Lexical Summary koinónia: Fellowship, communion, participation, sharing Original Word: κοινωνία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fellowship; contributionFrom koinonos; partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction -- (to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship. see GREEK koinonos HELPS Word-studies 2842 koinōnía (a feminine noun) – properly, what is shared in common as the basis of fellowship (partnership, community). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom koinónos Definition fellowship NASB Translation contribution (2), fellowship (12), participation (2), sharing (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2842: κοινωνίακοινωνία, κοινωνίας, ἡ (κοινωνός), fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, contact; in the N. T. as in classical Greek 1. the share which one has in anything, participation; with the genitive of the thing in which he shares: πνεύματος, Philippians 2:1; τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, 2 Corinthians 13:13 (14); τῶν παθημάτων τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Philippians 3:10; τῆς πίστεως, Philemon 1:6 (cf. Lightfoot); τοῦ ἱματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, i. e. in the benefits of Christ's death, 1 Corinthians 10:16 (cf. Meyer at the passage); τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ in the (mystical) body of Christ or the church, ibid.; τῆς διακονίας, 2 Corinthians 8:4; τοῦ μυστηρίου, Ephesians 3:9 Rec. εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, to obtain fellowship in the dignity and blessings of the Son of God, 1 Corinthians 1:9, where cf. Meyer. 2. contact, fellowship, intimacy: δεξιά κοινωνίας, the right hand as the sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office), Galatians 2:9 (where see Lightfoot); τίς κοινωνία φωτί πρός σκότος; what in common has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (τίς οὖν κοινωνία πρός Ἀπολλωνα τῷ μηδέν οἰκεῖον ἐπιτετηδευκοτι, Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 14 at the end; εἰ δέ τίς ἐστι κοινωνία πρός Θεούς ἡμῖν, Stobaeus, serm. 28 (i. p. 87, Gaisf. edition)); used of the intimate bond of fellowship which unites Christians: absolutely, Acts 2:42; with εἰς τό εὐαγγέλιον added, Philippians 1:5; κοινωνίαν ἔχειν μεθ' ἡμῶν, μετ' ἀλλήλων, 1 John 1:3, 7; of the fellowship of Christians with God and Christ, μετά τοῦ πατρός καί μετά τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, 1 John 1:3, 6, (which fellowship, according to John's teaching, consists in the fact that Christians are partakers in common of the same mind as God and Christ, and of the blessings arising therefrom). By a use unknown to secular authors κοινωνία in the N. T. denotes: 3. a benefaction jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship (cf. Grimm, Exeget. Hdbch. on Wisd. 8:18, p. 176): 2 Corinthians 8:4; εἰς τινα, for the benefit of one, 2 Corinthians 9:13; ποιεῖσθαι κοινωνία (to make a contribution) εἰς τινα, Romans 15:26; joined with εὐποιΐα, Hebrews 13:16. (Cf. Buttmann, § 132, 8.) Koinōnia (Strong’s 2842) expresses active participation in a common life. At its heart are the ideas of sharing, partnership, communion, and mutual contribution. The term gathers spiritual, relational, and material dimensions into a single reality: the life believers hold in common with God through Christ and with one another in the Spirit. Old Testament Foreshadowing Although the word itself is Greek, its substance is anticipated in Israel’s covenant life: shared meals before Yahweh (Exodus 24:11), the fellowship offerings (Leviticus 3), and the communal joy of pilgrimage feasts (Psalms 133; 122). These practices prepared the way for the deeper communion revealed in the New Covenant. Occurrences in the New Testament Nineteen passages employ koinōnia or its case forms. They span Luke’s historiography (Acts 2:42), Pauline correspondence (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, Hebrews), and Johannine writings (1 John). The breadth of settings—worship, mission, suffering, giving—highlights its centrality to apostolic Christianity. Fellowship with God John gives the most direct theological statement: “Indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Entry into this fellowship is granted through the apostolic proclamation of the Word of life (verses 1-2). Walking in the light sustains it (1 John 1:6-7); habitual sin disrupts it. Paul echoes the vertical dimension in 1 Corinthians 1:9, where believers are “called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Fellowship within the Body of Christ Acts 2:42 lists “the fellowship” alongside the apostles’ teaching, the breaking of bread, and the prayers as the pattern of the newborn church. Here koinōnia is the relational environment in which doctrine, sacrament, and worship flourish. Paul prays that “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” be with the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 13:14), rooting horizontal unity in Trinitarian grace. Fellowship in the Gospel and Mission Partnership in gospel advance stands out in Philippians. The believers’ “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:5) includes financial support, intercessory prayer, and shared labor. Galatians 2:9 describes mutual recognition between Jerusalem and Antioch leaders as “the right hand of fellowship,” sealing a trans-cultural missionary alliance. Fellowship in Suffering Koinōnia reaches into affliction. Paul’s ambition is “to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Union with Christ means believers share both His glory and His cross, a truth also implied in 2 Corinthians 6:14 where incompatible fellowship with darkness is forbidden. Fellowship in Material Sharing Romans 15:26, 2 Corinthians 8:4 and 9:13, and Hebrews 13:16 all employ koinōnia for charitable giving. Generous relief for the saints is not merely philanthropy; it is fellowship, a tangible participation in the needs of Christ’s body. Such gifts bear witness to the gospel, provoking thanksgiving to God. Fellowship and the Lord’s Supper “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). Here koinōnia denotes sacramental communion. The rite manifests and deepens union with Christ and therefore requires separation from idolatry (verses 17-21). Trinitarian Dimension Koinōnia is anchored in the triune life: fellowship with the Father (1 John 1:3), through the Son (1 Corinthians 1:9), in the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1). The church’s shared life is thus a creaturely participation in God’s own communion. Ethical Implications Because fellowship is holy, believers must guard it. 1 John 1:6 exposes the contradiction of claiming fellowship while walking in darkness. Paul warns against unequal yoking with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), lest communion be defiled. Conversely, maintaining generosity (Hebrews 13:16) and unity in purpose (Philippians 2:1-2) nurtures koinōnia. Historical Reception and Church Practice Early patristic writers viewed koinōnia as the essence of ecclesial life, connecting Eucharist, love-feast, and almsgiving. Reformers returned to the term to describe the “communion of saints.” Contemporary ministry continues the pattern through small-group gatherings, cooperative missions, and benevolent funds, all of which echo apostolic practice. Summary Koinōnia gathers the whole spectrum of Christian experience—relationship with God, unity of believers, sacramental participation, shared mission, mutual suffering, and material generosity—into a single word. Wherever the Spirit unites believers to Christ and to one another, authentic fellowship flourishes, displaying the life of the triune God to the world. Englishman's Concordance Acts 2:42 N-DFSGRK: καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῇ κλάσει NAS: teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking KJV: and fellowship, and INT: and in fellowship the breaking Romans 15:26 N-AFS 1 Corinthians 1:9 N-AFS 1 Corinthians 10:16 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 10:16 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 6:14 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 8:4 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 9:13 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 13:14 N-NFS Galatians 2:9 N-GFS Philippians 1:5 N-DFS Philippians 2:1 N-NFS Philippians 3:10 N-AFS Philemon 1:6 N-NFS Hebrews 13:16 N-GFS 1 John 1:3 N-AFS 1 John 1:3 N-NFS 1 John 1:6 N-AFS 1 John 1:7 N-AFS Strong's Greek 2842 |
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