Happy Heralds, Inc

FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL

by Dr. Fred Wittman

Three writers in The New Testament, Luke, Paul, and John uniquely used a word which means much more than its simple translation. This word is κοινωνία (koinō-néeah). It is variously translated ‘fellowship, communion, contribution, distribution, communication.’ Its actual meaning is “partaking by sharing with . . .” and is translated this way in A Precise Translation. A vital axiom (self-evident truth) absolutely necessary to consider for proper intrepretation is, “The function of a word depends upon its association with other words.” Yet no other axiom is of more importance; and no other axiom is more often violated. Paul used the word five times in connection with stewardship.

Stewardship is the management of all that is put in one’s trust. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines it and then adds, ‘‘also: the individual’s responsibility to manage his life and property with proper regard to the rights of others.’’ From the spiritual viewpoint stewardship is the proper management of all that has been entrusted to us by our wonderful Lord. It is our responsibility to manage life and property with proper regard to the rights of our God and our Saviour, The Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore stewardship involves giving to The Lord and fellowshipping with His servants (bondslaves) who have gone forth to serve The Lord Jesus Christ taking nothing from the Gentiles (3 John 7) and managing our finances to please Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ had much to say about stewardship, seemingly more than any other single topic. He emphasized that the heart of the natural man follows his treasures (wealth, riches or money, and possessions). Giving was and is an obvious, inherent characteristic of The Lord Jesus Christ and should characterize the true child of God. He gave His all--His life.

“Fellowship in The Gospel”

The apostle Paul introduced ‘Fellowship in The Gospel’ to the Philippians in his Epistle to them from prison in Rome early in A.D. 63. A relationship began as a result of Paul’s obedience to the extraordinary appearance of a Macedonian man which he had in Troas, Asia Minor (now Turkey). Philippi was the first city where he spent a few days preaching The Gospel and was successful in establishing a small church before being asked by magistrates to leave the city in early A.D. 51. This small church began a lifelong relationship with Paul which he called ‘Fellowship in The Gospel.’ The word ‘fellowship’ is the translation of the Greek word κοινωνία which means ‘‘a sharing of a mutual relationship (involving both giving and receiving), a common joint participation of sharing together, two-way communication.’’

As we grow in grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18), we come to realize that before coming to Christ we were the servants (the Greek word isδοûλος which means bondslaves) to sin and unrighteousness (Rom. 6:16,17) and therefore unto Satan, the god (2 Cor. 4:4) or prince of this world (Jn. 14:30; Eph. 2:2). But now those reconciled, redeemed, and regenerated disciples of The Lord Jesus Christ are called to be bondslaves of The God and of righteousness. We are no longer our own (1 Cor. 6:19,20). Our bodies and all that we have belong to The God and are to be yielded to The Lord Jesus Christ Who redeemed us. Jesus told His disciples, ‘‘Freely [without cost] you^& have received, constantly give freely [without cost]!’’ (Mt. 10:8). Paul told the Corinthians, ‘‘Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but The spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God’’ (1 Cor. 2:12). As we grow we come to realize that indeed we were on the receiving end. Salvation and eternal life is absolutely free, but as regenerated disciples we find that now we are on the giving end and The God, His bondslave pastors, teachers, and missionaries are to be both receiving without asking humans and giving, and the lost and perishing ones are on the receiving end.

In Fellowship in The Gospel a triangle is formed between The Godhead at one point, a local church at the point on the lower right and a commissioned missionary on the lower left linked to the local church. [Click here to view the chart depicting Fellowship in The Gospel.] Thus the local church is in fellowship with the missionary (the sent one with The Gospel) and both are in fellowship with The Godhead by means of and through The Holy Spirit thus forming a triangle between The Godhead (at the point of The Holy Spirit) and the local supporting church (at the bottom right) and the missionary (or his minisrty) at the bottom left..

‘‘I give thanks to The God of mine upon every ^/memory of you^& (all the time in every supplication of mine in behalf of you^&all, while making supplication with joy) for your^& ^/Fellowship in The Gospel from ⁰first day until the now’’ (Phil. 1:3-5 APT).

