Growing with Galatians Daily Devotion (27 June 2013)

...They gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:9, ESV)



The word translated as fellowship is the Greek word koinonia-a very important word in the Bible. Unfortunately, fellowship has come to mean ‘fun activities we do at church’ such as fellowship dinners and fellowship nights. This is not what the Bible means by fellowship. The book (and film) The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien got the meaning of this word right. A fellowship is group of people with close mutual relationships and a shared purpose or mission. In the book, the fellowship was a group of nine characters with a common mission (the ring) and who came to love one another. Church is a fellowship in this deeper sense. We are brought together by Christ who intends us to be as close as a family, even closer. We are brought together around a mission: to bring others into His fellowship. Fellowship is not the same as congregation or denomination. Fellowship is larger. Our most important fellowship is NOT Lutheran, Catholic, or Baptist. These are fellowships, but they are not the most important fellowship. Our most important fellowship is Christian. Our fellowship is Christ. There is only ONE FLOCK because there is only ONE GOOD SHEPHERD.