Two Fellows In The Same Ship:

Something To Think About, The Fellowship:

Last Sunday at CBC we celebrated Communion and explored the communion or fellowship that Christians share in Christ.    “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16–17, NASB95)   In the passage above the word "sharing" is a word that is often translated "fellowship."  In fact some churches and ministries have simply transliterated the Greek word and used it as a title.  Do a websearch for koininia and you'll find numerous examples.  Like most brief and cute definitions, this definition of fellowship (koinonia) is inadequate, but "Two fellows in the same ship," does move us in the right direction.  Everyone who is in Christ is not only in a relationship with the Lord, but is linked with everyone else who is in the Lord.  If you read 1 Corinthians 10, you'll notice that the Apostle Paul points out that there are some kinds of behavior that just don't match up with our involvement in this fellowship.  If two fellows in the same ship are going to get along, each of them needs to agree to not do certain things, like knocking holes in the bottom of the boat, or setting the thing on fire.  What I do affects you, and what you do affects me. So, who gets to call the shots.  We have had 2,000 years of inner-fellowship squabbling that sounds a lot like, "I'll do what I jolly-well please."  and, "You're not the boss of me!"  No, I'm not your boss, and you aren't mine, but we both claim allegiance to the same Lord, and part of our responsibility is to help each other honor Him.  Not in the least discounting the profound differences that exist within this fellowship, can we agree to work to not needlessly make one another look bad?    "Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven . . .  “Father . . . glorify Your Son . . . I come to You. Holy Father, keep [those you have given me from this world] in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are." (John 17)   It's Something To Think About.