I. The Meaning of Fellowship in The Gospel (v. 5).

Fellowship in The Gospel involves prayer in behalf of and giving to assist in meeting the needs of a commissioned male missionary or a Gospel ministry led by a commissioned male missionary, who has been recognized, after observation for at least one year, by a Scripturally operating local church as a bondslave called of The God, qualified spiritually, proven to be one who effectively disciples others to maturity in Christ, who serves by faith and looks to and seeks The God alone to meet his or their needs and does not ask humans for support. (These qualifications are observed and a careful study of acts 11:26; 13:1-4; 2Cor. 5:7; Ps. 37:25; 3Jn. 5-7, which describe the sending of the first missionaries of the Church and provide a pattern for all ages thereafter.) If he is to be planting churches, he should be qualified to be able to serve as pastor of the supporting church (which requires advanced training) since his work is an extension of the local church.

A. Communication with The God.

Two-way communication with The God requires two-fold communication on the part of the local church with the commissioned missionary living by faith. On the one hand persistent, faithful prayer on behalf of the missionary and his family is a vital obligation of communication on the part of the local church. Reciprocally the supported missionary is obligated to faithfully uphold the local church and its ministry in prayer.

B. Communication with The God’s Servant or His Ministry Financially (Phil. 4:10,18).

On the other hand the other vital part of the communication from the local church consists of consistently repeated monetary gifts. Reciprocally the missionary is obligated to acknowledge the gifts and regularly report: the progress of the work, answers to prayer, and present prayer requests (not involving requests for money, financial needs, or for financial help (Ps. 37:25; Phil. 4:11,12,17). The reason requests for monetary and financial needs are excluded is because living by faith relies upon The God to provide in whatever way He desires . And David’s declaration and the conclusion it sustains is that the one asking for bread (money) is not righteous thus he is not performing The LORD’s work in the power of The Holy Spirit but in the flesh (motivated by self or selfish ambition).

‘‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread’’ (Ps. 37:25).

Those who are righteous or their children in their home are never forsaken by The God, neither do they ever beg for bread which means food and / or money. People can only be in the category of those who are righteous by means of faith or persistent committed trust. Therefore those who beg or ask for money from humans, even to do what they claim is The LORD’s work, are not righteous. Because the faithful, righteous ones do not beg and those who beg are not righteous. Those who are men of faith look to The LORD to supply their needs without asking people (even the people of God). John refers to the missionary bondslaves who are to be helped do not take ‘not one thing from the Gentiles.’

‘‘Whom^&, if you^$ send forward worthily of The God, you^$ shall do well. For, for the sake of His name they exited, taking not one^~ thing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ourselves are legally obligated to repeatedly fully receive the⁺ such like ones, in order that we become fellow workers for The Truth (3 Jn. 6b-8 APT).

This passage is a good illustration of Fellowship of The Gospel.

C. Continuation in Such Relationship (1:5).

The small Philippian church continued sending gifts to Paul from the beginning of the church early in A.D. 51. Twice in the first three weeks after Paul and Silas left Philippi they sent gifts, then they continured on a regular basis through the next thirteen years until late in A.D. 64 when he wrote this Epistle from the prison in Rome. It is not known that they stopped sending gifts even then.

II. The Requirements of Fellowship in The Gospel (v. 6).

The saints of the Philippian church recognized their responsibility to communicate financially to Paul and his company because he communicated to them The Truth of The Gospel which resulted in their salvation, regeneration, and existence as a local church. By doing this they were fulfilling the law of The Christ (Gal. 6:2,6).

‘‘Continually bear on your^& person the overloads^{[heavy burdens]} of one another and so you^& shall fully fill up the law of The Christ. . . . The one⁺, being orally instructed with reference to The Word is to fellowship^{[partake by sharing]} by means of all beneficially good things with the one⁺ orally instructing!’’ (Gal. 6:2,6 APT).

From this scenario Scripture relates four requirements which must be met for Fellowship of The Gospel to be in effect: a commissioned servant of The Lord, communion, care and concern mutually, and communication.

