STUDY THEME: THE CHURCH: GOD’S COMMUNITY OF GRACE. 6-22-03

"FELLOWSHIPPING TOGETHER" ACTS 2: 42-47, EPH. 4: 1-6.

ACTS 2:42, 43-45, 46-47; EPH. 4:1-3, 4-6.

PLEASE OPEN YOU BIBLE TO ACTS 2.

In modern society individualism is championed. As a result, for many, society is an environment where people have many superficial contacts with many other people but very few close, personal relationships. Many feel lonely and isolated. When relationships are sought, they often are sought in the wrong places, the wrong ways, and with the wrong people. Many are too busy to build and sustain fellowships with others. People cry out for personal relationships in an impersonal world. Where can one find true fellowship today?

As followers of Christ we know we need one another. We know that meaningful relationships should be found in family and the church. In today's lesson both the passage in Acts and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians focus on the way we ought to relate with each other within the fellowship of believers.

The Bible Dictionary defines fellowship as that heavenly love which fills (or should fill) the hearts of believers one for another and for God. For this love and fellowship the Scriptures employ a word "agape" which scarcely appears in classical Greek. This fellowship is deeper and more satisfying than mere human love whether social, parental or other. Fellowship is sometimes translated as "partnership" or "sharing" because believers have become partners with Christ and all other believers.

Christians are told in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers because such a union, in marriage, business, or society, is incompatible with the fellowship with Christians and with God.

The basic N.T word for our oneness in Christ is koinonei which means "that which is in common" or "to share in" or "participate in" something with others. Some of the English words used to translate "koinonei" "fellowship," "community," "participation," "communion," and "cooperation." None of these captures the concept of belonging to one another, because each of us belongs to Christ. "Community" comes close if we define it as a community of faith, and love bound together by Christ. "Fellowship" is used in most English translations, but in the minds of many, this word refers to meals and social occasions. These are only some expressions of biblical koinonia. In this lesson we will use "fellowship," but keep in mind the fuller meaning of the word.

The apostle Peter had finished his great message on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit filled the air, and 3,000 people were converted to Christ. In that company of 3,000, who heard, and were convinced, who received the Spirit, and were added to the Lord, were people from the whole known and civilized world. As they returned to their lands and homes, they went as members of the body of Christ, sharing His life. In the places where they went, Christ found His opportunity though them. The scattered people carried the power of the Christ-life by the Spirit. The church had been born. The Jerusalem church was joyful because its people’s single focus was on Jesus Christ.

This was the first great influx of Christian converts, signifying the power and presence of a new era, the day of the Holy Spirit. Young Christians had to be actively disciplined, which was not an easy task.

Periodically in Acts, Luke recorded great numbers of persons coming to Christ. There was a cycle. Generally the church experienced revival, then persecution. The cycle often included a problem in the church calling for wisdom from the Holy Spirit. In spite of external opposition and internal difficulties, the young church grew healthy.

The first description of the Jerusalem church shows the relation of fellowship to the other functions of the church. The focal passages in both Acts and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians focus on the way we relate with each other within the fellowship of believers. The first century church was a learning church, a fellow-shipping church, and a praying church. We would do well to model our church after this first church.

This verse 42 is a summary of the essential elements needed in Christian discipleship. They are elements the apostles had learned from their experience with Jesus. First, they continued steadfastly in or devoted themselves to the apostle’s doctrine or teaching. "Devoted" means that they gave constant attention to these things. The church was characterized by sharing in each other’s lives and communicating with each other and the Lord. The apostle’s teachings, of course, were the life and teaching of Jesus. They had been with Him, had seen what He had done, had heard what He taught, and had been commissioned by Him as His witnesses and teachers.

A new era had begun with the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus disciples looked to Him while He was on earth, but now He was in heaven. Without an individual to lead, the church looked to those who had traveled with Jesus on earth. The primary function of the apostles was to give oversight to the new movement, the church. The word doctrine was used to distinguish teachings of Jesus from the preaching of the good news of salvation. The apostles were entrusted with both by Jesus. They were promised the Holy Spirit to guide them in both tasks. While they were alive, they were living sources of Jesus’ teachings and gospel. Today we have in the N.T. both their doctrine and teaching.

Fellowship is one of the five functions of the church. The Bible is the source of our understanding and practice of this function. Other descriptions of the church clarify the meaning and importance of fellowship in a church, the church as the body of Christ, being in Christ, and the church as a family of faith and love.

Breaking of bread seems to refer to taking the Lord’s supper and eating a meal together. The N.I.V. separates fellowship from the breaking of bread, but such a distinction is not so clear in the Greek text. It may be that the communal meal was a vital part of the fellowship. What is clear is that the early church realized the need for sharing in each other’s lives. There were over 3,000 converts on the first day, and Acts records thousands of others. There were multiple problems integrating and blending these into a loving and worshipping community.

