Of the subsequent life of Felix, nothing is known.
Literature.— H. M. Luckock, Footprints of the Apostles as traced by St. L/uke, 1905, pt. ii. p. 243 ; A. Maclaren, Exposi- tions : 'Acts, oh. xiii.-end,' 1907, pp. 281, 287 ; G. H. Morrison, The Footsteps of the Flock, 1904, p. 362 ; M. Jones, St. Paul the Orator, 1910, p. 202 ; J. S. Howson, The Companions of St. Paul, 1874, p. 145 ; H. Goodwin, Parish Sermons, 2nd ser.s, 1861, p. 179 ; W. H. M. H. Aitken, The Glory of the Gospel, n.d., pp. 193, 208, 223; C. H. Turner, ' Eusebius' Chronology of Felix and Festus' in JThSt, iii. [1901-02] 120; S. Buss, Roman Law and History in the XT, 1901, p. 373.
G. P. Gould. FELLOWSHIP. — Nothing is so prominent in early Christianity as its sense of fellowship. The Corinthians, with their extreme individualistic
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tendencies, are an exception among the Pauline communities. 1. This fellowship is primarily a religious fact : it is fellowship with the heavenly Lord, who, though hidden in heaven (Ac 3'-'), is yet sensibly present to His followers (MtlS-" 28-"). Even the individual believer knows that he is in fellowship with Christ. St. Paul, using a mystical form of expression, says that it is Christ and not himself who lives and acts in him (Gal 2^"). He speaks also of • the fellowship of his sufferings ' (Ph 3'"), which allows his own sufferings to par- ticipate in the saving power of Christ's afHictions for His Church (Col p-», Eph S^% The fellowship with Christ to which God has called Christians (1 Co P) has not yet been fully realized, but is still to be hoped for. To be with Christ for ever is the whole desire of the Apostle (1 Th 4", Ph l^^) ; in the present time he has but a foretaste of the joy to come. St. John emphasizes the fact that this present fellowshii) with Christ (1 Jn 1®) is fellowship with the Father and with the Son (P). Since it is the Holy Ghost who mediates between Christ and His believers, St. Paul speaks of 'fellowship of the Spirit' (Ph 2^) as well as of ' communion of the Holy Ghost ' (2 Co 13i^), the same Greek word (Koivcovla) being used in both passages. Fellowship with the heavenly Lord, who sits at the right hand of God, and makes in- tercession for His followers (Ro 8^^ ; cf. 1 Jn 2^, He 2^'' 4'^ 7"^ etc. ), is realized in prayers which are heard (2 Co 128'-), and in revelations (2 Co 12', Gal 22 ; of. 1 Th 4'6). Fellowship with the Holy Ghost is realized in certainty of salvation and boldness in prayer (Ro S^^'- ^^ ; cf. He 4^^), in moral strength (Ro 8'^^-, Gal 5^^*-)> and miraculous gifts of every kind — the ecstatic gifts of prophecy and speaking Avith tongues, and the natural gifts bestowed by the Spirit, such as governing and helping in the Church (1 Co 128ff- s^ff-).
2. Fellowship of the faith (Philem ^) is fellowship of the faithful. This is an exclusive fellowship : 'what fellowship liave righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?' (2 Co 6'*). _ St. Paul, and still more St. John, strive hard to maintain thisexclusiveness in their churches — not for reasons of utility, as in the case of the Greek clubs ; not from national prejudice, as in the case of the Jewish synagogues ; but from the standpoint of Christian morals : the fulfilment of the high ordinances of the gospel is only possible in the midst of a Christian congregation (1 Co 6^""). The separation of the members of the Church from social relationship with the heathen world, which St. Paul endeavoured to effect (cf. his scruples re- garding invitations to heathen houses or temples, 1 Co lO'"), was carried out in later times (1 P 4*, 3 Jn ^) ; and the leaders in the Church even began to insist on avoiding all fellowship with Chris- tians of doubtful character (2 Jn '"'•, 1 Jn 4'*', Rev 2i4fr. 20ff.^ Jude '»«■•).
To this exclusiveness in externals there corre- sponds an inward intensity : to be of one accord, to have the same mind (1 Co l'«, 2 Co 13", Ph 2-, Ro 12'«), to love the brethren (Ro 121", 1 Th 4^, etc.), are oft-repeated commands. ' Bear ye one another's burdens' is a law of tiie Church (Gal 6'-); all are members of one body (1 Co 12'-*''-), and so all have joy and sorrow in coiniiion (I Co 12-®, Ro 12''). One sign of this fellowship is mutual intercession (2 Co 1", Col 4», 2 Th 3'), another is the kiss of peace (2 Co 13'^ 1 Th 5^^). At the so-called Apos- tolic Council, James, Peter, and John gave Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship in token of their mutual recognition of one another as fellow-workers in their different mission fields (Gal 2''). Later on it became customary to send messengers and letters from one church to another. St. Paul mentions not only his fellow-workers (Ro
16^) but also his fellow-prisoners (Ro 16'' Col 4^"). Christianity is called a brotherhood (1 P 2'^ 5*, 1 Clem. ii. 4).
3. Fellowship— and this is the main point — is to be exercised actively towards all members of the community. In this sense fellowship is one of the chief characteristics of the primitive Church of Jerusalem (Ac 2*^) ; it is characteristic, too, of the relationship between the Pauline communities. St. Paul praises the Philippians for their fellow- ship in furthering the gospel (Ph 1'), i.e. taking part in the Apostle's missionary work by personal activity, prayers, and contributions of money. In this way they had fellowship with his afflictions (Ph 4"). The churches of Macedonia besought the Apostle ' with much intreaty in regard of . . . the fellowship in the ministering to the saints ' (2 Co 8*), i.e. that they might be allowed to join in the collection for the poor of Jerusalem. Thus the word Koivuvla acquires a meaning which the EW have tried to express by the rendering ' con- tribution'(Ro 15-«, 2 Co 9^3. AV 'distribution') or 'communicate' (He 13"). He that is taught in the word is advised by St. Paul to communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things (Gal 6®). Fellowship, then, becomes a system of mutual help — the care of the poor and the sick, the feeding of widows and orphans, the visiting of prisoners, hospitality, the procuring of labour for travelling workmen {Didache, xii. 3ff.), are some of the proofs of fellowship. By these means early Chris- tianity showed itself to be a social power far sur- passing all rival organizations and religions.