A. A Commissioned Servant of The Lord, Living by Faith (Acts 13:1-4),

The first requirerment in order for Fellowship of The Gospel to come into effect is that the recipient must be a qualified commissioned servant by a local church led by The Holy Spirit to recognize His summons of this bondslave of The Lord Jesus Christ, who has proven himself qualified in evangelizing, discipling, and teaching publicly.

‘‘Now certain ones⁺, being with reference to the church in Antioch^{[Ahnteeóh-khei-ah]}, who were prophets and teachers: both ^/Bahr-náhbahs and Sumeh-ōhn, the one⁺ titled, Née-gehr and Loúkee-ohs, the Kuraynian^{[Kuraynah-éeohs, colonist of North Africa]} and Mahnah-áyn, one nourished⁺ together with Herod^{[Agrippa I}] the tetrarch^{[provincial sovereign]}, and Saul^[Saúlohs].²Now as they ministered publicly for The Lord and fasted, The Holy ^/Spirit said, Segregate^{[limit away]} indeed for Me both ^/Bahrnáhbahs and ^/Saul^[Saúlohs] unto the work to which I have summoned them for Myself. At that time, after fasting and praying and placing their ^/hands upon them, they set ^|them^| loose Consequently these⁺, being sent out by The Holy ^/Spirit, went down unto ^/Seh-leúkee-ah and from there they sailed away unto ^/Cyprus^[Kúprohs]’’ (Acts. 13:1-4 APT).

Bahrnáhbahs and Saul were amomg the prophets and teachers shepherding the local church at Antioch when they were summoned by The Holy Spirit to journey to take The Gospel to other places. The Holy Spirit confirmed this to these church leaders who sent them off after fasting, praying, and placing their hands upon them thus commissioning them as the first missionary servants of the church.

Note that there is no indication of financial arrangements on the part of the missionaries nor on the part of the church. Therefore both are responsible to exercise faith upon The God to supply funds to the local church by taking ten percent of the tithes for their pastors and the remainder for their missionaries plus free-will offerings prompted by The Holy Spirit to care for their missionaries (see the paper entitled A Study of "THE PRINCIPLE OF TITHING" under STEWARDSHIP on our website at www. happyheralds.org or .com).

B. Communion;

The second requirement for effective Fellowship in The Gospel is communion, sharing of faith, Truth, and doctrine common to both the commissioned bondslave and the local supporting church.

1. The Servant of The Lord (Phil. 1:3,4),

On the one hand the bondslave of The Lord Jesus Christ must maintain daily communion with The Lord Jesus Christ and The Father through Bible reading, Bible study, and prayer, while serving to proclaim The Gospel and teaching The Truth.

2. The Local Church (Phil. 1:19).

On the other hand the responsibility is upon the members of the local church also to maintain daily communion with The Lord Jesus Christ and The Father through Bible reading, Bible study, and prayer and intercession on behalf of the ministry of the missionary.

‘‘For I perceive that this will eventuate for salvation to me through your^& ^/supplication and abundant supply of The Spirit of Jesus Christ’’ (Phil. 1:19 APT).

The apostle was confident that the Philippians were upholding him in prayer and providing abundant supply of Holy Spirit in all His power in his ministry and in his present trial in prison. Every missionary needs such confidence that the supporting local church sharing in Fellowship in The Gospel is not only sending financial gifts on a regular basis as The Holy Spirit burdens them and prompts their deacons to send gifts, but is also interceeding to provide abundant supply of The Holy Spirit.

C. Care and Concern:

The third requirement for effective Fellowship in The Gospel is care and concern on the part of both parties.

1. The Servant of The Lord (Phil. 1:7,8),

If the missionary is to benefit from the local church in Fellowship in The Gospel, he is responsible to persistently care for and keep in his heart that local church and her ministry even as the apostle Paul cared for the Philippians

‘‘. . . according as it is just^~ for me to mind this concerning you^& all on account of the fact of me having you^& in my heart both in my ^/bonds and in the answer in defense and verification of The Gospel, you^& all being my fellow partakers of the grace. For The God is my judicial witness, how^[as] I long for you^& all with Jesus Christ’s inner, tender-affectionate-yearnings’’ (Phil. 1:7,8 APT).

