Koinonia: An Early Christian Communion

Big Idea

Religion is about relationship and theology is primarily a list of characteristics of the designer and object of our love.

Intro

According to Wikipedia,

Religion is a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements. However, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion.

It’s the forms and systems and buildings and doctrines and teachings that create the fabric of a religion. But is that what the Bible tells us is true religion?

In the Orthodox and Catholic traditions the practice of the Mass is center stage. The wafer and the wine take on more than just symbolic meaning—they become the body and blood of Christ and are the means by which the believer is saved. In those religions, participating in the Eucharist applies saving grace to your life.

In ancient Judaism they had a similar practice, except this one genuinely involved a body and blood. To receive atonement for their sins they had to participate in a sacrifice—confessing their sins on the head of a lamb, slitting its throat, and then having a priest burn the body and sprinkle the blood in the tabernacle. In the Jewish mind the sacrifice was far more than symbolic, it was salvational.

Both of these religious traditions have their requirements and teachings and ceremonies. Both believe wholeheartedly that their particular practices confer redemption on the participant. And isn’t that the same with all religion, to some extent. Some religions have a few magic words that have to be spoken, others have the dunking of a believer under the water, or the payment of an offering, or the obedience to a set of laws or customs. Religions are filled with these practices and forms that are supposedly essential to the believer in order for the religion to have any benefit in their life.

I’d like to suggest that religion has it wrong. From Israel to Catholicism to Mormonism to Methodism to Adventism—religious buildings and ceremonies and doctrines are not true religion.

Look at Isaiah 1:11 where God responds to Israel and tells them what He really thinks of sacrifices:

Isaiah 1:11 ESV

“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.

Isaiah 1:14 ESV

Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

Yes, God had given them specific instructions about feasts and sacrifices, but something has set Him on edge and He wouldn’t accept any of it. Why?

Isaiah 1:16–18 ESV

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Wow, look at that list:

do good

seek justice

correct oppression

bring justice to the fatherless

plead the widow’s cause

Immediately after telling Israel this, God says, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...” This promise of salvation from sin is right here in the mix of a sermon on justice and mercy. At what point did God transition from sacrifice-the-cow religion to be-merciful religion?

The truth is, the sacrifices were never the means of salvation—they were only the symbols of God’s love and justice. The sacrificial lamb always pointed to Christ—from the Garden of Eden to the Passover lamb to the sin offering on the altar. These practices were always meant to fix in the minds of the participants the high cost of sin and to point to the ultimate sacrifice of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who for the love of mankind would give His life as a ransom for many.

But Israel got mixed up in the forms of religion and failed to understand the true purpose of those symbols in pointing to the Messiah. They were so caught up in the practice of the symbols that they failed to discover their meaning. And so when Christ came to be the passover lamb, they had him beaten and tortured and hung on a tree.

We all have a tendency to make the forms of our religious practice into the mechanisms for our acceptance by God. Sabbath observance, the Lord’s supper, even the study of the Sabbath School quarterly or the passing out of literature can become a required exercise that provides the necessary connection to God for Him to save you.

Religion is Relationship

Throughout the Bible God makes it clear that religion isn’t about ceremonies and buildings and forms—religions is about relationship.

Deut 6:5 — Love the Lord your God

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Lev 19:18 — Love your neighbor as your self

Leviticus 19:18 ESV

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

John 13:34 — new command — love one another as I have loved you

John 13:34 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

James 1:26-27 — Religion is love applied to real people

James 1:26–27 ESV

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Galatians 5:13-14 — We are freed (saved) to serve one another in love and thus fulfill the law

Galatians 5:13–14 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Applied Religion not Symbolic Forms

The symbols and practices of our religion are intended to point our hearts and minds in the direction of our love. To love the Lord with all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And so, Jesus bent down on his knees and washed the disciples’ feet with his hands, a pitcher of water, and a towel. Today we will bend down at each others’ feet and do a form of what Jesus did, but the form doesn’t have any value apart from the application. Jesus washed dirty feet, but today most of us will wash feet that have already been washed. Jesus, the king of the universe served the lowest of mankind, but we will divide into groups of friends and colleagues, not one of us genuinely serving someone with a lower station in life than we have.

Jesus served a group of divided and obstinate disciples to show them that genuine, godly love cuts through differences of opinion and past hurts and quarrels—God’s love is merciful and gracious. But today we can perform this ceremony with exact precision and walk away from it with thoughts of superiority and division still present in our relationships. You see, the religious ceremony has no value, any more than sacrificing an animal could forgive the sins of an Israelite. As Paul said in Galatians:

Galatians 5:6 ESV

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

The religious forms we cling to have great significance when they are lived in real life, but no value at all when they are just performed.

An Early Christian Communion

Let me give you a communion example.

After the Lord’s supper, Jesus’ death on the cross, the resurrection, and His ascension into heaven, the disciples spent 10 days in prayer and fasting. They were obeying Jesus’ directive to wait for the Holy Spirit. On the 50th day after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit came into the room like a whirlwind of fire and the disciples all came bursting out of the upper room with the power of God to convict the hearts of men. Acts 2 records a sermon that Peter gave under the direction of the Spirit. When the people were genuinely remorseful and wanted to know what they could do about their sin against God, Peter said this:

Acts 2:38 ESV

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:41 ESV

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Three thousand people were baptized that day. That was a busy day, but Acts says it didn’t stop there.

Acts 2:42 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

This text describes what the first Christians DID as religious practice. They read the Bible, they had “fellowship”, they broke bread and they prayed.

