Fellowship

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Fellowship
31 October 2009
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Fellowship
The basis of fellowship
In the next few slides well just observe the
presence of a few key ideas in some of the
koinonia verses baptism, the gospel, teaching,
way of life.
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Fellowship
Acts 2
So those who welcomed his message were baptized,
and that day about three thousand persons were
added. They devoted themselves to the apostles
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and the prayers.
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Fellowship
Gal 2
When they saw that I had been entrusted with the
gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had
been entrusted with the gospel for the
circumcised (for he who worked through Peter
making him an apostle to the circumcised also
worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles),
and when James and Cephas and John, who were
acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that
had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and
me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we
should go to the Gentiles and they to the
circumcised.
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Fellowship
Phlp 1
I thank my God every time I remember you,
constantly praying with joy in every one of my
prayers for all of you, because of your sharing
in the gospel from the first day until now. I am
confident of this, that the one who began a good
work among you will bring it to completion by the
day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think
this way about all of you, because you hold me in
your heart, for all of you share in Gods grace
with me, both in my imprisonment and in the
defence and confirmation of the gospel.
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Fellowship
1 John 1
We declare to you what was from the beginning,
what we have heard, what we have seen with our
eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our
hands, concerning the word of life this life was
revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it,
and declare to you the eternal life that was with
the Father and was revealed to us we declare to
you what we have seen and heard so that you also
may have fellowship with us and truly our
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son
Jesus Christ.
If we say that we have fellowship with him while
we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do
what is true but if we walk in the light as he
himself is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son
cleanses us from allsin.
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Fellowship
1 John 4
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test
the spirits to see whether they are from God for
many false prophets have gone out into the world.
By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit
that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not
confess Jesus is not from God.
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Fellowship
2 John
For many deceivers are entered into the world,
who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh. This is a deceiver and an
antichristWhoever transgresses, and abides not
in the doctrine of Christ, has not God. He that
abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the
Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you, not
bringing this doctrine, receive him not into
your house, neither bid him God speed.
These verses in Johns letters are the only NT
passages giving us a doctrinal test in both
positive and negative terms they really are the
touchstone
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Fellowship
What are the bases of fellowship?

• Teaching (doctrine)
• Practice
• Baptism
• The gospel
• Jesus Christ

Actually these are all the same basis
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Fellowship
Jesus Christ
For no one can lay any foundation other than the
one that has been laid that foundation is Jesus
Christ.
The gospel
Things concerning the kingdom of God and the name
of Jesus Christ
belief, repentance, baptism
Acts 237-38
Teaching
Practice
Baptism
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Fellowship
How much detail do we need?
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Fellowship
Thats not much detail!
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Fellowship
Johns litmus test
some of the implications..
Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) Jesus is the Son of
God Jesus came in the flesh the nature of man the
source of sin
..kingdom, priesthood
..not God Himself ..not a pre-existent
spirit ..no immortal soul ..from the flesh, not a
devil
Is that enough detail?
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Fellowship
The extent of fellowship
Fellowship Sharing

• What do we share?
• Who do we share it with?
• How widely do we share it?

How far?
How much?
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Fellowship
The extent of fellowship
What do we share?

• Financial support 2 Cor 913
• Companionship Heb 1033
• Partnership in a project Gal 29
• Teaching, preaching, hearing, learning Gal 66
• Faith Phm 6
• Baptism into Christ Acts 242
• Prayer Acts 242
• Breaking bread 1 Cor 1016

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Fellowship

• The ___ Bible School is organised and conducted
  on the basis of the BASF. Fellowship at the
  memorial service is extended to all who
  fellowship consistently on that basis.
• The ___ Bible School does not recognise the ___
  Unity Agreement or the ___ Unity Agreement.
• Members of other fellowships and members of
  ecclesias that have signed these unity agreements
  are welcome to attend but not to partake of the
  memorial emblems.
• Separate memorials will probably beavailable in
  the kitchen and car-park.

(
)
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Fellowship
The highest form of fellowship
(as seen from various Christian perspectives)

• Marriage?
• The church?
• Praise?
• Worship?
• Sharing the emblems?
• Having one mind?
• Eating together?
• The Mormon/Masonic handshake?

This is a view held by all the churches in the
Campbellite tradition, which includes all the
Churches of Christ as well as Christadelphians
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Fellowship
The next slides show some of the fellowship
issues that have bothered Campbellite
congregations as they attempt to get this
highest form of fellowship right
We have so often taken something that was
intended to promote the unity of the body (1 Cor
1017) and used it as the basis for dividing it.
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Fellowship

• Only (fermented) wine may be used
• Only grape juice may be used
• The bread must be handed out as one loaf, not
  broken into pieces
• The bread must be broken into two before being
  given to the servers
• Only one cup must be used
• The cup must have handles
• Women may act as servers
• Women must not act as servers

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Fellowship

• The memorial must be held after sunset
• The memorial must be held in an upstairs room
• A supplementary memorial may be held
• A supplementary memorial must not be held
• The memorials may be carried to other rooms
• The memorials must not leave the room
• The sermon must precede the memorials
• The sermon must follow the memorials
• The congregation must get up, leave the room, and
  return before concluding the service

