THREE EXPRESSIONS OF KOINONIA
Donald A Dunn
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have koinonia with us. And our koinonia is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3
These words were written towards the end of the first century AD by the apostle John. Intimate as he was with his Lord. Out of the shadows of age and exile, John confronted the legalism and loss of focus already emerging in the young church. “This isn’t the way it is supposed to be! Our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ. John saw beyond the nit-picking and argument over small and trivial things according to his living experience of the faith. His gospel called them back to a focus on the deity of Christ. His letters called them back to a faith based on relationship with a living lord, alive in his people. This is the bedrock of koinonia: ‘Our koinonia is with the
Father and his son, Jesus Christ’. We are alive in Christ, new creations in Christ; we have the same family name, ‘Christian’. We are in a covenant relationship with our heavenly father because each of us is part of our Lord.
The relationship is vertical, between us and the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. But why did John choose to use the word ‘koinonia’ – partnership? If he meant ‘agape’ – God pouring out his divine love on us, he would have said so. The choice of wording is deliberate. Very deliberate. It is love or fellowship that is to be RETURNED. A ‘two-way’ street. Koinonia is our relationship to God and God to us. But it is also horizontal in scope. ‘We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. From the overflow of our koinonia with God, we have a two-way fellowship with those God has put around us.
Three groups of relationships.
1Firstly, to spouses, children, parents and family.
2. Secondly, to those believers around us, including those we fellowship with regularly.
3. Thirdly, to those God has placed in relationship with us who we see infrequently.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your koinonia in the gospel from the first day until now...” Philippians 1: 3 – 5.
The apostle Paul highlighted this third sphere of koinonia. The relationship between Paul and the saints in Philippi was one of infrequent contact. A few meetings face to face were enough to sustain a relationship and mutual concern that
spanned more than a decade. The saints in Philippi had koinonia with Paul and Timothy, mobile ministries that God has placed in their lives. KOINONIA IS NOT EASY TO MAINTAIN, LET ALONE IMPROVE... (Phil 1:6). I’m convinced that there are four keys. These are things that we NEED to do to enable koinonia to prosper.
1. We must REMEMBER. We have a mind. It can be trained. Like remembering a loved one’s birthday, there are other relationships that need to be recalled to mind. A phone call, a note on a calendar – whatever it takes. We need to remember the people that God has placed in our lives.
2. We must PRAY. ‘You do not have, because you do not ask..’ (James 4:2). I guess one reason that God moves in answer to our prayer is to bring us to him with our needs and concerns. We need to pray for those we have koinonia with.
3. We must FORGIVE. Even in the letter to the Philippians, Paul hints that there were times when the relationship was strained. To keep our relationships fresh and vital, we need to be ready to turn (REPENT) and receive or extend forgiveness at any time. As the apostle John said: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’. (1 John 1:9).
4. We must GIVE. Our predisposition is to be passive, to wait to receive. Koinonia is not strengthened this way. WE MUST GIVE WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OF PERSONAL GAIN. The Lord is blessed and so are we WHEN WE GIVE TIME TO WAIT ON HIM.
Those whom we love who are nearby are edified when the time we spend with the Lord overflows into their lives. The distant relationship with a mobile ministry (or with anyone else) will be strengthened by communication that shows sensitivity and generosity. Can we distinguish between giving to others and giving to God? I believe not. ‘..I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40). When we give to others, we give to the Lord.
THREE EXPRESSIONS OF KOINONIA
Koinonia with our Lord, koinonia with those near to us and koinonia with those who are relationally close but geographically far. Each outworking of koinonia strengthened when we REMEMBER to REMEMBER, PRAY FORGIVE and GIVE.