The meaning in this place seems to decide the otherwise doubtful sense of Ph 2' ' if there be any fellowship of the Spirit.' Here, again, the context speaks of love and unity. So that it is most natural to interpret the phrase in both places of the sense of unity, membership or fellowship, which it is the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit to preserve in the Christian Church.
2. Ac 2^" ' They continued steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers.' This is the first de.scription given us of the newly-baptized converts after Pentecost, when they numbered already about 3000. It is expanded in the next verses, in which two at least of its phrases are almost verbally repeated : ' the breaking of bread ' is represented "by ' breaking bread house by house,' and ' the fellowship ' or ' communion ' (noii'ui'ia) it echoed in the words, ' all they that believed to- gether held all things common {Kotyd).
Thus ' the fellowship ' seems to refer to the tinity of recognized membership, the ' comraunity,' in which the first brethren lived together. Tlie words ' they held all things common ' are illus- trated by the statement that they sold their goods, and distributed to all ' according as any had need.' No systematic plan of relief for the poorer brethren is implied: the wealthier were moved to supply their nccils as they occurred, in a way that must have been reckless had they not looked for a speedy return of Christ. The method was incom
COMMUNION
COMMUNION
461
patible with the liigher organization of the Body ; but it was a strikin" exeinplilication of the new spirit of ffllowsliij), tne sense of tommon interest, the realization of oneness. This oneness is again emphasized in 4*"'- : ' Of tlie whole company of them that believed there was one heart and soul : and not one said that anj' of his possussions was his own ; but they held all things common . . . nor was there any in need among them : for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things sold and laid them at the feet of the apostles ; and dis- tribution was made to each, according as any had need.' Then follows the account of Barnabas, who thus disposed of his estate ; and of Ananias and his wife, who sold a possession and otlcrcd a part of the price as the whole. St. I'eter makes it plain that Ananias need not have parted with his property at all. It was his own, and in his own power. Ills oH'unce lay, not in niggardliness, but in deceit. This makes it evident that ' community of goods ' was not a j)art of the apostolic teaching ; nor is this the meaning of the term Kotvuvla. The reference to laying the price at the feet of the apostles shows that indiscriminate almsgiving was quickly yielding place to a central fund for common relief. The events of ch. 6 indicate that a common table for the poorer members was one method of their clief, and so one sign of ' the fellowship ' which characterized tlie Body. This ' daily ministration ' led to ditliculties which imperilled the sense of unity itself, and so necessitated a more developed organization of the Body.
Turning back to Ac 2*", we now see that the words ' the breakin" of bread and the prayers ' are not to be regarded as an exjilanatory clause exhau-iting tlie meaning of the phrase ' the fellow- iihip,' whicli precedes them. We have four phrases, which fall into two groups: (1) 'the teaching of the apostles and the fellowship,' (2) ' the break- ing of the bread and the prayers.' Tlie ' breaking of bread ' took place in the homes of the brethren ; ' the praj-ers " are perhaps those which they ofi'ered in the leniple (cf. 2*^ and 3'). Tlie ' fellowship ' was exemplified, no doubt, in these acts ; but it was wider than any of its special manifestations : it was the unity and membership in which the whole Body was constituted and maintained.
3. The third group of passages needing special investigation is that in which the word KOivuvia, is used in the limited sense of the ' contribution ' or ' distribution ' of alms. As a general duty this is enforced in Ro 12", He 13'«, 1 Ti 6'», in each of which places the radical meaning of the word employed is that of 'fellowship.' Each act of Christian almsgiving was a witness to the central principle of fellowship in the Christian Society, ^lost conspicuously is this the case with the great collection for ' the poor saints at .lerusaleni,' upon which St. Paul expended so much labour and anxiety. He regar(le<l this as of supreme import- ance, as the external pledge of the living fellow- ship of the whole Christian Church. He insisted on carrj'ing it in person, even though he was aware that the visit to .Jerusalem endrcn.'i'red his liberty 9Jid his life. The Gentiles had enjoyed fellowship »ith the spiritual blessings of the Jews: it was hilt right that they should oUer a return of fellow, ship such as was in their power (Koivuvlav rivit TOi^iratrOai, Bo 15», cf. 2 Co 8* 9"). The stress which the apostle lays on this collection is only explained when we regard it as the emblem and the instrument of the corporate fellowship of the locally scattered Christian Society.