2. The Local Church (Phil. 4:10,18,19).

So also the members of the local church is not to just send money but to have that same care and concern for the missionary, keeping him and his co-workers on their minds and demonstrate care and concern through prayer.

a. Care is ‘‘oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility.’’ The saints at Philippi demonstrated care again and again.

b. Concern is ‘‘a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.’’ Their last gift was a sacrifice to the emptying of their coffers to the extent that as a result of giving the church corporately (the plural indicates the corporate body) was in need, which need Paul recognized. So he assured them that The God would fully fulfill every need according to His wealth in glory. That was a demonstration of their deep concern.

‘‘Now I am receiving in full all^~ things and I am in abundance. I stand fully filled since ^|I^| hospitably received from alongside of Ehpah-fróhdeetohs the^~ things from alongside you^&, an odor of sweet-fragrance, an accepted sacrifice, well-pleasing to The God. Now The God of mine shall fully fulfill your^{&[corporate need of this church because of her
sacrifice]} every need according to His ^/wealth in glory^{[exaltation
with majestic radiant splendor]} by means of Christ Jesus’’ (Phil. 4:18,19 APT).

D. Communication:

The fourth requirement for effective Fellowship in The Gospel is communication on the part of both parties.

1. Of The Gospel (Phil. 1:12,13; 2:15,16),

This communication of The Gospel is a responsibility of both the missionary and his co-workers as well as the members of the supporting local church. Paul indicated that he was engaged in furthering The Gospel reaching even to the whole imperial palace.

‘‘Now I desirously will for you^& to know ^{[from experience]}, O brothers, that the^~ things against me have come rather for furtherance of The gospel so that my ^/bonds in Christ became conspicuous among the whole Praitorion^{[imperial palace]} and to all the remaining⁺ ones’’ (Phil. 2: 12,13 APT).

Paul also exhorted the Philippians to be persistently holding forth The Absolute Life’s Word in Philippi.

‘‘. . . in order that you^& become blameless⁺ and absolutely unmixed^{[free of foreign substance]+} ones, childrenof God without rebuke in midst of a crooked and standing distorted generation, among whom you^& shine^[appear]as luminaries in ⁰world continually holding up ⁰Absolute Life’s Word in order for a basis for boasting for me in Christ’s Day that, I did not run in vain, neither did I weary in labor in vain’’ (Phil. 2:15,16 APT).

2. Of Finances (Phil. 4:10,14-19; Gal. 6:2,6).

This communication of finances is a responsibility of the members of the supporting local church.

‘‘But I rejoiced in ⁰Lord greatly because once at last you flourished again, with reference to the process of minding in behalf of me, for whom you^& also were continually minding, but you^& were continually being without opportunity. . . . ¹⁴Nevertheless you^& did well by repeatedly fellowshipping together with my ^/affliction^{[tribulation]}. ¹⁵Now O Philippians, you^& also yourselves are aware that in The Gospel’s ⁰beginning^[in
Europe], when I departed away from Mahkehdohnéeah, not one church fellowshipped with me in an account of giving and of receiving except yourselves only. ¹⁶Because even in Thehssahlohnéekay even once, in fact twice, you^& sent unto my ^/need. ¹⁷Not that I am anxiously seeking the gift, but on the contrary, I am anxiously seeking the fruit which keeps abounding unto your^& ^/account. ¹⁸Now I am receiving in full all^~ things and I am in abundance. I stand fully filled since ^|I^| hospitably received from alongside of Ehpah-fróhdeetohs the^~ things from alongside you^&, an odor of sweet-fragrance, an accepted sacrifice, well-pleasing to The God. ¹⁹Now The God of mine shall fully fulfill your^{&[corporate need of this church because of her
sacrifice]} every need according to His ^/wealth in glory^{[exaltation with
majestic radiant splendor]} by means of Christ Jesus’’ (Phil. 4:10,14-19 APT).