Some wee strong, conservative Jews; even Pharisees. Some were Greek-speaking proselytes to Judaism, and there were probably Greek-speaking non-proselytes as well. No doubt the members had more in common in their commitment to Christ than in their cultural and social relationships.

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper at the end of a meal with His disciples. The N.T. church followed this pattern at least in the early years. The meal was an expression of fellowship and also one way of feeding the poorer members of a church. In 1 Cor. 11:18-34 Paul rebuked the Corinthians, not for having a meal in connection with the Lord’s Supper, but for overlooking the needs of the poorer members who could not come as early as the more affluent members of the church.

Significantly, the breaking of bread solidified their fellow ship. Meals were times of informal and leisurely sharing together; they may be the origin of potluck suppers in today’s churches. These early Christians met and talked of things of their spiritual life. There is no better way to conserve and strengthen Christian life than of such fellowship.

Significantly, these meals also included prayer. Theological and interpersonal challenges forced them to consult God at every turn. All of these made the church strong. The church was filled with awe. The Greek word for awe is fear. It is only the fear of God than can deliver us from the fear of man.

Prayers were part of what the early church did. About 120 believers had met in an upper room prior to Pentecost. at that time they "all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication." After Pentecost, and with about 3,000 more members the church prayed. They prayed daily and during crises.

Prayer is the true language of faith. Teaching and preaching involve speaking to others about the Lord. These are crucial functions, but they must grow out of speaking to God in prayer. The Christians probably prayed together and also with others who, according to Acts 3: 1 went to the temple at the stated times for prayer. Each of these activities was a source of fellowship for the early Christians. Prayers are part of the worship function of a church.

Vs. 42 summed up what the early church did. Vs. 43-47 go into more detail. The Apostles not only preached and taught but also performed miracles. These wonders and signs continued the miracles of Jesus. In biblical times God often used miracles to signify what He was doing. The first century was an age of miracles as God was doing something special through the work of His Son and His church.

In Vs. 43 the church was filled with awe or fear. Their reverence came from realizing that God was doing a new thing a new thing in their midst and that in some way He had entrusted the new movement to them.

Their soberness also came from God’s obvious approval and confirmation. They knew this, because many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. The ability to perform miracles was limited to the apostles and a few close colleagues. These produced awe and respect for divine power. Wonders emphasize the reactions the people had to what God did. God’s works were beyond imagination, so the people could only watch in wonder. Miraculous signs focus on the purpose of the miracles. What God did had a meaning beyond the miracle itself.

In Acts, the miracles always confirm that God is working. They point beyond the events to the power and purpose behind them. They correlate with the message from God’s spokespersons, the apostles. Thus miracles are never an end in themselves; for they always confirm God’s working. As Acts shows the continual proclamation of the gospel, the message found wider acceptance. The confirming evidence moves from miraculous events to changed lives.

In Vs. 44-45 the early Christians were together, suggesting unity, evidence by the fact that they had everything in common. While the remainder of Acts reveals a strong commitment to meet each other’s needs through sharing, nothing suggests any common ownership of possessions. They realized that God owned their possessions, and they had a stewardship responsibility, so they gave to anyone as he had need. This grew out of their fellowship. People retained ownership but gave generously when a need arose. The practice is a strong indication that the members felt like a family in which all belonged to one another. One person’s need was felt by all, and those who were able gave to help meet that need.

This first century church was a learning church, a worshipping church, a praying church, a reverent church and an achieving church.

Being of one accord is another way they expressed koinonia. In Vs. 46 these Christians gathered together. Christians of today may be surprised that in the early days the Jerusalem believers went to the temple and the synagogue. This reminds us that they were Jews. They met to worship God. But they also went to witness to unbelieving Jews about Jesus the Messiah.

Since there were no church buildings, they continued to meet together in the temple courts where there were public meeting spaces available.

Further, they had a sense that Jesus might return to earth soon. According to the O.T. the temple was to be the focus of His universal reign. Their fellowship continued as they broke bread in their homes and ate together. This was probably the beginning of the house church. They shared more than common meals. They invited their new brothers and sisters into their homes for sharing. They did this with a natural joy as an outworking of who they were in Christ. They had glad and sincere hearts.

The people’s joy was deep-rooted. The basis of their gladness was deeper than simply the joy of giving. This was a spiritual joy. At a much deeper level, they were praising God. Praise is thanking God for who He is and what He has done in their own lives with thankful hearts for their salvation, they embraced other Christians with sincerity. This expression of worship was not confined to designated times set apart for worship. In all they did they praised God.

