Koinōnia (A Discussion of the Doctrine of Fellowship)

Pastor Mike
The word koinonia that is on a picture

What does basketball have in common with relationships? In both, boundaries are crucial. Try to imagine what a game would look like without the players’ knowing what’s in-bounds or out-of-bounds. That same level of chaos and disarray that came to your mind is what happens when someone doesn’t respect the boundaries of the workplace environment, or those of the person with whom they’re out on a first date, or those of someone who just walked into church.


I know I’m not the first to point out the necessity of boundaries. It seems that we have recently entered a new level of collective consciousness of the need for boundary-setting and boundary-respecting. This can only be a good thing, especially when everyone understands what boundaries are for.


I asked the participants in our Sunday morning Bible study to describe healthy boundary setting as they understood it. What unfolded was a masterclass in social skills and social awareness. They told of the loving intentions behind healthy boundaries – that one shows love for another person by respecting their privacy or personal space. They told of the need to pay attention to body language and social cues that indicate that you may be crossing a line in conversation, or about to. Above all, what rose to the top of the feedback I received was the idea of protection. Boundaries are set to protect something good, whether for the one setting them or the ones called to respect them. The most important thing that boundaries protect is the relationship between the boundary-setter and the boundary-respecter. We want to keep that relationship as good, healthy, and reciprocal as possible, and that’s why we set boundaries.


Boundaries are not always interpreted that way, though. Sometimes drawing a line that you wish not to be crossed is seen as an affront. Someone might even say, “You mean I can’t do X? Are you saying that you don’t want to do Y? I thought we were friends!” And no matter how you strain yourself explaining, “We ARE friends! That’s why I’m telling you this!” the hurt feelings don’t seem to go away.


Sometimes, “You can’t talk to me that way,” sounds like aggression when it’s really protection: of the relationship, and of yourself.

If this is a risk we’re willing to run in our various relationships, from our deepest friendships to our freshest acquaintances, then how about at church? What kind of boundary-setting and boundary-respecting is appropriate within the family of God? What about between those within the church and outside of the church?


First, let’s talk about the goal. What are we trying to protect with social and biblical boundary setting? For this I’d like to share a little Greek. The word “Koinōnia” is the Greek word that encapsulates the blessing that comes with gathering with people of common faith. In 1 Corinthians 1:9, Paul uses this word to describe what we have with Jesus our Lord – translated “Fellowship.”* In 1 Corinthians 1:16-17, Paul says that when a church family eats the bread and drinks the wine in communion, we are conducting a Koinōnia in the body and blood of Christ – translated “participation.” In Philippians 2:1-2, Paul says that Christians who join together in the love of Christ have a “common sharing” (Koinōnia) of the Spirit. In Philippians 1:3-5, Paul thanks God for the “partnership” (Koinōnia) fellow believers share in gospel ministry.


After examining these passages, participants were asked to share what other words came to mind when they consider the concept of Koinōnia. Responses included: “Joyful shared participation,” “common sharing,” “family,” “united participation,” “being in common faith,” “a congregation,” “intimate,” “the Body of Christ.” Three words stood out above the rest: “Community,” “Unity,” “Togetherness.”

To summarize, Koinōnia is the word used in the Greek of the New Testament to describe that beautiful joint-partaking in the truth of the gospel enjoyed by brothers and sisters united by faith. Koinōnia is observed in the mutual joy the flows in response to the truth content of the gospel. Koinōnia is expressed in partnership in gospel ministry efforts. Koinōnia is expressed at the communion railing when brothers and sisters of the same faith kneel to receive the sacrament together.


I then asked the participants to tell me when they feel Koinōnia at its best. Each person had a different moment to call out. One participant said that they feel it most strongly when we jointly confess our faith in worship using the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds. Another said it was when we confess our sins in the service and hear the announcement of our forgiveness in Jesus’ name. Another said receiving the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper together when it feels more pertinent. Another referred to those efforts we undertake together to serve our community, as in our upcoming Easter for Kids event.


