What on Earth are We Doing Here, for Heaven's Sake? (3)

2025 Focus: Being the Body of Christ

Acts 2:42–47 NKJV

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The phrase “Continued steadfastly in” is one Greek word :

A Greek-English Lexicon προσκαρτερέω

persist obstinately in

Also: adhere firmly; remain in service; remain in attendance

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 2

continued steadfastly in—“attended constantly upon.”

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 2

the apostles’ doctrine—“teaching, instruction”;

fellowship—in its largest sense.

A Greek-English Lexicon κοινωνία

κοινωνία, ἡ, communion, association, partnership

koinonia

Usage: Koinónia refers to the deep, intimate fellowship and communal participation among believers, as well as their shared relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It encompasses the idea of sharing in spiritual blessings, mutual support, and active partnership in the faith. This term is often used to describe the unity and community life of the early church, emphasizing the believers' common bond in Christ.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, koinónia was a term used to describe various forms of partnership and communal life, including business partnerships and civic associations. In the New Testament, the term takes on a distinctly Christian meaning, highlighting the spiritual and relational aspects of the Christian community. The early church was characterized by a strong sense of koinónia, as believers shared their lives, resources, and faith with one another, reflecting the unity and love of the body of Christ.

Culture today often promotes a me-first mentality, from “do what makes you happy” to the pervasive selfie photo. Many of us live in gated communities and rarely interact with our neighbors. We tend to embrace individual freedom and decision-making that reflects our own interests over those of an organized group, church, or government.

Yet Christianity, while valuing the individual, consistently urges us to value God first and others second. Forget “me first,” for as Jesus taught in the Gospel of Matthew, many of the first will be last and last will be first (Matthew 19:30) and that the two greatest commandments are, first, to love the Lord with every ounce of our being and, second, to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).

Christianity isn’t intended to be lived in a self-dependent silo. The church was established with Christ at the head and people as its body, with disciples commissioned by Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Tied up in all of that is the concept of koinonia.

What Is the Meaning of Koinonia?

While there is no exact translation in English, koinonia is a Greek word most closely associated with concepts of a holy, covenantal fellowship. Joseph Henry Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament definesit as “fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation.” Its origin is in the Greek word koinonos, which means partner, sharer, and companion. In short, it is a shared community that involves deep, close-knit participation among its people.

While some are tempted to substitute the word “fellowship” for koinonia, it’s far deeper. Fellowship is a more surface-level, friendly relationship, while koinonia is full, intimate unity. And it’s an important element in the New Testament particularly, as the apostles became filled with the Holy Spirit and then helped establish the first communities of new believers, who shared not only in the Spirit, but also in all aspects of life together, from meals and homes to money.

The concept of communion is exemplified in koinonia. Communion, which means sharing, also represents the communion Christ offered the disciples in sharing his body and blood during the Last Supper, a practice Christians around the world do today in remembrance of the love Jesus had for us and the sacrifice He gave.

What Does Koinonia Mean in the Bible?

In the Bible, koinonia is more than friendship. It is a divinely intimate, holy unity among believers—and between believers and the Lord—involving everything from spiritual oneness in the Holy Spirit, community life, sharing contributions from money to food gifts, and the communion partaken in the body and blood of Christ Jesus. The Book of Acts is the first place we see the word koinonia in the Bible. Here, it is translated to mean a deep community fellowship among believers.

In Acts 2, Peter and the other believers had just been filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, but the Jews watching were bewildered at the disciples’ ability to speak in many different languages; some even thought they were drunk. But Peter brought the gospel to these onlookers, and 3,000 became new believers and were baptized that day. After, these newly baptized believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship (koinonia), to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

The passage goes on to elaborate about what this koinonia looked like: communal-style living, where they “had everything in common,” sold property to give to anyone in need, gathered regularly in the temple courts, and ate together joyfully in their homes (43-47). Later, when Gentiles began to hear the Good News and also became Christian, we see the concept of koinonia used to include them, too. Back then, Jews and Gentiles did not intermingle and thought poorly of each other. But Christ at work in them through the power of the Holy Spirit allowed these separate groups to dissolve their former boundaries and become as one—true koinonia.

As the apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Ephesus, God had a secret plan, a “mystery,” of unity beyond these cultural constraints. “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).

Ephesians 3:6 NKJV

6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,

Koinonia also includes the many-become-one concept reflected in the sacrament of Holy Communion. In the Last Supper, Jesus offered bread as his own body, “given for you,” and then his blood in the wine, calling it“the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20). Later, the apostle Paul reminds early Christians that this act, too, is a part of koinonia, as those who partake are one body all sharing one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17).

1 Corinthians 10:17 NKJV

17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

And it’s not just the sharing of food. Koinonia applies also to the sharing of financial gifts. As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, generosity applies both to the spiritual and the material. Their financial generosity not only helps the community with physical needs but also serves as evidence that helps draw others into that united body of Christ. - From: What is Koinonia? Biblical Meaning Explained, Crosswalk.com

breaking of bread—not certainly in the Lord’s Supper alone, but rather in frugal repasts taken together, with which the Lord’s Supper was probably conjoined until abuses and persecution led to the discontinuance of the common meal.

prayers—probably, stated seasons of it.

43. fear came upon every soul—A deep awe rested upon the whole community.

44. all that believed were together, and had all things common—(See on Ac 4:34–37).

46. daily … in the temple—observing the hours of Jewish worship.

and breaking bread from house to house—rather, “at home” (Margin), that is, in private, as contrasted with their temple-worship, but in some stated place or places of meeting.

eat their meat with gladness—“exultation.”

and singleness of heart:

A Greek-English Lexicon ἀφελότης

ἀφελότης, ητος, ἡ, simplicity, unworldliness

47. Praising God—

having favour with all the people—

favor:

A Greek-English Lexicon χάρις

outward grace or favour, beauty

Notice this grace is outward not inward

And the Lord—that is, JESUS, as the glorified Head and Ruler of the Church.

added—kept adding; that is, to the visible community of believers, though the words “to the Church” are wanting in the most ancient manuscripts.

such as should be saved—rather, “the saved,” or “those who were being saved.”

The result of a people focused on being the body...And the Lord added to the Church