During the early days, the believers had favor with all the people. The persecution of the early Christians never originated with the people, but always with the rulers, the priests. Soon the religious leaders began to persecute the believers, but the believers retained public favor for a while. This caused their enemies to be restrained. After the death of Stephen, this general favor ceased.

The church had power. The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. As people came to Christ, they were welcomed as brothers and sisters, and these new believers immediately participated in the life of the church. This implies more than the text says. These words make several important points: (1) God is the Savior, not the church. (2) People were being saved daily. (3) Evangelism is an essential function of the church. (4) A church needs to perform all five functions of the church. (5) The functions overlap and reinforce one another.

Acts 2: 42-47 mentions all the church functions. Worship is seen in the prayers and in the Lord’s Supper. Ministry is seen in the sharing of possessions with the needy. Discipleship is seen in following the apostles teaching. Fellowship is seen in the oneness of spirit. Evangelism is seen in those being saved daily.

This church of which we are reading was a learning church, a fellow-shipping church, a praying church, a reverent church, an achieving church, a happy church, an attractive church and a growing church. We would call this an A number 1 church.

The connection of fellowship and evangelism is especially important because some churches claim a warm fellowship but are not reaching new people for the Lord. True warmth of fellowship is equally warm in the search for the lost.

PLEASE TURN TO EPHESIANS 4.

While a prisoner in Rome, Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus, teaching the Ephesians how a Christian should walk. He had ministered in that church for three years and so knew many of the members.

Some of Paul’s letters have a doctrinal section followed by an application section. The transition if often marked by therefore. In Ephesians, Paul had praised the triune God for His glorious plan of reconciliation. Sin had separated people from God and from others. In Christ alienated sinners are reconciled to God and to one another. Now in Eph. 4:1 Paul began the application portion of his letter.

Paul identifies himself as Paul, a prisoner "in the Lord" or "for the Lord." Paul wrote four letters during his first imprisonment. Ephesians is one of the four. Paul did not mention this to seek sympathy, but to ask for prayers to be bold in his witness.

The basic command of the three verses just read is that Christians live a life worthy of the calling received. Calling is a key word in Ephesians. When we speak of calling, we often are thinking of the call of God to some special occupation, but the more basic calling is God’s call of sinners to salvation and new life in Christ. The emphasis in Eph. Ch. 1-3 is the call to salvation: the emphasis in Eph Ch. 4-6 is the call to live worthily of the calling. The word worthy means that Christians’ lives will balance the love of Christ on their behalf. All Christians should strive to be as much like Christ as possible out of deep gratitude. The calling you have received is Christ-likeness.

The particular focus in Vs.2 of being like Christ is to be involved in others’ lives so as to build them up in the faith. In the Greek text, two basic commands support the command to live worthy lives. The first is bearing with one another in love. Bearing with has a deeper connotation than simply putting up with people. Anyone can grit his teeth and endure for a while. In contrast, the idea here is willingly and joyously getting involved in another person’s life. Love includes a commitment to enriching the lives of others. Paul listed three virtues that are to enhance a believers walk and modify the verb "bearing."

The N.I.V. says Christians are to be humble, gentle, and patient. The King James Bible names these same characteristics as humility, meekness, long-suffering and fore-bearing. Humility, according to James 4: 6 is the most fundamental Christian virtue. It is the quality of character commanded in the first beatitude in Matt. 5:3, yet the word "humility" is not found in Roman and Greek vocabulary of Paul’s day. Instead we find the word "lowliness." The word humility was evidently coined by the Christians to describe a quality for which no other word was available. Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride promotes disunity; humility promotes unity. Christ in Phil. 2: 6-8 is given as the supreme example of humility. In the Scriptures, no one is told to pray for humility.

Gentleness is an attitude resulting from humility. Pride brings harshness and confrontation. Humility comes in a quiet and supportive atmosphere. Patience should really be translated "long-suffering." The Greek word for "patience" refers to the ability to endure difficult circumstances and refers to the ability to get along with people.

Paul urged that Christians participate in the lives of other Christians humbly, gently, and with long-suffering. A truly humble person recognizes his or her own personal failures and allows that realization to prevail in relating to others.

In Vs. 3 the second command supporting the worthy walk is to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. The words "make every effort" have the connotation of making something happen in the most effective way. The object is unity. Christians should have an intuitive desire for unity, and such unity comes from the Spirit. Perhaps Paul meant that the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Christ, producing unity in the Church. He could also have meant that commitment to Christ brings unity since each Christian ultimately seeks the same thing—to glorify Christ. The language does suggest that Christians should give careful attention to their lives corporately and individually. They are to guard the unity the Spirit brings to the body. This implies that Christians should be aware of the potential significant challenges to unity.