Do you notice what all these examples have in common? They are a group participation in the gospel, fueled by gospel joy, and informed by gospel truth. And they are all joyous, blessed events. The blessings of Koinōnia are so great that it is worth Paul commanding us to do everything we can to be united in teaching and belief (1 Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:1-5). The blessings of Koinōnia can only come in their fullest form when a church family is first and foremost rooted in the truth of the Bible (Ephesians 4:11-16).

While some church bodies might de-emphasize teaching and doctrine and increase emphasis on community outreach programs and services, the Bible’s perspective is that the two are inseparable. There is no partnership in gospel work without first partnership in the gospel teaching. Or, if you’ll allow me to stick to my Greek vocabulary here, there is no Koinōnia expressed in action without the Koinōnia that comes from observing and believing the same doctrine. The same goes for receiving the sacrament of Communion together, as this is an expression of the Koinōnia we have in the gospel. 


When you read the New Testament, it can be easy to become lost in the warnings against those who teach or believe false doctrines (see Romans 16:17, Titus 1:5-11, 1 Timothy 1:3-5, and 2 Timothy 4:1-5). If those passages were taken in isolation, one could start to think that we’re supposed to hate people who believe differently than we do. One could even suppose that we’re called upon to judge hearts! – that if we deny someone the chance to commune with us, we’re denying them their dignity, or if we deny the chance to participate in joint study or prayer with people of other denominations or faiths, that we’re being mean, stand-offish, stuck-up, and judgmental.


Does that sound at all similar to when someone offers you a beer two or three times, but you politely decline each time? Does it perhaps sound similar to how someone responds when you tell them you don’t want to talk about politics? Or when you deny your date a kiss because you’d rather get to know them better before showing physical affection? As we’ve discussed, some respect such boundaries. Others take them personally. If they do, that doesn’t mean you weren’t loving in your boundary-setting.


It's the same with Koinōnia. What we have in the gospel is so good (Psalm 133). When there is no unity of doctrine, Koinōnia cannot thrive (Romans 16:17). We must maintain that while we cannot judge hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), while faith is an inner, invisible phenomenon (John 3:8), and therefore we are not to condemn those who profess faith in Christ but may still cling to false doctrines. However, faith always expresses itself in some way, through words or action (Romans 10:10, Matthew 12:34-35). Anyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior is going to heaven (Romans 10:12-13). God knows those that are his (2 Timothy 2:19).


But we are called upon to react to the confessions of faith we hear from others (2 Thessalonians 3:6), and to avoid giving even the appearance of unity in doctrine where there isn’t any (Romans 16:17). If we can help correct false doctrine and belief, of course we want to do that (2 Timothy 4:2, James 5:20). We want to participate in the gospel and in reacting to its content with acts of service and love, as much as possible, and with as many as possible! But the first step to Koinōnia in practice is always Koinōnia in doctrine.


This is by no means an exhaustive treatment of the topic of fellowship, nor of the concrete practices that result from these thoughts. It is our church’s mission to establish Koinōnia by digging into the Law and Gospel message of the Bible together as a family, and seek to put it into practice. But doing so is not always clear-cut! We would love it if Trinity could be your safe place to explore what God says about you and how God would guide you to live in response to that beautiful news. In other words, we would love to have Koinōnia with you!


For more about this, join us any Sunday for Bible class at 9am or worship at 10:15am!


Pastor Mike Cherney

 

*The translations referenced above are taken from the NIV(2011).

