Fellowship is an important part of the Christian life. We are not to seek to be Christians by ourselves. We belong in the community of the Church. In the fellowship of the Church we are built up, and we have the chance to build up others.
From Jesus
Matthew 18: 15
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
Observation from our pastor: In the case of conflict the best course of action is to first go to the person directly. A bad course of action is to talk about the other person behind their back.
John 17: 21-23
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Other New Testament Passages
Acts 2: 42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 15: 30
The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
Romans 12: 6-8
If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage…
Romans 15: 5-6
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Corinthians 1: 9
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1Corinthians 6: 15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
1Corinthians 15: 33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
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2Corinthians 6: 14-16
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Ephesians 4: 1
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
1Thessalonians 5: 10
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Hebrews 3: 12-13
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Hebrews 10: 23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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Old Testament
Ex 20: 17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Psalm 133: 1
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
Practical Application
Do not try to be a Christian "by yourself." Although we have individual identities as Christians, part of that identity is that we exist within a fellowship of believers. Ideally, this fellowship is the web of supportive and encouraging relationships that strengthens us and spurs us on towards greater maturity, power, and effectiveness in Christ. Fellowship, of course, has its challenges. In fellowship there is sometimes conflict. Within fellowship some people pursue abusive behavior. But healthy fellowship involves healthy boundaries. Fellowship does not mean that anybody can do whatever they want. Jesus offered specific advice for what to do in the case of conflict (see Matthew 18: 15-17).
In the experience of fellowship we learn to forgive and be forgiven, to love and to be loved, to encourage and to be encouraged. As you grow in Christ, seek out the fellowship of other believers who are striving for maturity in their Christian walk. They will keep you going and hold you accountable when you start to slack off. In turn, you can become an encouragement and act as a source of strength and support for others through fellowship. When you go to church meetings introduce yourself to people who seem to be standing off to the side. Help others to become part of fellowship, and your own experience of fellowship will grow deeper.