A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance
by Benjamin Montoya
About the Author
Jerry Bridges was an author and Bible teacher. His most popular book, The Pursuit of Holiness, has sold over one million copies. He was a full-time staff member with The Navigators for more than fifty years, serving in the collegiate ministry, in staff development, and as a resource to collegiate ministry staff.
Introduction
The word “fellowship” is so common that we use it to describe the time that we spend with people at church, a word to describe what we call certain buildings, e.g., “Fellowship Hall,” and even something that college ministries use in their name. But, have you ever considered what it actually is? That is, how does the Bible explain the meaning of this term? In this book, Jerry Bridges considers how the Bible explains this important term. He also draws numerous implications for today.
In This Book, You Will Learn:
- The various uses of the biblical term “fellowship”
- What fellowship is and what it is not
- How to grow in fellowship
- How fellowship glorifies God
- The place of fellowship in the local church
The Larger Contribution of This Book:
The Christian life has several elements, and fellowship is an unmistakable necessary element. Without it, we cannot claim to be in Christ. But, if we are in Christ, we are deeply connected to others. Bridges’ book covers the various uses of the term “fellowship” and applies it candidly, referring to his own struggles, and carefully throughout the book.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Sharing a Common Life
Chapter 2 Union with God
Chapter 3 Communion with God
Chapter 4 Fellowship and Community
Chapter 5 Spiritual Fellowship
Chapter 6 Partnership in the Gospel
Chapter 7 Spiritual Gifts within the Community
Chapter 8 Sharing Your Possessions
Chapter 9 Supporting Your Local Ministry
Chapter 10 The Fellowship of Suffering
Chapter 11 The Fellowship of Serving
Chapter 12 Social Fellowship
Summary
Chapter 1: Sharing a Common Life
The word “community” is a common one that people use to describe something they want with other people or that they already have. For example, some moms participate in mothers-with-preschoolers programs to have community. But, have we ever thought about what really makes a community? To understand the nature of a community, we need to consider the biblical word “fellowship (κοινωνία).” The Greek word is translated using several different English terms. We often think of it in terms of socializing; although it is nothing less than that, it is much more.
First, this term is used to describe relationships that Christians have with people in the Holy Spirit. The first occurrence of the term is in Acts 2 and has this sense. Their relationships were formed in the Christian community. Second, the term is used to describe a partnership. Paul describes this partnership with the Philippians as “in the gospel” (Phil 1:5). This partnership is community in action. Third, the term also refers to sharing material possessions. One of the most common uses of this term refers to doing just that. “Sharing our possessions with others should be a natural consequence of our realization that biblical fellowship denotes both a relationship and a partnership.” Paul urges Christians to do this very thing in Romans 12:13).
These four dimensions of biblical fellowship are related to one another. The first two are sharing together elements whereas the latter two are sharing with one another. Both matter because if we are in Christ, we are part of the body of Christ. Subsequent chapters will explore these concepts further. . . .
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