The fellowship of the believers

Whenever a group of people with a common goal and vision decides to work together, they tend to achieve a lot in a short time. However , when people develop individualistic approaches in a group, it stifles growth and hampers development. This is relevant for both religious and non-religious organisations. We are more profitable together and unity is strength. The church of God can do more and achieve more if we overlook the barriers of denominationalism and focus on the mandate of the Great Commission. Unfortunately, denominationalism is very enshrined in church culture and different denominational dogmas have made it difficult and almost impossible for believers to dwell together in unity. In some places, church norms seem to take dominance over the basic doctrines of the Bible. Let’s consider some lessons from the early church that was formed after the arrival of the Holy Spirit baptism.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ‭(Acts 2:42)

The initial hundred and twenty people (120) who gathered in the upper room to wait upon the Lord (Acts 1:15) were in fellowship with one another. They had all been followers of Jesus, they had experienced Him while He was on earth and they were earnestly waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. This fellowship was seen even on the day of Pentecost, they were all together in one place (Acts 2:1). No wonder all of them received the promised Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (‭Acts 2:41). Even as the numbers increased, the church still demonstrated fellowship. There was unity of purpose and worship. The church had the same focus: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42). The fellowship of the believers wasn’t limited to the apostles, everyone was involved. The laity and the clergy were all involved in the devotion to the apostles doctrine. They broke bread together and they prayed together.

The effect of this concentrated effort in fellowship was this: “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (‭Acts 2:43-47). The fellowship of the believers brings growth and increase in the body of Christ. The Greek word for fellowship is Koinonia. The word reflects the Christian fellowship, an intimate spiritual communion and participative sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community. This fellowship evokes joy, unity and love among the believers.

Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, He prayed for all believers and this was His prayer: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” ‭(John 17:20-21). Jesus prayed for all believers to be one, unity in purpose. Jesus and the Father did not have different agenda. Their goal was the salvation of all men. Koinonia in the body of Christ should evoke unity leading to a single goal of bringing men and women to the body of Christ.

Chloe: Serving the Lord with your household

In Joshua 24:15, as Joshua neared the end of his life, he gave the people of Israel his final words. One of the major themes of this final charge is “serving the Lord”. Joshua put before the people the Lord and the gods their ancestors served beyond the Euphrates. He said, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15a). Serving the Lord together with his household was Joshua’s stand. I believe for most believers, this would be the preferred stand, “serving the Lord with our household”. But, it doesn’t always happen.  We should be intentional to stand in the gap for the members in our household to come to faith. One woman in Corinth who served the Lord with her household was Chloe. In fact, they did not just serve the Lord together,  they were also interested in bringing peace into the church.

Chloe was a family person and a member of the Corinthian church. She was not just concerned with her salvation but that of her household and the entire church. Chloe was mentioned in the letter to the Corinthian church in relation to a report she and her household made to Paul. The church in Corinth was divided over leaders. According to Paul, the church was divided over  Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter) and Christ:
“What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:12)
This was a divided church that needed immediate pastoral attention. The issue bothered Chloe and her household and they immediately contacted Paul to resolve the issue.  It is fair to say that Chloe and her household might have tried to resolve divisions in the church but it didn’t work and as such, reporting to the Apostle was a means to get the issue resolved.

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. (1 Corinthians 1:11)

When Paul addressed the issue,  he didn’t  conceal the names of those who reported the issue to him; “My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.” (1 Corinthians 1:11). These petty quarrels had the tendency to wreck the church. Imagine all members in the church divided over leaders. No one will follow instructions coming from any other person other than their preferred leaders. The church will not be able to do anything together if they are all divided over authority. The report from Chloe’s household was properly handled by Paul as he spent time expounding on why the church should not be divided over leaders. Paul told the church in Corinth this:
“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:1‭-‬9)

The explanation Paul gave is still relevant for handling church conflicts over leaders. Imagine Chloe and her household had not done the needful, the church would have been destroyed with such petty quarrels. Imagine if Chloe’s household had not supported the decision to report the incident to Paul, the matter would have escalated. Serving the Lord with our household is important for both our family and the church. There are many “Chloes” in the body of Christ. People dedicated to serving the Lord with their families.

