The Christian community – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Hebrew words ekklesia and koinonia shed light on the biblical view of Christian community. Ekklesia means an assembly or gathering of people. In Acts 2:42, believers of the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” On the other hand, koinonia usually means fellowship, which is apparent in verses 42 and 44, and especially 46-47 of Acts 2. However, certain barriers arose in the early church’s Christian community, such as Peter and other Jews ostracizing and neglecting Gentile believers (Galatians 2:12-14). In James 2:1-9, the issue of showing partiality to the rich over the poor also came up and was condemned as sinful. In verse 8, James tells believers: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well,” and this is a good reminder for us to follow today to foster a Christ-like community of believers within the church.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Christian community is not addressed in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The early church had an ekklesia, known for frequently gathering together in homes or in public places for friendship, prayer, learning, and worship (Acts 2:42).
• The Bible expresses Christian community through the word koinonia, a term usually translated as "fellowship." Acts 2 reveals the early church's emphasis in this area. They devoted themselves to fellowship (Acts 2:42). "And all who believed were together and had all things in common" (Acts 2:44). Acts 2:46-47 add, "And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people."
• A barrier to Christian community in the early church is seen in Galatians 2 with the Apostle Peter. Galatians 2:12-13 state, "For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy." Paul opposed this, stating, "Their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel" (Galatians 2:14). Believers today must not discriminate by race or past cultural associations. We must accept all true believers as members of God’s family.
• James 2:1 states, "My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory." This chapter explains how some believers gave special treatment to the rich. James taught against this practice since it went against the Great Commandment's teaching of loving your neighbor as yourself (James 2:8). We must treat all believers equally regardless of financial status.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Usually people use "Christian community” as a term to refer to Christians in general or the majority of Christians. However, since there is no commonly accepted definition of what makes up the Christian community, some use the term differently. Biblically, Christian community is not specific to one age (1 Timothy 4:12), ethnic, or economic group but consists of all true believers who compose the family of God. We must not show partiality to anyone, but rather, we should show Christ’s love to everyone. Ultimately, true Christian community can be found when believers worship and serve together in unity based on the teachings of God's Word.

UNDERSTAND

• Christian community involves the communal worship of God.
• Fellowshiping with other believers is part of belonging to a Christian community.
• A true Christian community is composed of people from all walks of life, and believers should never discriminate based on social status or wealth.

REFLECT

• What impact has Christian community had on your walk with Christ?
• What activities do you participate in with your Christian community, and how do they help you grow in faith?
• How do you ensure that you treat those in your Christian community with impartiality?

ENGAGE

• What are some ways that new believers can become more involved in a Christian community?
• What role does the Christian community have in testifying to culture about Christ?
• How can members of a Christian community support each other without becoming so insular as to be uninviting to those outside the community?