The fellowship of chiiicli with . Iniiili was further increased by the visits of Aimsllr, and teachers, as well as by the intcrclian^^e of correspondence. What was of interest to one was of interest to all in so far as it touched their common gospel. While we do not find any uniform creed or liturgy in
these Epistles, there was almost certainly a stantially similar form of worship, and in t
sub- their prayers and hymns the brethren gave utterance to the same faith in Jesus Christ, and in their teach- ing they adhered to the common truths which the Apostles taught (Ro 6", Gal P). We cannot fail to be impressed hy the combination of a sense of unity with great mdividual freedom. The Spirit took the life of believer or church, and produced in it some distinctive grace or function, which brought diversity without disharmony, enrichment without lack of proportion. Manifold, however, as these gifts were, the greatest of all and that which lay at the root of their fellowship was love ; for not only was it the best because the commonest, but it tempered and restrained the more individ- ualistic endowments, which might easily destroy the harmony of the Christian company (1 Co 12" 13). True fellowship demands variety in unity, individual freedom working at the impulse of a common spirit.
The noblest exposition of Christian fellowship, outside the Gospel of John, is contained in the Epistle to the Ephesians. In that prose poem in praise of unity, the Church is described as one body of which each Christian is, or should be, a perfect member. A Divine creation purposed from all eternity by the Father's love, it was made actual in history through Jesus Christ. The Church is one because of the unities on which it is based. Its members are baptized into the name of the one Lord whom they confoss. They are insijired by the same Siiirit. -.uul thrre is one God and Father of all, who is alH.v,. all and through all and in all (Eph 4''-«). llislorieally the Church became one when, in Christ, Jew and Gentile were both recon- ciled unto God in one body by the cross (2"-'*) ; and in the ages to come each individual with variety of function will reach his perfection in this per- fect organism, and contribute to the completeness of the whole (4'"'"). A fellowship so sublime in its ideal must be undisturbed by selfish desires. Only where love, patience, long-suffering and humility reign will there be on earth ' a communion of the saints.' ' In the Apostle's eyes all true life in an Ecclesia is a life of community, of the harmonious and nmtually helpful action of different elements, so that he is giving instruction on the very essence of membership when in each of the nine Epistles addressed to Ecclesias he makes the peace of God to be the supreme standard for them to aim at, and the perpetual self-surrender of love the com- prehensive means of attaining it' (Hort, Christ. Ecclesia, 123).
All the manifestation of fellowship among the brethren, the very brotherhood itself, is possible only because the individual members of the com- munion of the saints are in personal fellowship with Jesus Christ. He indeed is the fountain and source of communion. All human fellowship is derivative. The word Koivoii/ia is used by St. Paul only in 1 Co 10'" to express this personal fellowship with Christ, the thought being that in the Lord's Supper believers are united in close communion, because through the cup and the bread they are enabled to participate in the life of Christ Himself. But the idea is central in St. rani's religion — 'I no longer live, but ("liiiM U\.ll, in me' (Gal 2™); 'For me to live is ( '111 i-t ' il'h 1 '). However, this fellowsliip of the in(li\ idual is no selfish enjoyment. Only those who are ' rooted and grounded in love ' are ' able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height ; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge,' that they may be filled with all the fulness of God (Eph 3"-'"). Now the Apostle expects that even in his own imperfect churches there should be some real enjoyment of this fellow-
590
FELLOWSHIP
FEYER
ship witli Christ. He reminds the Chuieh of Corinth that they ' were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord ' (1 Co P), i.e. the fellowship of which He is the soul. Fractured though the Church is bj- schism and marred bj- impurity, it is a society of redeemed sons, whose destiny is to be conformed to the image of Him who is the firstborn among many brethren (Ko S^- '"), and even now it must reflect with real truth some of the glory of that future fellowship. The same conception is conveyed in 2 Co 13" in the words, ' the communion of the Holy Ghost ' ; for the Spirit who unifies the Christian society into a body of redeemed men who have experienced the unmerited favour of Christ and the love of the Father, is the Spirit of Christ (2 Co 3"- '«). The Philippian Church also, pervaded by love and comforted by reciprocal compassion, has enjoyed fellowship because of the presence of this Spirit who brings the consolation of Christ Himself (Ph 2').