Spiritual Deepening & Fellowship

     In Acts 2:42 we read that one of the four things the early church devoted itself to was “fellowship.” Fellowship was a very important part of their reason for meeting together. It was one of their objectives. But what is fellowship?

We often hear people talking about fellowship. We hear it said that what we need is more fellowship. But our modern ideas of fellowship have become so watered down that the word no longer carries the same meaning it did in New Testament times.

We are not surprised that the early church devoted itself to “the apostles’ teaching” and also “to prayer.” Apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit, these are the two most important means of growth, power, and effectiveness in the Christian life and this is everywhere evident in the rest of Scripture.

But Luke tells us these early Christians also devoted themselves to fellowship. They just didn’t have fellowship; they devoted themselves to it. This means that fellowship was a priority and one of the objectives for gathering together. They made fellowship a priority.

Today, however, we often view fellowship as what we do in in just about any social gathering. It’s the place where we have casual conversations and savor coffee and donuts. This is not bad and can contribute to fellowship, but it falls far short of fellowship according to biblical standards and according to the meaning and use of the Greek words for fellowship.

Still others who may have become fed up with church seek fellowship through viewing a worship service on television, but this too misses the picture.

Give your TV a hug!  If you are one of those who gets their religion by watching religious broadcasts on the TV, or listening to the gospel via radio, you might want to step up to the set after a service and “Give your TV a great big hug.

Foolish, isn’t it. The electronic religion of multitudes of people creates an emptiness—interpersonal relationships are so desperately needed to keep our faith glowing and growing. If you drop off your associations with other Christians and disassociate yourself from them in worship and service, you’ll run out of spiritual fervor and dedication in a short time. There is no substitute for “going to church and worshiping with others of like precious faith. In this day n age with the COVID restrictions upon we are hard pressed to have fellowship. Especially in the traditional way. In the face of this obstacle to fellowship we are forced to become creative so that we may continue to share with one another and support each other who are like minded believers and Christians..We do this in "Food 4 Thought" bible study as much as our creativity will allow. Why? Because it is God's will that we do so. 

You may be thinking, “My view of fellowship is much richer and deeper than mere social activity. True fellowship involves getting together for spiritual purposes: for sharing needs, for prayer, for discussing and sharing the Word to encourage, comfort, and edify one another.” And you are right. This certainly is an aspect of Christian fellowship, and one much more important than the first idea. It is an area of fellowship that is often lacking in the church today, particularly considering this "new normal",  and one that needs to be remedied. But even this does not comprehend or grasp the full and rich meaning of “fellowship” in the New Testament.

In order to grasp its meaning and relate our lives to its truth, we need only to study as is most satisfying to our Christian values , mind and heart... We need to reach out to one another; to share and enjoy the spiritual connection that we have even in these trying times, as best we are able... There is nothing more satisfying than the love of God, the love of the church and the love of our brothers and sisters in Christ...  

God Bless you always..

Gil