One cannot always judge a person by those with whom he is associated. Sometimes a grave injustice is wrought by attempting to do so. But I think a legitimate conclusion to reach with reference to the Holy Spirit is that He is both a person and is divine. He is repeatedly mentioned in direct conjunction with two divine persons, with no qualifying statement indicating that He is different. The conclusion is bolstered by the connections in which the combinations occur and by the functions performed by each of the principals.
For the sake of brevity we will confine ourselves in this chapter to the New Covenant Scriptures. A good place to begin is in conjunction with the incarnation. Gabriel was sent to Mary from God (Luke 1:26). He assured the virgin that the Lord was with her. He quieted her fears by telling her that she had found favor with God. She was then told that she would be impregnated by the Holy Spirit. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, . . . therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35; KJV).
In this instance we have God, the Holy Spirit, and the Son of God. It is the Father who wills, the Spirit being the executive agent, the conveyor of life. Nothing about the fertilization of a human ovum by a divine seed, or life-giving principle, should cause doubt to one who believes in the creation of man by God. In the beginning the breath of God, breathed into an elemental body taken from the dust of the earth, made human life possible. In one sense, the only life we have is the result of the divine and human, and all of us by nature are sons of God. If the first Adam became a living being by the divine breath, it is not strange that the second Adam began His earthly mission by a union of the divine and human.
We do not need to understand or be able to explain fully the varied roles of the principals involved in the birth of Jesus to realize that the Father, the Spirit, and the Son all had distinctive parts in the drama of the ages. The means may remain a mystery while we accept the fact upon faith. When Mary submitted herself to the will of God with the words of resignation, "Be it unto me according to thy word," her womb became the depository of the divine seed, and that meant that the Son of God was sent forth to be "made of a woman, made under the law" (Galatians 4:4; KJV).
We turn now from the advent of Jesus to His final commission to the twelve before His ascension to Heaven. As Matthew records it, after the resurrection of Jesus the eleven apostles journeyed northward to Galilee. They gathered on a mountain where He had promised to meet them. When they saw Him they worshiped Him, although some felt that "it was too good to be true." Then Jesus revealed that all authority was granted Him in Heaven and on earth, a way of explaining the universality of the lordship bestowed upon Him by the Father. This empowered Him to send them forth as ambassadors to all nations of men. The Authorized Version renders His words "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19, 20).
Once again we have found the Holy Spirit appearing in relationship with the Father and the Son and in such a connection that a clear distinction is to be made between the three, although such unity is manifested that the word "name" appears in the singular.
We turn attention next to Ephesians 4:4-6, where Paul enumerates the seven "ones" upon which our unity is conditioned and must be maintained. The immediate context expresses concern that those who are called conduct themselves in a manner that will bring honor upon that calling. Since we have been called into unity with Christ, nothing reflects against that calling more than strife and division. Of all people on this earth, those who are in Christ Jesus should be most harmonious.
In order to maintain oneness, four essentials are recommended: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and forbearance in love. The first of these is better represented by our word "humility." It must be remembered that in the world surrounding Ephesus this was not regarded as a virtue. Humility implied cowering and cringing under servility, or slavishness. Jesus clothed this term with beauty and grace by His own sacrifice and service. He humbled himself to come in the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross. In this light, humility took on a completely new color. It was no longer regarded as an indication of weakness, but of genuine strength and power. E. H. Chapin said, "Humility is not a weak and timid quality; it must be carefully distinguished from a groveling spirit. There is such a thing as an honest pride and self-respect. Though we may be servants of all, we should be servile to none."[6]
Humility is as essential to the maintenance of unity as breath is to life. When one knows his qualifications and abilities, and yet is willing to step down in favor of another who may not have the same potential; when he is qualified to play first violin, but is willing to "play second fiddle" so that harmony will prevail in the orchestra, unity will generally be preserved. Humility recognizes its rights, but refuses to assert or insist upon them, realizing that rights are secondary to responsibilities.