The sisters in the church in Jerusalem

Apostle Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem after many days of missionary work. His journey has been eventful and he had the opportunity to minister to both Jews and Gentiles. The power of God had been strongly manifested: the unbelievers believed the gospel of Jesus, the sick were healed, the dead were raised to life and the kingdom of God was preached to the nations. These feats were indeed marvelous and demonstrated the power of God. However, there were people who saw the ministry of Paul as a threat to Judaism and had plans to bring Paul down. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul was informed by the brothers and sisters in the churches he visited that imprisonment awaits him in Jerusalem but that did not deter Paul from going to Jerusalem.

When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. (Acts 21:17)

When Paul and his team arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received them warmly (Acts 21:17). Like many of the churches Paul visited, the brothers and the sisters in the local churches were welcoming to Paul and his team. The sisters in the Jerusalem church might have heard of all the accusations against Paul. They had been informed that Paul had been teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to the Jewish customs (Acts 21:21). Although the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem believed in the ministry of Paul, these allegations could have caused the church to be divided over the ministry of Paul. But, that wasn’t the case. The whole church with one accord welcomed the Apostle Paul not to condemn him over the allegations, but to find ways to make sure that the Jewish community doesn’t accuse Paul of abandoning the faith.

The sisters in the Jerusalem church might have prepared to host Paul and his team. They would have made background arrangements for accommodation, logistics and feeding. They were actively involved in welcoming Paul and his team. Luke describes the welcome as “warm”. It is important to understand that church growth thrives on variables such as unity within the members and between the different local churches. The sisters and the brothers of Jerusalem advised Paul to join four others who are undergoing the Jewish purification rites so as to prove to the people that Paul is not teaching others to turn away from the faith. The church made contingency plans to help Paul navigate the issues raised by the Jewish people.

First, we need to understand that Paul was aware of the challenges that awaited him in Jerusalem. Second, Paul was willing to even die if the need be. Yet, the church did all they can to help Paul navigate through this. The ministry of both the brothers and sisters were needed for this purpose.

Women are generally seen as emotional beings and most times excluded from certain “important conversations” in the church. As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century church, we should be intentional about engaging everyone and giving people the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the church. If possible, we should encourage discipleship training to equip both men and women to be able to contribute meaningfully in their respective ministries.

The marriage principle of one flesh

On the day I had my wedding,  the pastor who officiated the service told several stories about what happens in marriage. One of the stories was about a husband who intelligently defended the wife when the wife cooked a very delicate meal with the wrong recipe. The husband told his friends that he taught the wife that recipe just to avoid the friends making mockery at the wife. When the friends left, this husband showed the wife how to cook the recipe well. He did not expose the wife’s weakness in public. The pastor concluded that since marriage makes the couple one flesh, the man identified with the shame of the wife and stood in for her. He did not want the wife to feel humiliated, because indirectly the man would have been humiliated too. A cliché I got exposed to while growing up is “no one takes money to marry their enemy.” But, I think these days, lots of couples seem to be living with their enemies. 

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

The principle of one flesh implies that the couple become one in the sight of God. They don’t lose their individual personalities but the two different people form a new flesh. God sees the couple as one. The unity between the married man and the woman is expected to be so strong that it is difficult to pull apart. The only way to break one flesh is to cut it apart. This oneness is not sameness but an identity that causes them to see themselves as a unified whole. They cover one other’s weaknesses and help each other to grow. They see the success of one as the unified success of the couple. Unity pushes forward a formidable force. In Genesis 11, it took God Himself to thwart the plans of the people to build a tower because the people were united. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6). 

The deep unity God expects from marriage is the main reason identifying the vision of your partner is important. This ideally should be a premarital step. You need to know how you fit into each other’s life. This makes it easy to experience the principle of one flesh. With this same unity, a couple builds their home, raises godly offspring, builds their ministry, builds their businesses etc. As no one acting normally hurts themselves, when we fully understand one flesh, we do not hurt one another because the implication is hurting self. We bear one another’s burdens. We share each other’s joy. We feel each other’s pain. No one leaves their legs in the midst of trouble because the leg accidentally hits a bar and gets wounded. The pain is experienced by the whole body. Even though the hand is innocent of causing the pain, it feels the pain and applies healing balm on the leg until the leg is healed. This is applicable to one flesh in marriage: the couple feels one another’s pain and does not abandon the other in trouble. 

Remember, the devil’s attacks against marriage include taking our eyes off some of the foundational principles of marriage. He is constantly introducing something to make couples refuse the idea of one flesh. Do not give the devil a footstool in your home. He will take charge of everything.