E. Continuation (Phil. 1:5).

Just as it is vitally important for the communication of The Gospel and prayer for the local supporting church to continue on the part of the missionary and at home by the local supporting church, so also it is vitally important for this communication of finances on the part of the local supporting church to continue on a regular basis as The Holy Spirit prompts the deacons (Phil. 1:1) of that church. In the beginning of his Epistle Paul emphasizes the continuation of the Philippians in maintaining Fellowship in The Gospel by prompting the deacons to send gifts to Paul repeatedly. ‘‘I give thanks to The God of mine . . . for your^& ^/Fellowship in The Gospel from ⁰first day until the now’’ (Phil. 1:5 APT). Since it is not recorded in Scripture that the relationship between the Philippian church and Paul ended, it is likely it continued until Paul’s death. Therefore it is concluded that this relationship is to continue until death or the fellowship is broken between The God from deviation of Truth, faith, or doctrine

The Scriptural function of the deacons in the operation of the local church is the management and distribution of the finances (Acts 6:1-6). They are responsibile to look to The Holy Spirit and not to the pastor for guidance and direction in fulfilling their ministry. As they are prompted by The Holy Spirit to Fellowship in The Gospel to distribute The Lord’s money The Lord’s bondslave missionaries are timely supported. This is indicated by Paul’s statement in verse ten.

The deacons lacked opportunity because, although they desired to send to Paul, The Holy Spirit directed otherwise by burdening their hearts to fellowship with other missionaries and to wait for assurance and direction to minister financially to Paul.

III. The Results of Fellowship in The Gospel:

There are seven benefits The God bestows upon those partaking in Fellowship in The Gospel.

A. The God’s promise to supply all needs of those who sacrifice to contribute to the sacrificial church gift to The Lord for the care of a servant of His, since The God also practices receiving and giving (Phil. 4:15 cf. 2:Cor. 9:10; Phil. 4:19). Please note:(1) the your is plural and not singular, therefore (2) this promise is not for the everyday believer to claim as a promise; but for the local church who corporately gave sacrificially to empty her coffers for her missionary to the point she had needs. A regenerated disciple (saint) or a Scripturally operating Spirit-led church cannot outgive The God or suffer from sacrificially fellowshipping in The Gospel for Him.

‘‘Now O Philippians, you^& also yourselves are aware that in The Gospel’s ⁰beginning^{[in Europe]}, when I departed away from Mahkehdohnéeah, not one church fellowshipped with me in an account of giving and of receiving except yourselves only’’ (Phil. 4:15 APT).

‘‘The God loves a cheerfully generous giver. Now The God is Powerful⁺ to cause every grace to be in abundance unto you^& in order that you^&, having all contentment independent of circumstances in all things all the time, be in abundance unto every beneficially good work. Now may The⁺ One, abundantly supplying seed to the one⁺ sowing, both fully supply bread for eating and multiply your^& sown seed and increase the products^{[what is produced or begotten]} of the righteousness^{[Rev. 19:8]} of yours^&’’ (2 Cor. 9:7-10 APT).

B. Fragrance to please The God (Phil. 4:18). The God is well-pleased with sacrificial giving to Him for His bondslaves’ needs. The Holy Spirit moved Paul to equate the fragrance of the Philippians’ sacrificial gift to Paul with The Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary by using the language He used to describe the fragrance of the offering and sacrifice The Lord Jesus Christ made when He offered up Himself (Phil. 4:18 cf. Eph. 5:2).

‘‘And continually walk in love^{[sovereign preference for another over self and others]} according as also The Christ loved^{[sovereign preference for another over self and others]} us and delivered Himself over in behalf of us an offering and a sacrifice to The God for a sweet-fragrance odor’’ (Eph. 5:2 APT).

C. Fruit reckoned to your account in Heaven (Phil. 4:17; 2 Cor. 9:10; Jn. 4:36; 1 Sam. 30:24).

According to Scripture the fruit of The Gospel, the souls that are saved by The Christ and regenerated by The Holy Spirit, not only accrue to the account of the discipling missionary who leads them to Christ, but also to the account of those who contribute by prayer and finance to the livelihood of the one responsible for hearing The Gospel.