"Meekness," in its original Greek form is full of beauty that cannot be completely captured in any single word in our English language. Any correct understanding of it must begin with the recognition that meekness is not weakness, but just the opposite. Many centuries ago a Christian wrote, "The meek are not those who are never at all angry, for such are insensible; but those who, feeling anger, control it, and are angry only when they ought to be. Meekness excludes revenge, irritability, morbid sensitiveness, but not self-defense, or a quiet and steady maintenance of right."[7] It is doubtful that any modern writer could give a better description of the quality called "meekness."
Nothing else is more likely to cause strife and contention than impatience coupled with a short temper. The word for "longsuffering" is makrothumia, a combined form of makros, long, and thumos, temper. Certainly it is associated with endurance under pressure, but it is interesting to know that it never occurs in the Greek classics. The virtue it represents was unknown to the poets and philosophers, or was despised by them as unmanly. So the word can be regarded as one given meaning or content by the life and teachings of Jesus.
The reason for this is easily seen when it is recognized that makrothumia was first a characteristic of God, who patiently endured and put up with human shortcomings in order to work good. The longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. God is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish. The gods of the Romans and Greeks were conceived as vengeful and spiteful. Since people are like their gods, it is understandable why longsuffering is an attribute of Christians rather than pagans.
Impatience, the enemy of the trusting heart, upsets the mental equilibrium, chafes the spirit, and destroys all inner tranquillity. It is an irritant enflaming the mind and erupting in open criticism mingled with the gall of bitterness. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote much about patience, declared that patience coupled with fortitude conquers all things. He urged all men to adopt the pace of nature, declaring that her secret is patience. It is unwise to allow the corrosion of impatience to rust the hinges of the heart so that when the blessing is delivered it cannot open the door to receive it.
Closely allied to patience is the word "forbearing," from anecho, or "hold back." It describes the person who does not give vent to hurtful expressions, that is, one who restrains himself from actions that antagonize or intensify feelings. We are to bear one another in love, not allowing shortcomings or failures to cause us to explode in anger or recrimination.
All of these qualities are emphasized as essential to those who are "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Unity is not created by these attitudes, great and noble though they may be. Unity is received from God and not achieved by man. It is a gift of the Spirit. "Maintain" is from a word meaning "to guard, watch, or preserve." It was used twice to describe the action of the four squads of soldiers detailed to guard Peter while in prison (Acts 12:5, 6). The unity of the Spirit has been entrusted to us, placed in our custody, and we are under divine orders to keep it, lest it inadvertently slip away while we are off guard.
The restraining force by which we can keep the unity of the Spirit is the bond of peace. To the extent that we disturb or weaken the peace we lessen the hold we have upon unity. When peace flies out the window unity leaves by the door. The four personal qualities prescribed are not given in order to maintain unity, but to strengthen the bond of peace, which binds unity within the framework of our association. Our calling is to exhibit and manifest the unity God has ordained as His ultimate purpose only in Christ Jesus.
Seven units in that unity are gifts of the Spirit. All of them are provided by divine wisdom and are to be received by us as essential to the eternal design. Not one of these provides for any question as to its existence or validity. It is not that there ought to be one body, one Spirit, and one hope, but they are. It is not that there should be one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, but they are. Their existence is not contingent upon human understanding or discovery. They are integral parts of the given unity, the unity of the Spirit. Perhaps that is why the one Spirit is mentioned before the other members of the Deity.
By one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, we are brought into relationship of the one Lord, welded together in the one body and made partakers of the one hope. All of this is according to the will of one God and Father whose personality penetrates the entire arrangement.
A powerful argument for the oneness of all the believers is here presented, and is enhanced by the harmony between the one Father, one Lord, and one Spirit. In spite of their divergent functions they are one in nature and purpose. Since we are indwelt by the one Spirit, we should work together. It is appropriate to have impressed upon us first of all the attributes essential to the maintenance of unity, and then learn that the unity of the Spirit involves Heaven as well as earth.
