“Fellowship & Sound Doctrine,” from the lesson series Come Together | fellowship at a distance, October 2020
We have begun to think about fellowship and how we can have that fellowship when so many of our contacts and interactions are limited because of the restrictions of culture today.
If we cannot be together physically, what forms our fellowship?
Luke’s observations on the church as it responded to the biblical message of Jesus as the Messiah – the fulfillment of Scriptures – provides a strong foundation for our understanding.
Many translations treat the items as comprising a list of four important things, but that is not the structure of the Greek sentences. The four words are grouped in two pairs – teaching and fellowship, breaking of break and prayer.
Like much of Hebrew parallelism, the structure ties the concepts together. The apostles’ teaching – sound doctrine, Scripture, proper interpretation and application – is connected with fellowship. Two ideas jump to the front of the discussion.
Sound doctrine provides a standard for which unity and fellowship can take place. When we agree upon our belief system, we don’t need to be in conflict, or even just cautious about the relationship. We are on the same page with our conclusions about how to live life.
But the idea should be taken one step further. We have fellowship with the Word – with sound doctrine. We are ruled by its instruction. We become one with its purpose.
John on the island of Patmos paints this picture. The angel gives to John a little scroll and instructs him, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey” (Revelation 10:9). God’s Word is not to just be read, but to be devoured.
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