‘‘Not that I am anxiously seeking the gift, but on the contrary, I am anxiously seeking the fruit which keeps abounding unto your^& ^/account’’ (Phil. 4:17 APT).

‘‘Now may The⁺ One, abundantly supplying seed to the one⁺ sowing, both fully supply bread for eating and multiply your^& sown seed and increase the products^{[what is produced or begotten]} of the righteousness^{[Rev. 19:8]} of yours^&’’ (2 Cor. 9:10 APT).

‘‘And the⁺ one reaping is receiving remunerationand he is gathering together fruit in regard to eternal absolute life in order that both the⁺ one sowing and the⁺ one reaping continually rejoice together’’ (Jn. 4:36 APT).

Even David laid down this principle when he and his army of 400 returned to the brook Besor where 200 too weak to swim across stayed behind by the stuff and guarded the gear of the others, The 400 did not want to share the booty with the 200 who did not fight the battle. So David responded by stating The God’s principle.

‘‘For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike’’ (1 Sam. 30:24).

So it is with The Gospel, those who join the battle on Satan's territory will share the fruit of victory with those who stayed behind and sent the supplies to the battle front.

D. Treasures laid up in Heaven (Mt. 6:19,20).

The Lord Jesus taught His disciples to stop storing up treasures on Earth which dissipate and disappear. Instead treasure up for yourselves in Heaven where the treasures are not temporary but permanent. Treasures in Heaven are laid up as treasures on Earth are laid down by means of Fellowship in The Gospel.

‘‘Stop treasuring up for yourselves treasures upon ^/Earth, where moth and corrosion ^{[eating, βρωσις]} deform^{[make disappear]} and where thieves dig through and steal! But treasure up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor corrosion^{[eating, βρωσις]} deform^{[make disappear]} and where thieves do not dig through nor steal!’’ (Mt. 6:19,20 APT).

E. To reap rich dividends in Heaven amounting to 3000%, 6000%, and 10,000% interest (Mt. 13:23; Mk. 4:20).

The Lord Jesus told the mixed multitude that in Heaven huger interest rates than can be obtained anywhere on Earth are available by sowing the seed of The Word Of The God and reaping the Fruit Thereof (Mt. 13:18,18-23; Mk. 4:1-8,13-29). Interest rates of 3000%, 6000%, and 10,000%. Paul wrote that ministering seed to the sower by giving monetarily will reap increase in fruits of your righteousness (2 Cor. 9:10). Simply by entering into and persisting in Fellowship in The Gospel with one or more qualified missionaries or ministries a regenerated disciple (saint) of The Lord Jesus Christ can accumulate immense dividends in Heaven. However we cannot get them here on Earth but we have to wait until The Lord Jesus comes again to receive them.

‘‘But the one ^|receiving seed^| being sown upon the intrinsically ^/good soil, this is the one hearing The Word and understanding, who indeed continually bears fruit and produces: on the one hand the one, one hundred ^|times^{| [= 10,000%]}; but on another hand the one, sixty ^|times^{| [=
6000%]}, but on still another hand the one, thirty ^|times^| ^{[= 3000%]}’’ (Mt. 13:23 APT).

‘‘And these are the ones who are sown upon the intrinsically good ^/soil, whoever hear The Word and eagerly hospitably receive ^|it^|. And they repeatedly bear fruit, one^~ thirty^|times^{| [= 3000%]}and one^~ sixty^|times^{|
[= 6000%]} and one^~ an hundred^|times^| ^{[= 10,000%]}’’ (Mk. 4:20 APT).

Where can you get that kind of interest on Earth? Are not these interest rates worth your investment and worth the wait since they retain their value eternally?

F. To invest and accumulate interest in Heaven and The Lord’s work (Mt. 6:21; Col. 3:1,2).

This investment will keep your heart focused on The Lord in Heaven and Heaven’s values.