Christian unity is preserved through the bond of peace. This expression teaches that peace holds things together. While Paul certainly appreciated the peace of Christ in the individual heart, here he encouraged relationships of peace. Churches often divide over minor issues. Schisms arise over theology, lifestyle, budget, church programs, and myriad’s of other things. Satan does his best to break the fellowship of the body of Christ. Christians must be equally vigilant to guard the peace that the Spirit brings, seeking to solve inter-personal problems and maintain positive relationships. It is essential to fellowship and effectiveness as a body.

Now unity is not something you can create. It is the work of God’s Holy Spirit in the life of the church.

On the basis of what he had written in Vs. 1-3, Paul now implored the believers to walk worthy

in Vs. 4-6.

Still thinking of the unity of the Spirit caused Paul to consider the greater unity of the church. He continued by identifying seven pillars of the church, all related to unity, and identified them with the entire Trinity. He focused on the Spirit in Vs. 4, the Son in Vs. 5, and the Father in Vs. 6. Although they have unique roles, they are completely uniform in every aspect of the divine nature and plan.

There is one body. This reflects Paul’s common metaphor of the church as the body of Christ. The church is composed of every believer since Pentecost, without distinction, by the work of the one Spirit. The Spirit baptizes us into Christ. Since God brings us into the church through the work of the Holy Spirit, there is a unity of the Spirit. Further there is one Spirit, the Spirit of God who works in all who come to faith. When Christians come to Christ, they respond to God’s call. God’s call to faith comes through the Holy Spirit. The call results in conversion. Conversion brings one hope, a hope of an eternal relationship with God through Christ, which is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit (EPA. 1:13-14.) These three point to the blessings of being in Christ.

Three more foundations of unity occur in Vs. 5. They are all associated with Jesus Christ our Lord. There is only one Lord. This is the central unifying confession of all Christians. Throughout history, "Jesus is Lord" has motivated and rallied the church to accomplish its mission. Just as there is one Lord, there is also one faith. It is doubtful that Paul meant one true Christianity, although that it is true. More likely, he meant there is only one correct object of faith, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Similarly, there is only one baptism. This triad all focuses on the centrality and exclusiveness of Christianity. The words one baptism, therefore, must refer to the one way of being placed into the body of Christ—by Spirit baptism. This refers to the symbolism of water baptism rather than the ordinance itself. The unity Christians have begins with the Holy Spirit; but inasmuch as the Spirit bears witness to Christ, the basis of unity rests on Christ.

Completing the unity of the Trinity in vs. 6, Paul explained there is one God and Father of all. While there are multitudes of ideas about the nature of God, in reality there is only one God, the Christian God. God is Father. He created all persons, and all creation depends on Him. His sovereignty as creator and sustainer of the universe also provides a platform for unity. He is over all and through all and in all. He rules. Nothing escapes His presence and His active participation in the world He created. He is God.

This presentation of the seven basic foundations for unity recalls Paul’s prayer in Eph. 1:3-14. There, Paul explained that each person of the Trinity had a significant and personal part in our salvation. The Trinity worked in harmony and unity, each accomplishing different aspects of salvation but together bringing redemption to the world. Similarly, Christians should realize the unity they have in the church. It is the solid and sure foundation for Christian fellowship. Christians have more in common than they do in distinction!

Fellowship is central to healthy churches. At the birth of the church, Pentecost, the people God brought into fellowship with Him differed in many ways. Yet the church succeeded in becoming one in commitment. The model of Acs 2 stands as a challenge for all churches of every generation. Christians should seek to uphold it. They should also set the example for positive relationships by cultivating right relationships as a means of pleasing the Lord. Finally, all Christians should recognize the biblical foundations for Christian unity. The Trinity stands as a model for all relationships. In knowing God, we see both the perfect individuality of each divine person and perfect cooperation among Them.

Biblical Truths for Spiritual Transformation.

1. Believers should be devoted to studying scripture, enjoying Christian fellowship, taking the Lord’s supper and prayer.

2. Believers should praise God for what He is doing in their lives, both individually and corporately.

3. Believers should promote unity and peace among themselves to increase their effectiveness in ministry as a body.

4. Believers should follow the unity model of the Trinity to bring glory to God.

NEXT SUNDAY WE CONCLUDE OUR STUDY OF THE FIVE FUNCTONS OF THE CHURCH. Ps. 100 and Rev. 5 ADDRESS THE LIFE QUESTION, "WHY IS WORSHIP IMPORTANT FOR ME AND MY CHURCH?" A. V. DAUGHERTY 6-22-03