Christian Fellowship

[GraftMeIn]

Christian Fellowship

What do the scriptures tell us about fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ?

1 John 1:3 
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.

1 Corinthians 1:9-10 
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Peter 1:22-23 
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

2 Corinthians 6:14 
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Romans 12:10 
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another

James 4:11 
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

This forum is about Christian fellowship, this fellowship should be helping us grow closer to God through the sharing of His Word etc...

Let's discuss the different scriptures, maybe even add a few more if you would like. What do these different scriptures say to you concerning the fellowship of believers?

This one is heavy on mind today...

Romans 12:10 
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another

This one tells us we should prefer one another. I ask myself this... Are we showing preference for one another if we come up against a brother or sister in Christ for posting Gods Word, and accusing them of bashing another religion when it's only our fellowship with one another and God that we are here to talk about? I think doing this only serves to defeat the purpose of that which we were called to do here. When we do such things we are showing a preferance for the non-believers, instead of each other. While we need to love those who don't believe, we also need to make sure we are prefering one another and Gods Word, more than those who practice what Gods Word tells us is evil.

Lord God Almighty, teach us to Fellowship with one another in a way that will be pleasing in your sight, and your sight only Lord, for it is only you who we aim to please.

 

[reeann]

I always liked Corinthians (first words i ever heard). I always go back to that book.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

12 For even (23) as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, (24) so also is Christ.
13 For (25) by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether (26) Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to (27) drink of one Spirit.
14 For (28) the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But now God has (29) placed the members, each one of them, in the body, (30) just as He desired.
19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now (31) there are many members, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

 

[GraftMeIn]

Great scriptures Reeann! Thanks for adding them. We must all learn to work together, for one purpose, that is to glorify God

This last one sure does speak to me.

1 Corinthians 12:26
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

One of the things that Solomon lists in Proverbs 6:16-19 that the Lord hates/considers detestable is "one who stirs up dissension among brothers"

Apparently God doesn't want us to be divided if He hates/considers detestable those who divide...

 

[GraftMeIn]

Amen Sbbqb7n16! God wants us joined together as one body. If we work against that, then we are guilty of tearing apart the body of Christ.

 

[seebs]

Today at 10:38 AM GraftMeIn said this in Post #5 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=654835#post654835)

Amen Sbbqb7n16! God wants us joined together as one body. If we work against that, then we are guilty of tearing apart the body of Christ.

Now I'm confused.

Jesus says He came to set family members against each other, and we are told a few times to confront sins in other Christians, and expel them from the church if they won't listen.

And yet, we're also told not to divide or sow dissent.

So... How do you guys resolve this? What do you do if one of your brothers in Christ says something you think is obviously false, and seems convinced of it?

 

[LoveSeeker]

Hm. I guess I'd have to go with whatever seem the most loving thing to do, as God is love and we are to be like God. Of course I don't always do that but I should.

 

[GraftMeIn]

Today at 09:30 AM seebs said this in Post #6

Now I'm confused.

Jesus says He came to set family members against each other, and we are told a few times to confront sins in other Christians, and expel them from the church if they won't listen.

And yet, we're also told not to divide or sow dissent.

So... How do you guys resolve this? What do you do if one of your brothers in Christ says something you think is obviously false, and seems convinced of it?

There are two different families, the ones we are born into, that would be physical. And the family of Christ, that would be Spiritual.

As far as correcting someone if they're wrong, using scriptures would be of good help.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

  
 

 

[Serving4Christ]

GraftMeIn,

I just came from a brotherly night out.  The ladies had their night out last week.  We had dinner and then went and shot pool at a smokeless alcohol-free billiards place.  It was nice to be around my brothers in Christ!

I try not to only hang around Christian brothers only, because many of my friends at work are not Christians.  I cling to the hope that they will see something in me that will make them question why it is that I'm so happy and content.  

It's like medicine when I get around brothers and sisters in Christ.  It's like going to the gas station and filling up the tank!

Thanks for the scriptures.  

Dan  

 

[seebs]

Yesterday at 08:34 PM GraftMeIn said this in Post #8 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=655805#post655805)
As far as correcting someone if they're wrong, using scriptures would be of good help.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

That works fine until two people disagree about what Scripture means... There are a couple of possible solutions. Catholics simply defer to the Church's authority. Fundamentalists generally assume that "taken at face value, with no need to study historical context" is the correct hermeneutic.

However, it seems to me that, if you have two people who have different hermeneutics, there's no practical way for them to resolve their debates; generally, both sides are equally convinced that the Holy Spirit has guided them.

So... How do people deal with this? Just agree to disagree?

 

[Blackhawk]

I really like Eph 4.  It is a practical chapter in which Paul tells us how we should relate as children of God together.  1-6 is especially helpful and special to me but the whole chapter is awesome. 


Eph 4:1-32
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 {There is} one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
8 Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."
9 (Now this {expression}  "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
11 And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all {aspects} into Him who is the head, {even} Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new self, which in {the likeness of} God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
26 BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have {something} to share with one who has need.
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment}  so that it will give grace to those who hear.
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
(NAU)

 

 

[seebs]

Thank you, Blackhawk. I think that does indeed resolve the apparent conflict.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."

Seebs, I think that what God had originally meant was those who stir up dissension- meaning intentionally as their purpose. Jesus' turning of a father against son, etc. was an unfortunate side-effect of the payment which covers all wrongs and reunites all with God- definitely not Christ's original intentions! You do come up with some very interesting questions Seebs

Blackhawk's scripture reference definitely does give us some application of how to handle that problem too. Thanks Blackhawk!

 

[reeann]

Seebs:

 

You are only responsible for your own walk with Christ.  If you have a difference with a member, you should state your mind.   After that, you should check your heart daily with God about it.  If its someone your real close too (for example, I will say myself and my husband).  When I disagree with him, it effects me in a very personal way.  I usually pray "God either change me or him".  I usually find, God changes me.  The next thing you know, I find that perhaps my motives where my husband was concerned may not have been all that honorable.  I would repent of my part privately in prayer with God and have peace.  Lo and behold, my attitude change, and with my changed attitude, my husband's change and he dealt with his part.  Then TOGETHER we grow.   its really a miracle the way God has worked that for us.

If its just a brother or sister in Christ and you really don't know them very well, you quote what the scripture says, if you all don't agree, pray for them and love them.   Its the Holy Spirit's job to convict and teach.

For me, if I feel at odds with a person, I wait a day, do a heart check and i usually find out that i'm reacting out of some old hurts I deal with (wanting everyone to like me), or some old sin I deal with (i know better than anyone).  Most of time I get stopped at  this point.  If I still feel teh Spirit leading me to say something to the brother or sister in Christ, I do it with scripture and let the Holy Spirit do His job.

 

[GraftMeIn]

Thanks for that scripture BlackHawk.

Seebs, We always have Gods Word to give us the final say. God is the only one who can show us the truth. He does this through the Holy Spirit. About all we can do is use Gods Word to help bring the truth to others. We can also share with one another how God is working in our lives.