‘‘For where your^& ^/treasure is, there the heart of yours^&will be also’’ (Mt. 6:21 APT).

‘‘Therefore if (and it is true) you^& are raised up together with The Christ, continually seek the^~ things above! where The Christ is consistently sitting at the right^$ of The God. Continually mind the things above, not the things upon the Earth’’ (Col. 3:1,2 APT).

G. To prepare for your wedding garment by converting your righteous giving into fine linen for the Marriage of The Lamb to His Bride (Rev. 19:7,8).

What a wonderful privilege for saints (regenerated disciples) to be able to prepare our wedding garment for the marriage to The Lamb in Heaven simply by persisting in Fellowship in The Gospel with one or more qualified missionaries or ministries of regenerated disciples (saints) of The Lord Jesus Christ!

‘‘Let us continually rejoice and ^|let us^| continually be exceedingly glad! And let us give the glory^{[exaltation with majestic radiant splendor]} to Him! because the marriage of The Lamb is come and His ^/wife prepared herself. And it was given to her that she cast around herself clean and shining ^|cloth^| made of fine linen^{[special species of flax]}. For that made of fine linen^{[special
species of flax]} is the righteousnesses^{[2 Cor. 9:10]} of the saints’’ (Rev. 19:7,8 APT).

These two passages of Scripture are the only texts that mention the personal righteousness of the saints in The New Testament. Paul equates fellowshipping to needy saints (including qualified missionary bondslaves) with the clean linen wedding garment which the members of the Bride of Christ will wear at the Marriage supper of The Lamb, our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ.

Will your wedding garment be glorious because you gave sacrificially above the tithe to Fellowship in The Gospel? Or will your wedding garment be shabby and scant because you skimped in fellowshipping in The Gospel?

CONCLUSION:

‘Fellowship’ is a translation of the Greek word κοινωνία which means ‘‘a sharing of a mutual relationship (involving both giving and receiving), a common joint participation of sharing together, two-way communication.’’ It is a two-way communication with The God requiring two-fold communication on the part of the local church with the commissioned missionary who lives by faith. It involves persistent, faithful, reciprocal prayer on behalf of the supported missionary and his family and / or team members. It also involves consistently repeated monetary gifts to the ministry of the supported missionary. And in turn the supported missionary is obligated to look to The Lord alone for supply of his needs, acknowledging the gifts and regularly report: the progress of the work, answers to prayer, and present prayer requests (not involving requests for money, financial needs, or for financial help) to the supporting church. This is to be a continuing relationship until death or the fellowship is broken with The God from deviation of Truth, faith, or doctrine.

It was noted that the requirements for Fellowship in The Gospel include: the commissioned missionary living by faith, looking to The Lord alone to meet his and his family’s needs; communion, mutually sharing faith, Truth and doctrine; mutual care and concern; communication involving both the members of the church and the missionary communicating The Gospel while the church continues communicating finances; and continuation of unbroken fellowship between both.

Thirdly, the results of Fellowship in The Gospel include seven wonderful benefits including: The God’s promise to fully supply all the needs of the supporting church that sacrifices to Fellowship in The Gospel; offering fragrance to please The God; fruit reckoned to the giver’s account in Heaven; treasures laid up in Heaven; immense rich dividends in Heaven; assistance to keep focused on The Christ in Heaven and Heaven’s values; and providing material for one’s wedding garment in which to meet The Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage of The Lamb in Heaven. With seven good reasons to enter into Fellowship in The Gospel, how can any true disciple of The Lord Jesus Christ deny Him the resultant joy that shall be for our wonderful Bridegroom and Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ when He sees and is gloriously united with His Bride the Church forever?

What will you do in regard to this tremendous privilege to enter into and persist in Fellowship in The Gospel?

If you have not already begun when will you begin to Fellowship in the Gospel?

^{| |} understood ^$singular ^&plural ^/the ⁰no article ⁺masculine ^~neuter
^{[ ]}basic meaning / \ manuscripts divided ^{^}femine

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Send mail to Info@HappyHeralds.org Last modified: January 13, 2012

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Last modified: January 13, 2012