Fellowship

What is Fellowship?

The word "fellowship" comes from the Greek word koinoina. It means to jointly participate in a thing, to be a partner in a thing, sharing in common, a contribution, communion.

When Do We Fellowship in Religion?

1. We are having fellowship when we sing with a congregation with or without instrumental music.
2. We are having fellowship when we pray with a congregation of a church of Christ or a denomination.
3. We are having fellowship when we invite a preacher to come and preach for us. He may be a faithful preacher of the gospel. He may be an unfaithful preacher of the gospel. He may be a denominational preacher.
4. We are fellowshipping when we appear on a program with a faithful preacher of the gospel, an unfaithful preacher, or a denominational preacher. God's faithful servants must speak out against false teachers and false doctrine if they appear on a lectureship program with them (Eph. 5:11). It is a sin to be on a lectureship with false teachers and know them to be so but refuse to speak out against them and their false doctrine (II John 9-11).
5. We are fellowshipping when we announce and encourage people to attend a gospel meeting. Would a faithful church of Christ announce a revival for the Baptist church, the Methodist church, the Catholic church, or any other denomination? This would be a sin (Rom. 16:17-18). How then could a faithful church of Christ announce and encourage people to attend a meeting with an unfaithful congregation or a congregation using an unfaithful preacher?
6. We are fellowshipping when we encourage people to attend a vacaction Bible school whether it is with a faithful church of Christ, and unfaithful church of Christ, a Baptist church, a Methodist church, a Catholic church, or any other church. What faithful church of Christ would encourage peole to attend a vacation Bible school at any denomination? What faithful preacher of the gospel would go preach for a denomination in their vacation Bible school without letting them know of their denominational wrong?
7. We are having fellowship when we announce the homecoming of a faithful church of Christ, an unfaithful church of Christ, or any denomination. What faithful church of Christ would announce the homecoming services of a denomination?
8. We are having fellowship when we go and participate in a homecoming of a faithful church of Christ, an unfaithful church of Christ, or any denomination. If we worship with them in any way—in congregational singing, quartet singing, small-group singing—then we are fellowshipping with them. If a denominational church or an unfaithful church of Christ has a fellowship meal and we participate in it, then we are fellowshipping with them.
9. We are fellowshipping when we ask a person to pray at a religious gathering. No faithful congregation would ask a person living in adultery to lead in prayer. No faithful church of Christ would ask a Baptist preacher to lead a prayer in the worship services. No faithful church of Christ would ask any denominational preacher to lead in prayer.
10. We are having fellowship when we ask a person to teach a Bible class. This is why faithful Christians are used to teach. No faithful congregation would think of asking a Catholic priest to teach a Bible class. How can brethren think they are doing right when they ask an unfaithful preacher in the church of Christ to teach or preach at any gathering of the church?
11. We are having fellowship when we ask a person to pass the Lord's Supper or to wait on the Lord's table. This is why brethren will not use unfaithful members to serve at the table. What faithful church would ask a Baptist, Methodist, Mormon, Presbyterian, or any other member of a denomination to serve at the Lord's table? How then can we use any member of the church that will not obey the Lord's command relative to Christian fellowship (Eph. 5:11; II John 9-11; Rom. 16:17-18)?
12. We are having fellowship when we announce and support gatherings like the Nashville Jubilee that was once conducted in Nashville, Tennessee. Those brethren that participated in this event sinned if they did not openly rebuke the sinful activities that went on there. Appearing on any one of those yearly programs was a sin unless one rebuked the false teachers on those programs in one way or another in open fashion (Gal. 2:11-14). This would be true when one appears on any program with false teachers and those who fellowship them.
13. We are having fellowship when we support radio and television programs and announce them. Churches and individuals should make sure the preacher on these programs is sound in the faith as well as the congregations that oversee these programs.

When one fellowships whomever he wishes, he is practicing open fellowship. What is the difference in fellowshipping a Moslem and an unfaithful preacher in the church of Christ? What is the difference in being on a lectureship with a Baptist preacher and being on a program with Rubel Shelly? Many brethren have been on programs with those who have fellowshipped false teachers without saying one word of rebuke. This is a sin (Eph. 5:11; I John 1:6-7; II John 9-11; Rom. 16:17-18).
—Malcolm L. Hill