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Koinonia: God with skin on

3rd in a 5-part series on the pillars of life Just as we were fashioned to find our true identity in God, so we were created as social creatures to interact with one another and in that interaction, find our context in a group of people whom we love and whom we are loved by. This inter-wo…
By Seth Barnes
By Seth Barnes

3rd in a 5-part series on the pillars of life


Just as we were fashioned to find our true identity in God,
so we were created as social creatures to interact with one another and in that
interaction, find our context in a group of people whom we love and whom we are
loved by. This inter-working is grounded
in the Greek word,
koinonia. It forms the basis for our understanding of
what church should look like.

Some might call it “fellowship,” but that word has
connotations of potluck dinners in fellowship halls. It is insipid next to the red-blooded, full
throttle corporate celebrations and nurturing body life that God designed us
for. The deep peace and security that we
experience in being known and accepted by a group, the celebrating which we do
together and the grace we offer and experience, are all foundational aspects of
Kingdom living.

True koinona produces the fruit of intimacy within our
fellowship. The profound commitment to
one another that makes this dynamic possible is called “covenantal.” This is a term that has fallen on hard times
in our individualistic, mobile society.
It is hard to commit when neither you nor others know with any certainty
whether you’ll be there in the next year.
True covenantal relationships are based on shared responsibility and
mutual accountability.

When we do find koinonia, we find a part of ourselves that we
never knew was missing. We become
complete as we fulfill our role in something much bigger than ourselves. We were born to be team players, not
renegades, yet too many Christians have never found their team. When at last we find it, the dynamic we experience
is koinonia.
 
Tomorrow, we look at freedom.

Comments (2)

  • thank you! I was trying to find the Christian meaning of this word. It was included on list of the meaning of colors on Christian banners and flags. the color is fushia, by the way. 🙂

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Seth Barnes

I'm motivated to join God in his global reclamation project. He's on the move, setting his sons and daughters free from their places of captivity. And he's partnering with those of us who have been freed to go and free others.



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