The Art of Giving: Conclusion

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
There! Now that we’ve cleared up all the misunderstandings above giving an offering, we are all ready to worship God in this way with regularity and joy! I’m just kidding. We’ve only touched on a few of the false conceptions that are possible. Because giving is an act of sanctification – a fruit of faith, thankfully offered to God in response to the gospel – it is something to “grow into.” There may still be misgivings, questions, and reluctance. Some readers may have been seriously hurt by church leaders who prevailed too strongly upon their debit cards and bank accounts. To those, one blog post will not be sufficient to restore the act of giving to its Scriptural, rightful place. For others, giving was never properly explained as a fruit of faith, not an act that earns goodness from God. To those, I pray this discussion has been helpful. I write this post as one who is himself growing in the act of giving. May God continue to shape our understanding of how to use our gifts to his glory. Giving to God is not a science. The act of giving looks differently among Christians, just as their acts of service and fruits of faith look differently. There are no hard-and-fast equations. We can’t say that giving an offering ensures that you’ll get rich in return (maybe God will choose to bless you in this way, maybe not). We can’t say that giving will come easy once you have a more stable income (your sinful nature will likely resist no matter how much income you have). We can’t say that you should never feel concerned or self-critical over your giving (is there ever an amount that will properly express your thankfulness to God?). So, I would say that giving is much more of an art. After taking in all of Scripture’s guidance about how to approach the act of giving, we proceed using our best judgment. We start with the gospel, meditating on what wonderful things God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We then look at the gifts God has given to us: our finances, our time, our personality gifts. We envision how to respond to God’s goodness with these gifts. While there are some acts of giving that will look very similar among various Christians (for example, we all give of our time when we attend worship and Bible study together), each one of us goes through our own process of deciding how best to respond to the gospel with our gifts. We submit our hearts to God for audit, recognizing that there are often mixed motives within them (Psalm 139:23-24). We rely on God to work within us and through us even as we thank him (Philippians 2:13). After all, this is about our relationship with God – not about securing it for ourselves with offerings, because it is already secure in Christ. Rather, it is about living out a relationship of worship with God, expressing to him and to the world what he means to us. To that end, let’s close with these verses from Hebrews: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16) God bless you as you find joy in God’s pleasure over you for Christ’s sake, and as you respond to this gospel with thanksgiving! Pastor Mike Cherney 

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #5 – We live under the Tithe Law (giving one tenth of one’s gifts).