Another illustration of the association of the Spirit with the Father and Son is found in the treatment of spiritual gifts, the charismata, possessed by the saints in Corinth. The congregation planted in this center of Gentile profligacy was fortunate to have had the ministrations of Paul. He refers to them as "my workmanship in the Lord," and writes, "If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 9:2).
From the very beginning the Corinthians were accustomed to those demonstrations which constituted divine credentials, confirming the apostolic message as of heavenly origin. All truth must be rendered credible before it can be believed. Credibility can be established only by evidence. Natural truths may be sustained by natural evidence, but supernatural truth requires supernatural validation. So Paul reminded the Corinthians "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you in all patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works" (2 Corinthians 12:12).
When the apostle was forced to move on to other fields of labor at the call of the Spirit, he did not leave the Corinthians without divine assistance, but conferred upon them gifts of speech and knowledge, in the same manner he had confirmed his own proclamation. "In every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge--even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you--so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ who will sustain you to the end" (1 Corinthians 1:5-8).
Unfortunately, those who were invested with the gifts became proud of their possession, and began to abuse them by diverting them from their true purpose. It became necessary for Paul to recall them to a more responsible attitude. We dare not rejoice over their malpractice, but we can still benefit from what was said in correcting the error, and we must not forget to profit by their mistakes.
It is interesting to note that Paul began the section of the Corinthian letter relating to spiritual gifts with the words, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant" (1 Corinthians 12:1; KJV). The word "gifts" is not in the original, and a literal rendering would probably be "spiritual things"; however, the information that follows leaves no doubt that the subject is the special endowments, that is, the gifts of the Spirit.
The expression "I would not have you ignorant" points up the fact that acquisition of knowledge in matters of the Spirit is the will of Him who sent the Spirit. The same expression is used with reference to things, such as Paul's purpose and intention with regard to Rome (Romans 1:13), the persecution suffered because of his preaching in Asia Minor (2 Corinthians 1:8), God's design as related to Israel (Romans 11:25), and the resurrection of the sleeping saints (1 Thessalonians 4:13). When God furnishes information, refusal to learn is inexcusable.
Obviously, God does not want us to continue with unused mental capacities. Ignorance is not bliss! It is also apparent that if God does not want us to be ignorant about a subject, the information He supplies will be adequate. An examination of the revelation related to spiritual gifts will show that we are supplied facts concerning their origin, variety, purpose, function, and regulation.
It is important to remember that the dispelling of ignorance concerning spiritual gifts was not left to those who had the gifts, but as assumed by the apostle who put it in writing. The Corinthians came behind in no gift, but "to one (was) given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:8; KJV). If the gifts were self-validating and instructive, the Corinthian congregation would have required no apostolic letter upon the subject. Yet, to this congregation the written message was sent. Hence those who would not be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts should turn to the apostolic letter for instruction and guidance. The saints in Corinth who possessed the gifts were ignorant of their purpose and function, otherwise this portion of the letter was superfluous.
After declaring he would not have them ignorant about spiritual gifts, Paul wrote, "Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led" (v. 2; KJV). The real problem at Corinth was created by those who had the gift of speaking various kinds of tongues. They had exercised this gift in such a manner that unbelievers dropping in upon the assembly could have concluded they were insane.
The Corinthians had been idolaters, having grown up in a pagan culture. The apostle mentions that they had been carried away to dumb idols. Graven images could not speak. Molten gods could provide no message or revelation. But the living God could not only reveal His thoughts, but could also empower His servants to convey His words in "other tongues." So overjoyed were the former heathen that theirs was a speaking God, they could hardly restrain themselves.
Men respond according to the spirit that motivates them. In 1 Corinthians 2:12, the apostle contrasts the spirit of that age with the Spirit of God. The Corinthians had paid homage to dumb idols even as they had been led. The spirit of the decadent age influenced them in their devotion, but Paul gave them to understand that no one "speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Corinthians 12:3; KJV).
