Lexical Summary koinónos: Partner, sharer, companion, participant Original Word: κοινωνός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance companion, partaker, partner. From koinos; a sharer, i.e. Associate -- companion, X fellowship, partaker, partner. see GREEK koinos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 2844 koinōnós (a masculine noun/substantival adjective) – properly, a participant who mutually belongs and shares fellowship; a "joint-participant." See 2842 (koinōnia). [2842 /koinōnía (a feminine noun) stresses the relational aspect of the fellowship. 2844 /koinōnós (a masculine noun) more directly focuses on the participant himself (herself). 2844 (koinōnos) is also used as a substantival adjective, as with the classical Greek authors, see J. Thayer.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom koinos Definition a sharer NASB Translation partaker (1), partakers (1), partner (2), partners (2), sharers (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2844: κοινωνόςκοινωνός, κοινωνη, κοινωνόν (κοινός) (as adjective Euripides, Iph. Taur. 1173; commonly as a substantive); a. a partner, associate, comrade, companion: 2 Corinthians 8:23; ἔχειν τινα κοινωνόν, Philemon 1:17; εἰμί κοινωνός τίνι, to be one's partner, Luke 5:10; τίνος (the genitive of person), to be the partner of one doing something, Hebrews 10:33; τίνος ἐν τῷ αἵματι, to be one's partner in shedding the blood etc. Matthew 23:30. b. a partaker, sharer, in any thing; with the genitive of the thing: τῶν παθημάτων, 2 Corinthians 1:7; τῆς δόξης, 1 Peter 5:1; θείας φύσεως, 2 Peter 1:4; τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, of the altar (at Jerusalem) on which sacrifices are offered, i. e. sharing in the worship of the Jews, 1 Corinthians 10:18; τῶν δαιμονίων, partakers of (or with) demons, i. e. brought into fellowship with them, because they are the authors of the heathen worship, ibid. 20; (ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ κοινωνοί ... ἐν τοῖς φθαρτοῖς, joint partakers in that which is imperishable ... in the blessings which perish, Epistle of Barnabas 19, 8 [ET]; see κοινωνέω, at the end). Derived from the same root as fellowship (koinōnia), the term describes one who actively shares in the life, work, or destiny of another. It communicates more than casual association; it denotes a communion of interests that binds participants together with real consequences for blessing or judgment. Old Testament and Jewish Backdrop In the Septuagint the cognate verbal and noun forms convey joint-ownership of property (Leviticus 6:2), mutual responsibility within covenant (Psalm 50:18), and shared guilt (Isaiah 1:23). Against that backdrop, the New Testament employs the word to unfold both holy and unholy alliances. New Testament Usage 1. Business Partnership Luke 5:10 records James and John as “partners with Simon.” The fishermen’s commercial cooperation illustrates the everyday sense of the term, yet becomes a living parable of gospel collaboration that follows when Christ calls them. 2. Sacrificial Participation “Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?” (1 Corinthians 10:18). Eating from the altar made the worshiper a participant in the sacred act, a reality Paul uses to warn against pagan rituals: “I do not want you to be partners with demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20). Worship therefore forges spiritual bonds, either with God or with idolatrous powers. 3. Shared Suffering and Comfort “Just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:7). The same word is employed in Hebrews 10:33, where believers become “partners with those so treated,” accentuating solidarity in persecution and the promise of divine consolation. 4. Ministry Co-Laborers Paul calls Titus “my partner and fellow worker” (2 Corinthians 8:23) and appeals to Philemon, “If you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me” (Philemon 1:17). Partnership thus grounds practical cooperation in mission, stewardship, and reconciliation. 5. Eschatological Reward Peter, identifying himself as “a fellow elder and witness of Christ’s sufferings, who will also share in the glory to be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1), links current service with future glory. The same trajectory is found in 2 Peter 1:4: believers become “partakers of the divine nature,” participating already in what will be fully unveiled. 6. False Claims to Fellowship The Pharisees’ self-defensive protest—“We would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets” (Matthew 23:30)—exposes how one may deny culpability while still bearing it. Human assertions cannot negate the objective partnerships that deeds create. Theological Significance • Fellowship with God is covenantal, not merely sentimental. Historical and Ecclesial Implications In the first-century Mediterranean world, κοινωνός could designate a legal business associate. The apostolic writers elevate the term to describe gospel teamwork, missionary support networks, and the shared life of local congregations. Financial giving (2 Corinthians 8) becomes tangible evidence of such partnership, so that churches across regions are united in practical care. Pastoral Applications • Encourage believers to see every act of worship and service as genuine participation in the life of God and His people. Summary Koinonos embodies the New Testament vision of believers as interconnected participants in grace, mission, suffering, and glory. The term calls the church to wholehearted fellowship with God, sacrificial solidarity with one another, and vigilant separation from every allegiance that rivals the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 23:30 Adj-NMPGRK: ἤμεθα αὐτῶν κοινωνοὶ ἐν τῷ NAS: we would not have been partners with them in [shedding] the blood KJV: not have been partakers with them in INT: we would have been with them partakers in the Luke 5:10 Adj-NMP 1 Corinthians 10:18 Adj-NMP 1 Corinthians 10:20 Adj-AMP 2 Corinthians 1:7 Adj-NMP 2 Corinthians 8:23 N-NMS Philemon 1:17 Adj-AMS Hebrews 10:33 Adj-NMP 1 Peter 5:1 N-NMS 2 Peter 1:4 Adj-NMP Strong's Greek 2844 |
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