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Fellowship
The extent of fellowship
Who do we share it with?
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Fellowship
The extent of fellowship
Who do we share it with?
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Fellowship
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Fellowship
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Fellowship
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Fellowship
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Fellowship
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Fellowship
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Fellowship
... the other is very stringent
B.A.S.F. plus4 clauses on divorceevolution/holy
spirit dtbrstrict dress-code daisy-chain
fellowshipetc., etc.
Jesus is Lord!
One end is very relaxed
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Fellowship
too much
B.A.S.F. plus4 clauses on divorceevolution/holy
spirit dtbrstrict dress-code daisy-chain
fellowshipetc., etc.
Jesus is Lord!
too little
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Fellowship
Divorce/Remarriage
Dawn Christadelphians
1942
Military/ConstabularyClean Flesh
Berean Christadelphians
X
1923
Reunions
Old Paths Christadelphians
1957
Clause 24(Resurrectional responsibility)
Central Christadelphians
1898
Immortal Emergence
Unamended Christadelphians
1860
Devil
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
1921
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Divorce/Remarriage
Dawn Christadelphians
1942
Military/ConstabularyClean Flesh
Berean Christadelphians
2008
1923
Reunions/Remarriage
Lightstand Christadelphians
1957
Clause 24(Resurrectional responsibility)
Central Christadelphians
1898
Immortal Emergence
Unamended Christadelphians
1860
Devil
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
1921
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Divorce/Remarriage
Dawn Christadelphians
1942
Military/ConstabularyClean Flesh
Berean Christadelphians
1923
Clause 24(Resurrectional responsibility)
Central Christadelphians
1898
Immortal Emergence
Unamended Christadelphians
1860
Devil
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
1921
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Reunions/Remarriage
Companion Christadelphians
1957/2008
Divorce/Remarriage
Dawn Christadelphians
1942
Military/ConstabularyClean Flesh
Berean Christadelphians
1923
Clause 24(Resurrectional responsibility)
Central Christadelphians
1898
Immortal Emergence
Unamended Christadelphians
1860
Devil
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
1921
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
We consider you to be our brethren in Christ. You
accept every one of our fundamental beliefs, and
we would like to share fellowship and break bread
with you. We do not consider the ______ question
to be a first principle, although most of us
agree with your opinion on it. Look at how much
we have in common! Surely the One Body is more
important than this minor matter of
opinion.Please?
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Fellowship
We consider you to be brethren in Christ, but
unfortunately you do not enforce the acceptance
of _____ , which is one of our fundamental
beliefs. We could accept you personally, but we
cant be sure of the beliefs of all you associate
with, or the beliefs of those who associate with
others who associate with you. Our statement of
faith maintains our stand on the Truth if we
were to relax our vigilance on this then before
long we would fellowship Trinitarians. So,
reluctantly, we are not prepared tobreak bread
with you. Sorry!
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Fellowship
Companion
Dawn
Bereans
Central
Unamended
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Companion
Fellowship (breaking of bread)
Dawn
Bereans
Central
Unamended
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Companion
Fellowship (baptism)
Dawn
Bereans
Central
Unamended
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Companion
Fellowship (baptism)
Dawn
Bereans
Central
Unamended
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Companion
Fellowship (baptism)
Dawn
Bereans
Central
Unamended
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith
Church of God (Atlanta Conference)
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Fellowship
Why should fellowship (bread) ? fellowship
(baptism)?
All welcome
(Ecumenism)
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Fellowship
Why should fellowship (bread) ? fellowship
(baptism)?
Which fellowship did you say you belong to?
(Bloc-fellowship)
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Fellowship
Surely fellowship (bread) fellowship (baptism)?
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Fellowship
YES! fellowship (bread) fellowship (baptism)
1 Cor 1213
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body
1 Cor 1017
Because there is one bread, we who are many are
one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
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Fellowship
Exercise
Note the underlying assumption here is that
everyone is operating intelligently and in good
faith.Nobody is trying to cheat or put one over
on us.
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Fellowship
A stranger turns up at the breaking of bread.
What do we do?

• Offer them the emblems, they might get angry
  otherwise
• Make sure they dont receive the emblems, they
  might pollute our table
• Explain to them beforehand that we believe the
  emblems are for men and women who have been
  baptised holding a certain set of beliefs

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Fellowship
OK, weve explained, they still think theyre
eligible to break bread.Now what?

• Theyre right lets share the emblems
• Theyre wrong Make sure they dont have an
  opportunity to receive the emblems, they will
  pollute our table
• They might be right Offer them the emblems, and
  leave it to their conscience whether or not they
  partake

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Fellowship
But they arrived after the meeting started and we
dont know anything about them. Now what?

• Offer them the emblems, and leave it to their
  conscience whether or not they partake
• Wait for them to indicate to the servers -
  somehow - that they wish to share the emblems,
  and if they do, permit them
• Make sure they dont have an opportunity to
  receive the emblems, they might pollute our table

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Fellowship
What is the most important consideration here?

• To prevent the visitor getting angry
• To prevent the visitor eating/drinking
  condemnation (krima)
• To teach the visitor that they need baptism
• To protect the Lords table from pollution
• To protect us from eating/drinking condemnation

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Fellowship
Thanks for sharing the morning with us