Life in Common

The purpose of the proclamation of the Word of Life, John says, is to extend the fellowship of the apostles to include others; and this means to include others within the community – the sharing of things, and particularly the sharing of life – that the apostles have with the Father and the Son. For first-century Jews, the notion of “fellowship,” “companionship,” or “communion” with God could well have been jarring. As the TDNT points out, the OT never uses the Heb term CHBR, and the LXX never uses the KOINON- word group to describe an Israelite’s relationship to God:

“The righteous man of the OT regards himself as EBED [servant] in a relationship of dependence upon God and of belonging to Him. This can be deepened into a relationship of trust . . . ., but he never regards himself as the CHABER [companion] of God. This he never ventures to say. Similarly, in the LXX, even though this is influenced by Greek usage and thinking, we never find KOINONIA for the relation between God and man.” The OT contains the idea of table fellowship between Yahweh and His people, and of a marital covenant. But this is never expressed with the term “companion.” Not until Philo is the KOINON- word group used openly and repeatedly to describe one’s relationship with God.

What does it mean to have communion with the Father and with His Son Jesus? In context, John surely means to emphasize that we have a share in the life that was with the Father and manifested to us. Whatever life God has in Himself, in the Son, He shares with us. More concretely perhaps, Paul describes fellowship with Jesus in terms of fellowship in His whole life – in His life, sufferings, death, resurrection. Believers have communion with one another – sharing life, projects, ministries, tears, wealth, laughter, meals, evenings, cigars, etc etc. And this life-together is joyous and vibrant because it is also an inclusion in and is permeated by the life of the Father and Son, manifested in Jesus.