Biblical Fellowship: Live Together or Die Alone (3)

There is much about fellowship, that could be said, but I can’t draw this series out for too long so I’m going to have to zero in here on a few matters that I think need focus because they are areas of weakness in contemporary fellowship.

Where We Are Not So Strong

As we encounter the one another commands of Scripture we are not given the luxury of selective obedience; we have to pursue faithfulness in all that fellowship involves. With this in view we realize that there are aspects of fellowship in which most Christians are not so strong. Particularly I would identify the aspects of biblical correction, warning and admonition. We’ve yet to fully embrace the Bible’s teaching that we are to seek out and offer a ministry of mutual accountability and warning care, such as is encouraged in Proverbs 27:5, 6, 17:

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Proverbs isn’t calling us to a ministry of criticism or to a witch-hunt in the church. Rather God is challenging us to notice when brothers and sisters in Christ are caught up in patterns and habits of sin, and to do what we need to, to lead them into the forgiving and transforming grace of God.

Fellowship’s Harder Work

This is what I would call fellowship’s harder work. I say it’s harder, because, well, other things are easier. If anyone finds this work easy, I’d suggest a heart transplant. Frankly, anyone who enjoys wounding a friend is disturbed. People who love find no immediate pleasure in speaking correction or rebuke into the lives of those they love. Parents will know well the experience of disciplining their kids, and being compelled to say to them in the process; “This hurts me at least as much as it hurts you.” Why? Because it does.

Hebrews: A Mandate for Wounding Fellowship

The New Testament letter called Hebrews serves at least two functions. It is both a wounding and warning letter, and it is also a call to wounding and warning fellowship. In this letter the Holy Spirit warns us to stop sinning against, and wandering from Christ,* and He also commands us to warn one another, lest any of us should so wander. Here are three key texts commanding the latter:

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin…”

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal” (Hebrews 3:12, 13; 10:24, 25; 12:12-16).

Hebrews makes it clear that we are our brothers’ (and sisters’) keeper. What matters to you should matter to me, and nothing matters more than that you (and I) keep on keeping on in the way of Christ.

Next time we'll look at what's at stake in all this.


* See Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:12; 4:5-13; 10:26-39; 12:18-29; 13:22. In Hebrews 13:22, the author calls his whole letter an exhortation/warning: “I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.”