The Communion of the Holy Spirit 2Cor 13:14
2Cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. «
"And still others of them who suffer think that they will perfect the wisdom of the brotherhood which really exists, which is the spiritual fellowship of those united in communion, through which the wedding of incorruptibility shall be revealed. (The Apocalypse of Peter)
In the verse quoted above the word communion means fellowship not the Eucharist
2842. κοινωνία koinonia [koy-nohn-ee’-ah]; from 2844; partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: — (to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship.
communion--Sharing the deep aspirations of our heart with the indwelling Father and hearing His "still small voice" (I Kings 19:12).
The Communion of Saints is the faith in a mystical bond uniting both the living and the dead in a confirmed hope and love
The communion of saints is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead. They are all part of a single "mystical body of Christ", with Jesus as the head.
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things on account of Jesus Christ:
1Cor 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
HOW? “In spirit and in truth.” Not by the self-imposed form of worship and false humility. See Colossians 2:21-23.
The fellowship of the spirit or with the spirit is a personal relationship with God is through the in dwelling of Christ in the believer
Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Our relationship with God is through the Lord Jesus Christ. We are united with God and with what God is doing in one body--the body of Christ, the church. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12:13 that we are all baptized into one body by one Spirit. We are brought to the place of oneness, and now it is our responsibility in this love affair with God to express that oneness. To express the oneness of God means that we must enter into fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father. This oneness is the proof that what God has done in Jesus Christ is eternal salvation. God said that He has made us one in Christ; now through spiritual fellowship we are brought to a place of expressing this oneness, as a testimony of the abiding presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Duncan Heaster)
All who accept of our Lord Jesus' one offering for all time are counted as sanctified and in consequence they have fellowship or communion with God. (Duncan Heaster)
"We are justified by faith." And "being justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1), and are no longer esteemed by God as enemies, but as justified human sons,
This counted justification we realize through faith in God's Word, which says, Ye are "bought," "redeemed," "justified freely from all things." We stand in God's sight blameless, spotless and holy in the robes of Christ's righteousness imputed to us by faith. (Duncan Heaster)
Our sins he consented to have imputed to him, that he might bear our penalty for us; and he died on our behalf, as though he were the sinner. His righteousness is consequently imputed to all who accept of his redemption. It restores us to life and to fellowship with God. This fellowship we may have at once by the exercise of faith, and the eternal life of sharing the Divine nature are assured--in God's "due time." (Duncan Heaster)
The natural man cannot possibly understand the love of Christ, but the Spirit " in the inner man" can fully comprehend it (Eph. 3:16-19). This failure of the natural man to understand the things of the spirit is the basic reason for all division between genuine brethren. Time and again we are reminded of the fact that our fellowship with each other is due to the fact that we both have the spiritual man inside us (Eph. 2:18; 4:3,4; Phil. 1:27;2:1). (Duncan Heaster)
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 Jn. 5:1). Our spiritual man is what is born of God. All true believers are here spoken of as if they are their spiritual man. All true believers in Christ therefore have a spiritual man within them, which we must seek out, even imagine at times, and with which we should fellowship (Duncan Heaster)
Our spiritual man is not limited by the bonds of space. Thus Paul was bodily absent from Corinth, " but present in spirit" (1 Cor. 5:3), i.e. his spiritual man was present with them. It was the same with Colosse: " I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit" (Col. 2:5). When our spiritual man groans, Christ groans too in Heaven, an infinite distance away (Rom. 8:23 cp. 26). There is no time barrier, either. Thus our spiritual man is in close fellowship with " the spirits of just men made perfect" , having died many years ago (Heb. 12:23). This is the glorious unity of the Spirit; we are not just connected with all living saints, wherever they may be, but with the spiritual characters of all true saints throughout history. (Duncan Heaster)
What Is Fellowship?
The word comes from the idea of having a share as community in God’s gifts, from koinonia, a participation in. We share in God’s gift of grace (Phil.1:7); the gospel (1 Cor.9:23); the promise (Eph.3:6); the glory that shall be revealed (1 Peter 5:1); the Holy Spirit (2 Cor.13:14); the Divine nature (2 Pet.1:4); the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ (Heb.3:14), and the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor.10:16)Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things on account of Jesus Christ:
1Cor 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
How? - Where? - When?
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: “Woman believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father ... but the hour cometh, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS shall worship the Father in SPIRIT and in TRUTH: For the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:21-23).HOW? “In spirit and in truth.” Not by the self-imposed form of worship and false humility. See Colossians 2:21-23.