To say that Jesus is Lord constituted a much more serious responsibility in the Roman Empire than it does today. Rome was regarded as tolerant of the religious beliefs of the provinces, and well she might be, because she regarded them all as harmless superstition. While this was true, one thing was required. Annually, on the birthday of the emperor, every citizen had to appear in the marketplace before the bust of Caesar, burn a pinch of incense, and publicly affirm "Caesar is lord." This presented no particular problem to the pagans who believed in a multiplicity of deities. The Roman Senate had officially elevated Caesar to the pantheon and declared him to be divine. His character, while certainly not godlike, was like that of the other gods.
The one group in the Empire whose members could not freely join the populace in hailing Caesar was the community of the reconciled. The apostle states the problem clearly: "There be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him" (1 Corinthians 8:5, 6; KJV). The problem was complicated by another requirement of any person brought under suspicion. If an accusation was filed against him concerning his faith in Caesar, the magistrates were to bring him before the statue and demand a public affirmation under penalty of death or banishment from family and friends. If the accused was suspected of belonging to the despised followers of Christ, he was required, in addition to his affirmation of the lordship of Caesar, to announce, "Anathema Jesus," that is, "Jesus is accursed." So to say that Jesus was Lord might well be a matter of life and death. Preserved for us is a remarkable document alluding to this very matter, a letter written by Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan, near the beginning of the second century. Pliny was appointed governor of Bithynia. Never having had to cope with the problem of Christians, he wrote to gain information as to the proper procedure to follow. If you have not read his letter it will be interesting to do so. Here it is:
"Having never been present at any trials of the Christians, I am unacquainted as to the methods and limits to be observed in examining and punishing them. Whether, therefore, any difference is to be made with respect to age, or no distinction is to be observed between the young and adult; whether repentance admits to a pardon; or if a man has been once a Christian, it avails him nothing to recant; whether the mere profession of Christianity, albeit without any criminal act, or only the crimes associated therewith are punishable; in all these points I am greatly doubtful. In the meanwhile the method I have observed towards those who have been denounced to me as Christians, is this; I interrogated them whether they were Christians; if they confessed I repeated the question twice again, adding a threat of capital punishment; if they still persevered, I ordered them to be executed. For I was persuaded, that whatever the nature of their creed, a contumacious and inflexible obstinacy certainly deserved chastisement. There were others also brought before me possessed with the same infatuation; but being citizens of Rome, I directed them to be carried thither.
"These accusations, from the mere fact that the matter was being investigated, began to spread, and several forms of the mischief came to light. A placard was posted up without any signature, accusing a number of people by name. Those who denied that they were Christians, or had ever been so, who repeated after me an invocation to the gods, and offered religious rites with wine and frankincense to your statue (which I had ordered to be brought for the purpose, together with those of the gods), and finally cursed the name of Christ (none of which it is said, those who are really Christians can be forced into performing), I thought it proper to discharge. Others who were named by the informer, at first confessed themselves Christians, and then denied it; true, they had been of that persuasion formerly, but had now quitted it (some three years, others many years, and a few as much as twenty-five years ago). They all worshiped your statue, and the images of the gods, and cursed the name of Christ.[8]
It was for just such a crisis that the Spirit was given as Comforter, an inner source of strength, so that men might glorify Christ in death as well as in life. When Jesus promised to send the Spirit He said, "He will glorify me." Caesar had his legions willing to die with his name upon their lips, and if the Lord of life could not trust those who had enlisted under the banner of faith to do the same, His cause was lost. Thus, the acclamation "Jesus is Lord," while the Roman lictors stood guard ready to flay the flesh from the body with their rods, or to sever the head with the axe, was not only a test of one's faith in the lordship of Jesus, but a proof of the indwelling Spirit. Men act according to the spirit that motivates them.
No man speaking by the Spirit of God would say "anathema Jesus," as even the Roman governor of Bithynia bore witness. Neither could a man make the public declaration that Jesus is the Lord except by the help of the Spirit who dwelt in him. It is interesting to note that the term "Spirit of God" is here used interchangeably with "Holy Spirit."
