarification, regarding who was opening their understanding. (The text is from Luke 24:45).
Once again, we are reminded of how important our right relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of The Living God, is, in all circumstances, including the revelational comprehension of the truth of His Word.
We conclude this essay, with this truth, that can only be rightly understood, in and through Jesus Christ: Koinonia is of the Holy Ghost; and is given by the Holy Ghost to the body of Christ.
When we next gather together, we shall continue with this series titled: "Do We Believe God: Regarding Communion?"
Until next time, my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:
Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
"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)
Towards the end of our last essay ("Do We Believe God: Regarding Communion?): The question was asked if communion should be rightly understood as: "a shared intimate relationship?"
Towards the end of the essay, previous to the last one ("Do We Believe God: Conclusion!): Our attention was drawn to the relationship between the personal accounts and the revelational account of the Lord's Supper - most commonly referred to as "communion."
In this essay, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ; we shall begin to answer the question and recognize the relationship: all relating to the personal and revelational and relational qualities of: "Koinonia." Join with me in examining the text, that will help us to find our answers.
1. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." (2 Corinthians 13:14 King James Version).
2. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." (New King James Version. This text contains a footnote directing us to an alternate translation for COMMUNION. The alternate translation being: FELLOWSHIP).
3. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the FELLOWSHIP of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (New American Standard Bible)."
In 1994, compelled by the Holy Ghost, I wrote a letter to the True Church of God, scattered throughout the world. The letter was titled: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY GHOST - The Unity Of The Church Of God - The Visible Manifestation Of Discipleship To Jesus Christ." It was a lengthy letter, consisting of 93 typewritten pages on legal size paper. The following two paragraphs are quoted from the first page of that letter:
"In these last days, I am compelled to write to you, by the Holy Ghost given unto us, by the Lord Jesus Christ. My heart is heavy and burdened by so many of our brethren, who seem to be turning aside from the faith once delivered unto the saints of God."
"Of special concern, are the increasing numbers, who are embracing false teachings about the Holy Ghost, and our relationship to Him. Our brother, the apostle Paul, concluded his second letter to the Corinthian church, with these words: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
It is not possible to condense the full contents of 93 pages, into this essay; but, just as this essay seeks to find our answers in the text from Second Corinthians - so did that letter from 1994: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
Please note, that the text addresses the reality of: "the grace of" - "the love of" - "the communion of." The operative word, in the text, is: "of." The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is to: "be with you all." The love of God is to: "be with you all." The communion of the Holy Ghost is to: "be with you all." The phrase, "be with you all," would be rightly understood as meaning the church, the body of Christ. The meaning of the text should be clear to all. Grace and Love and Communion, are gifts proceeding from the Godhead and given to the church, as gifts, for the benefit of the church.
Our focus, in this essay is the communion/fellowship given by the Holy Ghost, to the church. This communion/fellowship is rightly understood, in the Greek, as koinonia. Thus, to say that the Holy Ghost, gives KOINONIA, to the church, is a right revelational understanding of the Word of God. The phrase revelational understanding is used, because our natural intellect cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God.
Please consider these texts, regarding our ability to understand the Word of God:
1. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14).
2. "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he (that is Jesus) expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." The comment, in parenthesis, is added for clarification, regarding who was expounding. (The text is from Luke 24:27).
3. "Then opened he (that is Jesus) their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." The comment, in parenthesis, is added for clarification, regarding who was opening their understanding. (The text is from Luke 24:45).
Once again, we are reminded of how important our right relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of The Living God, is, in all circumstances, including the revelational comprehension of the truth of His Word.
We conclude this essay, with this truth, that can only be rightly understood, in and through Jesus Christ: Koinonia is of the Holy Ghost; and is given by the Holy Ghost to the body of Christ.
When we next gather together, we shall continue with this series titled: "Do We Believe God: Regarding Communion?"
Until next time, my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:
Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
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