Experiencing Jesus' Fellowship and Genuine Relationship

The concept of experiencing Jesus' fellowship and genuine relationship is deeply rooted in biblical teachings. The apostle Paul expresses his desire "to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death" ^[1]. This highlights the significance of sharing in Christ's sufferings as a means of deepening one's relationship with Him.

The term "fellowship" is multifaceted, encompassing various aspects of Christian experience. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, fellowship involves "knowledge of God's will; agreement with his designs; mutual affection; enjoyment of his presence; conformity to his image; and participation of his felicity" ^[2]. This understanding is echoed in the writings of John, who emphasizes that fellowship is not only with God but also with other believers, stating, "We announce to you what we have seen, and what we have heard, that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ" ^[3].

The biblical basis for fellowship is further illustrated in the Psalms, where the psalmist reminisces about the joy of communal worship, saying, "We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God’s house with company" ^[4]. The Lord's Supper is also considered a means of experiencing fellowship, as it represents communion between Christ and His disciples, as well as among the disciples themselves ^[5].

The nature of this fellowship is characterized by a deep, spiritual intimacy with Christ, facilitated by the Holy Spirit. According to the Tyndale House commentary on John 17:21, believers' unity with one another is an outgrowth of their union with Jesus, modeled on the oneness of the Father and the Son ^[6]. This unity is not merely a human achievement but is rooted in the divine relationship between the Father and the Son.

The experience of fellowship with Christ is closely tied to the concept of the mystical union between Christ and believers. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, emphasizes that this union is a fundamental aspect of Christian doctrine, citing passages where the Spirit of God is said to dwell in believers as evidence of this mystical bond ^[10]. This union is not just between Christ and the individual believer but also among believers, forming a corporate body united in Christ.

The sacraments, particularly the Lord's Supper, play a significant role in nurturing this fellowship. According to Hodge, the Lord's Supper demands a certain level of spiritual preparedness, including self-examination, faith, repentance, love, and a commitment to new obedience ^[8]. The sacrament is not merely a ritual but a means of deepening one's relationship with Christ and with other believers.

In Catholic theology, the concept of charity is closely related to the idea of fellowship. Thomas Aquinas argues that charity signifies not only love for God but also a friendship with Him, implying mutual love and communion ^[9]. This understanding underscores the reciprocal nature of the relationship between God and believers.

The experience of Jesus' fellowship and genuine relationship is thus a multifaceted reality, encompassing personal intimacy with Christ, unity with other believers, and participation in the sacraments. It is rooted in the biblical teachings on fellowship, the mystical union between Christ and believers, and the role of the Holy Spirit in facilitating this relationship.

The biblical emphasis on walking in the light as a condition for fellowship with God and with one another further highlights the importance of living a life conformed to Christ's teachings ^[7]. As believers strive to live in accordance with God's will, they experience a deeper sense of fellowship with Christ and with each other.

Sources

Philippians “Philippians 3:10 (BSB) — I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fellowship — (1.) With God, consisting in the knowledge of his will (Job 22:21; John 17:3); agreement with his designs (Amos 3:2); mutual affection (Rom. 8: 38, 39); enjoyment of his presence (Ps. 4:6); conformity to his image (1 John 2:6; 1:6); and participation of his felicity (1 John 1:3, 4; Eph. 3:14-21). (2.) Of saints with one another, in duties (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:1; 1 Thess. 5:17, 18); in ordinances (Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:46); in grace, love, joy, etc. (Mal. 3:16; 2 Cor. 8:4); mutual interest, spiritual and temporal (Rom. 12:4, 13; Heb. 13:16); in sufferings (”
I John “I John 1:3 (LITV) — We announce to you what we have seen, and what we have heard, that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”
Psalms “We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God’s house with company. -- Psalms 55:14”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Communion — Fellowship with God (Gen. 18:17-33; Ex. 33:9-11; Num. 12:7, 8), between Christ and his people (John 14:23), by the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1), of believers with one another (Eph. 4:1-6). The Lord's Supper is so called (1 Cor. 10:16, 17), because in it there is fellowship between Christ and his disciples, and of the disciples with one another.”
John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 17:21: 17:21 For believers, becoming one with one another is an outgrowth of the union they enjoy with Jesus himself, a union modeled on the oneness of the Father and the Son. • may they be in us: Through the power of the Spirit, believers would experience a profound spiritual intimacy with the Father and the Son and be transformed (14:20, 23; 1 Jn 4:13). • Disciples of Jesus represent him, so their conduct and relationships with each other reflect the credibility of Christ in the world. When there is disunity, infighting, and intolerance, their testimony to the world is ”
1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:7: Compare Eph 5:8, Eph 5:11-14. "WE WALK"; "God is (essentially in His very nature as 'the light,' Jo1 1:5) in the light." WALKING in the light, the element in which God Himself is, constitutes the test of fellowship with Him. Christ, like us, walked in the light (Jo1 2:6). ALFORD notices, Walking in the light as He is in the light, is no mere imitation of God, but an identity in the essential element of our daily walk with the essential element of God's eternal being. we have fellowship one with another--and of course with God (to be understood from Jo”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 68: this sacrament demands should exist in the heart, without producing supreme love and gratitude to Christ, and the fixed purpose to forsake all sin and to live devoted to his service. Our Church, therefore, teaches that it is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves, of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon Him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience. It is, however, not to be inferred from this that a man must be assured that he is a true believe”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), Of the Connection of Virtues, Art. 5: Article: Whether charity can be without faith and hope? I answer that, Charity signifies not only the love of God, but also a certain friendship with Him; which implies, besides love, a certain mutual return of love, together with mutual communion, as stated in Ethic. viii, 2. That this belongs to charity is evident from 1 Jn. 4:16: "He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him," and from 1 Cor. 1:9, where it is written: "God is faithful, by Whom you are called unto th”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 140: passages in which the Spirit of God is said to dwell in his people, are so many proofs of the mystical union between Christ and all true believers. They are One. One with Him and one with one another. For by one Spirit they are all baptized into one body. ( 1 Cor. xii. 13 .) These representations of Scripture concerning the union between Christ and his people, are neither to be explained nor explained away. Both attempts have often been made. Numerous theories have been adopted and urged as divine truth, which in fact are only philosophi”

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