That word “fellowship” is the Greek word koinonia. In other verses its translated as “sharing” or “participation” or “partnership” or communion. There is no doubt that the breaking of bread and fellowship that are described here is the Lord’s Supper, but they didn’t have a formal system like we do today with fancy plates that are designed to hold the tiniest glasses in the world—each able to hold precisely 1/3 of an ounce of a juice. A more formal application of the Lord’s supper wouldn’t come for another 70 or 100 years after Peter’s sermon.

Keep reading in Acts 3 and 4 and you’ll find that Christians suffered great persecution, but they didn’t do it alone. They shared—koinonia—in each other’s suffering. When one was kicked out of their home, the others invited them to live with them. When someone lost their business the others shared their food with each other. Their partnership—koinonia—in Christ was so deep that the Bible says,

Acts 4:32–33 ESV

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

This was a community for which the communion service had great meaning, not because it was an important religious symbol, but because it was applied in their daily lives. They understood that the deep sacrifice of Christ in giving his body and blood was an example for them to give up their posessions, their talents, and their time for the good of all.

They called each other Brother and Sister, not because they were supposed to, but because they genuinely saw each other as family.

But this spirit of sharing and unity was an illusive thing even for the early church.

Which is why Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians. Let’s turn to 1 Cor 11 and briefly consider the story of a church divided into factions:

1 Corinthians 11:17–18 ESV

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,

Notice in verse 20 how Paul applies this division to the Lord’s supper:

1 Corinthians 11:20–21 ESV

When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.

According to evidence from Pliny the Younger we understand that the early church had a simple liturgy. Where there was a synagogue believers would assemble at a home before dawn on Sabbath morning to sing a hymn together and recommit themselves to the Lord. Then they would attend the synagogue and later that evening reassemble at a home to have what they called an agape supper which began with the emblems of the Lord’s supper and would continue on with a meal and spiritual discussions and sometimes (as was the case in Acts 20) they would have an apostle visit and instruct them.

Where there was no synagogue believers created their own liturgy which started with a prayer, had a time for singing hymns, for reading scripture out loud together (many couldn’t read so hearing scripture read was an important part of learning the faith), then an elder would share a few thoughts or commentary on the reading. They would then sing a song and transition into an agape feast with a prayer over the emblems of the Lord’s supper.

This latter process seems to be the experience of the Corinthian church. Their agape lunch, following the church service, was not characterized by unity and loving service for each other. Instead, they were divided among themselves and they refused to help each other. Some poor among them had nothing to bring for a meal, while the wealthy brought enough to gorge their family, but no one was willing to share.

1 Corinthians 11:22 ESV

What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

Then Paul describes the Lord’s Supper—the one that illustrated Christ’s self-sacrificing service for the disciples and all mankind—and he ends his review of the Lord’s supper with this statement:

1 Corinthians 11:26–28 ESV

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Paul isn’t talking about some hidden sin here—he’s talking about broken fellowship—koinonia. He’s saying, “if your heart is hard towards a fellow Christian, then examine yourself and repent. How can we hold a grudge against each other when Christ gave all His life for our salvation while we were still sinners and rebels. Paul isn’t interested in the forms of the communion service—he’s interested in the church living out koinonia.

After giving a few stern words about the judgment of God on people who perform religious ceremonies with no real application in their hearts, Paul gives the Corinthian Chriastians some advice:

1 Corinthians 11:33 ESV

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—

The Greek word translated as “wait” here has so much more meaning than just patiently waiting for someone. This Greek word means more like “wait on” each other—or serve each other, like a waiter serves your lunch. It means “to be responsible for” or “to set or arrange” or “to assemble or gather.” It could also mean to “receive, welcome or accept.” These are words of relationship. Paul is telling the people, “when you come together to eat the agape feast and the Lord’s supper, share with each other—serve each other your own food.”

And with that advice the first potluck meal was born. No longer did everyone bring their sack lunches and kept it to themselves. Those who had plenty began bringing the food for the agape feast so that the poor could eat to. Well, at least that’s the direction the church began to go.

Self-sacrificing service, sharing, unity, love. These are the practical application of the Lord’s supper.

And its no surprise that potluck came from the Lord’s supper, nor that these meals were referred to as “agape” or “love” feasts. This early Christian form of communion was not a religious ceremony, it was “love your neighbor as yourself” lived out in wholesome conversations and playful banter and enjoyable time spent across the table from each other eating a potluck meal.

Communion

So, today, we’re going to practice a little pure religion.

We’re going to sing a hymn and then break into groups to do the footwashing ceremony. As soon as you’re done with that service, find a seat in the fellowship hall where the elders will lead you in the communion emblems and then immediately we’ll enter into a time of unity and sharing and fellowship—Koinonia.

I’d like to encourage you to examine your heart and if you have something against a brother or sister in this church, go to them and tell them that they are worth the world to you and that you want nothing but forgiveness and patience and love between you. And then, if appropriate, serve them in humility by washing their feet.

Communion Service

Jason Will say a few words

Kneel together

Manfred will pray a blessing on the bread.

James will pray a blessing on the grape juice.

Rise and break the bread and then the elders and deacon will go to the tables and hand out the bread and pour the grape juice into glasses.

Upon returning to the table:

Manfred will read Matth 26:26 and the people will eat the bread

Matthew 26:26 ESV

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Then James will read Matt 26:27 and the people will drink the grape juice

Matthew 26:27 ESV

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,

Jason will transition from the communion service and invite the people to go up and get their food, dismissing them by tables.