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
This is a very common conception of the offering, and up to this point it might appear that we also teach the tithe – the practice of giving one tenth of one’s goods as a matter of the law, and not to deviate from that percentage. This is commanded to the Old Testament Israelites in passages such as Leviticus 27:30. But Christ has set us free from the letter of the law (Colossians 2:14, Colossians 2:16-17, Galatians 4:4-5). When the New Testament commands the act of giving, percentages are not mentioned. What is mentioned, however, is that giving be proportionate (1 Corinthians 16:2), generous (2 Corinthians 9:6), done with joy (2 Corinthians 9:7), and a good work sprung from trust in the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:8-11). This is not as specific as the tithe rule. It requires one to spend time reasoning out what a manageable and reasonable gift looks like for them, while still reflecting the thanksgiving and generosity that they wish to communicate in response to the gospel. In many households, ten percent remains a useful benchmark for giving, but must not be treated as a law. Some households will not be able to afford that amount. For others, “proportionate” giving means giving much more than ten percent. It is a lot easier for church leaders to make hard-and-fast rules to “keep people in line,” rather than offer these general encouragements. However, if we remember that giving is an act of worship in response to the gospel, we will avoid strictly laying down ground rules that Scripture no longer enforces. Instead, we will focus on sharing the beautiful gospel with our members, friends, and community, and allow the Holy Spirit to create and nurture the gospel joy that inspires acts of thanksgiving. Likewise, if someone’s giving is “off-kilter,” we don’t want to address their giving with the desire that they “get those numbers up.” That would convey that our worth in God’s family comes from our works. Instead, we express concern over their connection to the gospel, and nurture their relationship with Jesus through Word and Sacrament. Then, and only then, can we discuss what a proper response to the gospel looks like in our giving. Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #4 – We give ONLY to keep the church running.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
This misunderstanding is based partly on truth, but becomes misguided when it is treated as the main issue. Like millions of churches across the world, our church is a not-for-profit organization. We rely solely on the offerings of members to keep the doors open and the air conditioner running. It would stand to reason, then, that we should encourage giving so that the work of the church can continue, don’t you think? After all, the Levites (ministers in the tabernacle and temple worship of the Old Testament) were to rely on the offerings of the rest of the tribes of Israel for their livelihood (Numbers 18:21). The Apostle Paul encouraged offerings so that Christians in dire financial need could be provided for (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). There is a practical side to giving an offering. However, this should not be divorced from the attitude of thankful worship described above. Above all, giving an offering is a fruit of faith inspired by thankfulness in response to the infinite grace of God. It is an act of worship. The opportunity to praise God in this way does not cease when the church’s bills are paid off any more than your need to come to worship services ceases when church attendance is up. Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving Misunderstanding #3 – Giving an offering if optional.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
In Romans 12:4-8, Paul lists generous giving as but one example of service that God equips people to render within the church. This could lead to the thought that giving is optional for Christians. That would be misguided. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” Wealth takes many forms. For the Old Testament believer, their material blessings primarily took the forms of crops, flocks, and herds. For most modern Americans, God bestows wealth in the form of finances and material blessings. The directives in both Old and New Testaments to praise God by bringing an offering from our wealth are so thorough that one can hardly ignore or side-step the issue at hand. It is true that our whole lives are to be offered to God as thank offerings for what he’s done (Romans 12:1). It is also true that God is more concerned with the attitude of the heart than with the dollar amount given (see passages above as well as Mark 12:41-44). But it is also true that God’s design for showering us with material gifts is that we honor him in front of others by giving a portion back through this act of worship we have been calling “an offering.” As Psalm 50:23 says, “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me.” Not all Christians are capable of giving the same amount, or even the same proportion of what they have (we’ll talk about this more in a second), but God’s Word is so full of directives about giving that it is hard for any one of us to exempt ourselves. To put it another way, God seems to be completely comfortable telling us what to do with our money. After all, we only have it in the first place because he gave it to us (see the response to Misunderstanding #1). Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #2 – God doesn’t care about your offerings.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
If the discussion is about how we’re saved, how we know that we have a good relationship with God, then offerings have no place in that discussion, nor any work that we do. But it does not follow that offerings have no significance whatsoever. Placing a financial gift into the collection plate or box, or donating through our online service, is a work. We are saved purely by God’s grace through faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). God loved and saved you apart from anything to do with your potential to “pay him back” with a weekly offering. Jesus gave up his life as the atoning sacrifice for your sins without consideration of your cash flow or income bracket. But when the conversation shifts from “how we are saved” to “how do we thank God for our salvation” or “how do we live out our identity as God’s people,” offerings do have a part in that discussion. Offerings do not provide God with anything he needs, but they are expressions of our heart’s orientation toward him. In both Malachi 3:8-10 and Psalm 51:17-19, giving a sacrificial gift is presented as a way of demonstrating one’s repentance (sorrow over sin and seeking salvation only from God). Giving of what we have is also a communication of our confident trust that God will continue to provide for us. He may supply our needs extravagantly, far above what is necessary. He may only give us our daily bread (Luke 11:3). That’s for him to decide. What’s always true is that God will always provide in some way, shape, or form (Psalm 145:15-16). We have previously defined faith as a trust relationship with God. What better way to say, “I trust you, Lord, and I thank you,” than to give? Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #1 – God needs our offerings.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
Psalm 50:9-13 says, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” What did offerings look like before money was invented? The Israelites in the Old Testament worshipped God by giving of their crops, herds, and flocks. In these verses, God makes it clear that the purpose of these offerings was not because he gets hungry and needs to be fed. He is the immortal, eternal, completely self-sufficient God. Sometimes I really think of myself as an asset to God, as if I provide him with something to him that he otherwise would not have had. Or that God relies on my gifts and service to be able to “do his thing.” These thoughts are delusions that come from my (our) selfish pride. There is a part of our hearts (the sinful nature) that would love to assure ourselves of God’s love because of what we do. But to believe this would amount to believing that God’s love is for those who are worthy – who give enough, serve enough, and are generally good enough. The person who gives millions of dollars to their church no more deserves God’s love than the one who gives fifty cents. It is God’s grace (his decision to unconditionally love sinners) that has saved you, not your actions (Ephesians 2:8-9). Whenever we fall prey to these delusions in the equation of God’s salvation, we should remember David’s words. When his eyes feasted on the beautiful offerings the Israelites brought for the construction of the temple, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14). As the hymn goes, “We give Thee but Thine own.” Go to next post in this series
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