Jesus testified: “... for where two or three are gathered together IN MY NAME [in spirit], there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
WHERE? No particular place, but anywhere “two or more are gathered together in his name.”
Paul, in referring to the last supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-28) states in part:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (V. 26).
WHEN? “As often” (whenever: no specified time, but any and all times) just as long as it is done “in spirit and in truth.”
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25).
The statement: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” is not a law, but an appeal. However, if we consider it as a command, this command is fully set by a brother performing in accordance with the preceding quotations.
Nowhere in the scriptures can be found where the Lord has granted the privilege, much less the right, to any man or group of men, to dictate to another brother how, where, or when he shall worship and commune with another brother, since it is a performance between them and their heavenly Father.
It is written “that no man is justified by THE LAW [much less a man-made law] in the sight of God ... for the just shall live by FAITH” (Galatians 3:11). “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.(Romans 3:31).
WHERE? No particular place, but anywhere “two or more are gathered together in his name.”
Paul, in referring to the last supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-28) states in part:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (V. 26).
WHEN? “As often” (whenever: no specified time, but any and all times) just as long as it is done “in spirit and in truth.”
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25).
The statement: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” is not a law, but an appeal. However, if we consider it as a command, this command is fully set by a brother performing in accordance with the preceding quotations.
Nowhere in the scriptures can be found where the Lord has granted the privilege, much less the right, to any man or group of men, to dictate to another brother how, where, or when he shall worship and commune with another brother, since it is a performance between them and their heavenly Father.
It is written “that no man is justified by THE LAW [much less a man-made law] in the sight of God ... for the just shall live by FAITH” (Galatians 3:11). “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.(Romans 3:31).
The Fellowship of the Spirit
Php 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,The fellowship of the spirit or with the spirit is a personal relationship with God is through the in dwelling of Christ in the believer
Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Our relationship with God is through the Lord Jesus Christ. We are united with God and with what God is doing in one body--the body of Christ, the church. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12:13 that we are all baptized into one body by one Spirit. We are brought to the place of oneness, and now it is our responsibility in this love affair with God to express that oneness. To express the oneness of God means that we must enter into fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father. This oneness is the proof that what God has done in Jesus Christ is eternal salvation. God said that He has made us one in Christ; now through spiritual fellowship we are brought to a place of expressing this oneness, as a testimony of the abiding presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Duncan Heaster)
All who accept of our Lord Jesus' one offering for all time are counted as sanctified and in consequence they have fellowship or communion with God. (Duncan Heaster)
"We are justified by faith." And "being justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1), and are no longer esteemed by God as enemies, but as justified human sons,
This counted justification we realize through faith in God's Word, which says, Ye are "bought," "redeemed," "justified freely from all things." We stand in God's sight blameless, spotless and holy in the robes of Christ's righteousness imputed to us by faith. (Duncan Heaster)
Our sins he consented to have imputed to him, that he might bear our penalty for us; and he died on our behalf, as though he were the sinner. His righteousness is consequently imputed to all who accept of his redemption. It restores us to life and to fellowship with God. This fellowship we may have at once by the exercise of faith, and the eternal life of sharing the Divine nature are assured--in God's "due time." (Duncan Heaster)
The natural man cannot possibly understand the love of Christ, but the Spirit " in the inner man" can fully comprehend it (Eph. 3:16-19). This failure of the natural man to understand the things of the spirit is the basic reason for all division between genuine brethren. Time and again we are reminded of the fact that our fellowship with each other is due to the fact that we both have the spiritual man inside us (Eph. 2:18; 4:3,4; Phil. 1:27;2:1). (Duncan Heaster)
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 Jn. 5:1). Our spiritual man is what is born of God. All true believers are here spoken of as if they are their spiritual man. All true believers in Christ therefore have a spiritual man within them, which we must seek out, even imagine at times, and with which we should fellowship (Duncan Heaster)
Our spiritual man is not limited by the bonds of space. Thus Paul was bodily absent from Corinth, " but present in spirit" (1 Cor. 5:3), i.e. his spiritual man was present with them. It was the same with Colosse: " I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit" (Col. 2:5). When our spiritual man groans, Christ groans too in Heaven, an infinite distance away (Rom. 8:23 cp. 26). There is no time barrier, either. Thus our spiritual man is in close fellowship with " the spirits of just men made perfect" , having died many years ago (Heb. 12:23). This is the glorious unity of the Spirit; we are not just connected with all living saints, wherever they may be, but with the spiritual characters of all true saints throughout history. (Duncan Heaster)
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