After this introduction the apostle affirms that various gifts and functions were to be performed by their use, but all of these had a common origin. "There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:4). The whole tenor of the chapter is the unity that should prevail in the body of Christ. Inasmuch as the body must supply many needs and perform diverse functions, gifts were imparted of such a number and nature as to enable the body to fulfill its mission. God is a divine economist. He did not create needs and then supply gifts to meet them but needs existed and He created gifts to meet them.
We can be certain that the saints did not lack anything essential to their fulfilling their role upon earth. We can be just as sure that every gift was to be utilized in such a manner as to edify or build up the whole. The exercise of the gifts must not be divisive, for the Spirit is one. Nine gifts are mentioned, and these were given to encourage and stimulate the body to act as God had ordained.
"There are varieties of service, but the same Lord" (v. 5). The original term for "service" is diakonia, sometimes translated "ministry." This may be misleading in our day when ministry is regarded as the domain of one man hired by a congregation as its minister. No such specialized meaning was applied to it by the apostles. Every Christian is a minister, and every form of service is part of the ministry. Various ministries are to be carried out and each is essential and commissioned by the same Lord.
"And there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one" (v. 6). God works in His saints, Christ directs the work into meaningful forms of service, and the Spirit empowers and enables the saints to fulfill their varied tasks. A difference exists between the Holy Spirit, Christ, and God, and yet a profound unity is involved in them. Surely the Spirit is as much a divine personality as the other two.
One of the most beautiful statements of Paul is his closing sentence to the Corinthians, in 2 Corinthians 13:14. The setting lends interest to the reading. He pointed out that if he should return to Corinth he would not spare any of those who had sinned. His stated intention was to give full proof to all who questioned that Christ was speaking through him. He held forth the hope that the Corinthians would abstain from evil, not because of a desire to gain approval for his own work, but to establish their own moral integrity. He urged them to be "perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:11; KJV).
In spite of the agonizing problems in the congregation, the apostle concludes with the words that have often been repeated as a benediction: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen" (v. 14). The breakdown of these three blessings is important. It was not by accident that the various attributes were credited as they were.
"Grace" is a good example of a term into which the Spirit breathed and infused new life. The result is that any attempt to define it serves only to confine it. Our verbal garb acts as a straitjacket. The consequence is that many who parrot a definition think they understand grace, when all they do is to underestimate it. Grace is not so much to be explained as to be experienced. God is not so much concerned that we experience a share of grace as He is that we share in the experience of grace. That experience relates to the eternal purpose from the moment of its inception and on through the ages of ages. As is so often the case, a study of the derivation constitutes the best definition, for the evolution of the term made it a "vessel fit for the Master's use." In the beginning, charis referred to charm, an inner quality resulting in what we refer to as personal magnetism or admirable skill. That kind of concern for others manifested itself in proper decorum under all circumstances, politeness, and deference mingled with understanding of others. We revert to this original use when we speak of those who possess charisma, that attractiveness which draws others to them. It is what we mean when we speak of a graceful person, or one who is gracious.
With the passing of time charis took on a deeper meaning. The quality the word described was not attained by study or striving, but seemed to be inherent. It was thus assumed to be a gift of the gods, enabling certain individuals to stand out from the multitude. The sculptor whose skill could draw forth figures from marble was said to posses a charism for carving. The orator whose use of words was powerful enough to make men alternately laugh and weep was thought to possess the charism of speech or rhetoric. We still speak of persons who are gifted in the same manner.
Charisma seemed to be present in an individual from earliest childhood, before he had exerted any effort to secure it. Thus the ancients deemed that it was a gift of a god, unearned and undeserved, empowering one to fulfill the purpose for which destiny had marked him out. Any failure to fulfill the responsibility entailed by the gift was an insult to the deity that bestowed the gift.
By the time Jesus came to earth the word charis had come to refer to an undeserved gift, bestowed by a deity, for the purpose of helping to fulfill the ideal of the gods among men. It is no wonder that the Spirit adopted a term so pregnant with meaning and endowed it with a richness it never before possessed. From a gift bestowed by an imaginary god it came to mean that quality in the living God which motivated Him to share himself with sinful men.
Grace reached its apex in Jesus, who emptied himself and took on the form of a slave that He might share in the life of men doomed to die. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is not simply something that He gave to men or bestowed upon them. It embraces the whole arrangement by which He agreed to abide with us in our suffering that we might someday share in His glory. The greatest gift of Jesus to the world is himself.
In direct conjunction with the grace of Christ is mentioned the love of God. It is a philosophic question whether grace was prompted by love, or love by grace. It is true that the important thing is to be recipients of these blessings whether or not one ever has a clear concept of their metaphysical relationship. My personal conviction is that grace grows out of and is a fruit of love. This is based upon the fact that God is love. This is His essence. Grace is the benevolence applying that love to fallen man. It is God's moving into the human realm and sharing himself without restraint or limitation.
"Love" is our translation of agape (ah-gah-pay), one of four words for love found in the Greek language. The others were too limited in scope and nature to be employed in describing the love God had for us and we must have for one another. Agape is not a classical word, and was not found in the writings of the great philosophers. Why did the Spirit select it and reject the others? One reason is that the other terms generally describe an emotion. They have to do with an involuntary feeling of the heart. Emotions are spontaneous reactions to situations or conditions. They require no conscious effort and do not occur as a result of our searching or seeking. They belong to the heart and its passions.
Agape is not an emotion, although it involves the emotions. It is a state resulting from an act of will a deliberate choice of the mind. One cannot speak of "falling in love" when talking about agape, because it is not something into which you tumble. It is a vital, active principle of life. There is a difference between falling when you cannot help it, and stooping down to share the lot of another. Jesus did not become the Son of man because He fell in love with us, for He did not fall at all. Because He loved us He stooped down to participate with us in the human predicament.
Agape represents an achievement of the mind, a victory attained by determination. It is a conquest over one's nature. This is obvious when it is realized that no one can love his enemies until selfishness is vanquished and he has conquered every natural inclination and desire.
Other forms of love see the good or value in a person or thing and love because of it. Agape creates its own sense of values by the very act or process of loving. Under other kinds of love a thing is loved because of its value; in agape it is valued because it is loved. God loved us when we were alienated and hostile, hating Him and hating one another. Nothing in us was loving or lovable, but because we were loved we were made deserving. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8; KJV).
Agape, like charis, can never be fully defined in words developed for human communication. To reduce it to words is to imprison it in a finite conception. In the very act of imprisoning it, it escapes us. All that we can do is to create a working statement by which we will be able to measure our own concept of love, rather than measuring love itself. My own rather feeble mental approach to it can be stated as follows: Agape is that active and beneficent goodwill which stops at nothing to serve the good of the beloved object.
Love bestowed to elicit or receive a response is prompted more by the need of the giver than the receiver. It is not a benefaction, but an investment. Noteworthy is the fact that love originated with One who had no need and is always outgoing toward those whose needs are great. We are told that God is love, but we are also told that "love is of God."
The love we share for others is not really our love at all. We become channels for the love of God. The water flowing through the pipes into our homes does not belong to the conduits through which it is pumped. Likewise the love flowing like a fountain through us is not ours. It is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
This brings us to the third item in the benediction to the saints at Corinth: the communion of the Holy Spirit. Remember that it is connected with the majestic terms, grace and love. This very association is indicative of the manner in which God regards it. Grace, love, and fellowship--these constitute a triad of blessings associated with the greatest names in the universe. It is a matter of great importance that the apostle closes his epistle to the distressed and distressful congregation at Corinth with such a benediction.
The word here for "communion" is koinonia, generally translated "fellowship." Most lexicographers agree, however, that it is a word of such depth that no single English term can exhaust its meaning. This becomes evident when we realize the variety of terms for it occurring in the King James Version. The root word means "common," indicating something shared or held in common. From it we derive such words as "community."
What is the fellowship of the Spirit? Certainly it is not something men attain or achieve by their own merit or efforts. Just as grace is bestowed by Christ and love is bestowed by God, so fellowship is a gift of the Spirit. We share in grace, love, and life as blessings from Heaven. The very best definition of fellowship is "the sharing of a common life," and the New English Bible so translates koinonia.
The fellowship, or communion, of which the apostle writes is not the mere participation with others in common pursuits. Men may pool their resources and combine their efforts without recourse to the Spirit at all. History is filled with misguided attempts of atheistic social reformers to create colonies where the name of God was proscribed and reading of the Bible was prohibited. The common life in which we are to share is the life of the Spirit.
To substitute the term "share the life of the Spirit" for the term "communion (fellowship) of the Spirit" still does not answer the question as to what is meant by, or involved in, the life of the Spirit. In the New Covenant Scriptures the word koinonia is found twenty times. It is rendered "fellowship" twelve times in the King James Version, which also translates it "communion" four times. Of the twelve times it is translated "fellowship," one-third of these occur in 1 John 1. In this chapter we gain a glimpse of the common life in which we participate through the Spirit. John begins the chapter by an affirmation regarding the living Word, that is, the Word of life. He asserts that this Word was manifested, or embodied, and that the apostles had visual, audible and manual proof of His existence upon the earth. They had heard Him, seen Him, and touched Him.
The life of the Word was eternal life, and when the apostles gazed upon the Son of God they saw eternal life incarnated. "We have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us" (1 John 1:2; KJV). Three actions are referred to in this statement. The first was personal experience, and experience of the best kind. "We have seen." This provides eyewitness testimony. The second is public proclamation of the testimony, bearing witness to the world. The third is declaration to the saints for their edification and comfort. That which was manifested to the apostles was life, and that which they proclaimed to the saints was life. But it was not simply existence, it was life that had been with the Father, the God-life now shared with men in a bodily manifestation. This is important because it demonstrates that Christ came in order to show that eternal life can dwell in man even now.
The next statement of the apostle is significant, and yet few catch the significance of it. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship (koinonia) with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (v. 3). The use of the word "fellowship" obscures the real meaning to modern minds although the first-century disciples would have understood it.
Paul is clearly saying that the eternal life with the Father has now been embodied in a Son. Those who were called as His envoys have been made shareholders in this eternal life. The purpose of their testimony was that those who heard might share in the same common life with them, since the life in which they participated was with the Father and the Son. The Spirit not only operates upon our hearts through the good news to bring us into the life-sharing relationship, but dwells in our hearts in order to maintain that life within us. Just as there is no physical life without the spirit of man, so there is no spiritual life without the Spirit of God. "The Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10; KJV). The activating principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the law of sin and death.
Much is involved in the phrase, "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." This frees us from condemnation, and liberates us from fear, including even the fear of death. The life is in the Son. On this matter there can be no quibbling. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). It follows, then, that one who has the Son has life, and this is exactly what we are taught (1 John 5:11, 12).
To share in the life of the Spirit is to participate in eternal life, a transcendent personal relationship with God and Christ. The one God, the one Lord, and the one Spirit join in bestowing upon us grace, love, and eternal life. No greater gifts could possibly be offered to men in the flesh. No greater responsibility could be ours than to cherish and use these gifts to the glory of the Father. No more beautiful expression or benediction could be employed in closing a letter than that in which Paul closes his epistle to the Corinthians.
In this chapter it was pointed out that the Holy Spirit is in constant association with the Father and the Son. While different functions are peculiar to each, there is a divine harmony apparent in their relationships. It is not essential to faith that we understand all of the intricate workings of God, or that we comprehend in its fulness the spiritual realm. We have the testimony of God, and upon the basis of that evidence, we accept the personality and divinity of the Spirit.
6. Tryon Edwards, Useful Quotations (New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1933), p. 267. [back]
7. Theophylactus, Archbishop of the Bulgarians (1107). Commentary on Acts and Epistles of Paul, F. Morellus, ed. (Paris, 1631). [back]
8. Pliny the Younger, Governor of Bithynia (Epistle X. 97). [back]