DEVOTED FELLOWSHIP
When we speak of Christian devotion, there are certain practices that immediately come to mind. Spiritual activities such as Bible study, prayer, service, worship, and evangelism are what we typically think about when gauging someone’s devotion to Christ. While all of these are obviously essential to our relationship with Christ, there are two important practices God calls us to devote our lives to that are often overlooked.
In Luke’s description of the early church, recorded in the book of Acts, we read, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (2:42). In this verse, we notice two practices we would expect to find: receiving the apostles’ teaching (i.e., biblical instruction) and prayer. It comes as no surprise that the early church devoted itself to the apostles’ teaching and also to prayer. But there are two other practices included in this verse that are often forgotten or overlooked altogether: fellowship and breaking bread.
Before considering fellowship and breaking bread, let’s take a moment to consider the word devoted. Devoted is translated from the Greek word proskartereo, meaning, “To be steadfastly attentive to something or to give unremitting care to something.” Devotion requires “exerting great effort to persist in doing something.”[1] In order to remain dedicated to something or someone, we must focus our concentration on a particular pursuit with unwavering commitment.
As Christians, we understand the importance of devotion to studying Scripture and prayer, but do we apply the same level of devotion to Christian fellowship and to the breaking of bread?
Fellowship in Acts 2:42 is translated from koinonia, meaning, “community, joint participation, intimacy.” In the New Testament, koinonía signifies having a share in something or sharing with someone in something. Fellowship is actively participating in an activity alongside someone. Koinonía points to the mutual bond Christians share in Christ. Our salvation through Christ allows us to enjoy deep, intimate, and eternally significant relationships with one another. The early church devoted themselves not only to sound doctrine and prayer, but also to Christian fellowship. It stands to reason that the church today should be equally dedicated to fellowshipping with one another.
Closely related to the general idea of fellowship is the breaking of bread. This phrase likely refers to the Lord’s Supper and other general meals where intimate fellowship would be promoted. The meals Luke has in mind are not ones meant to simply satisfy our hunger. These were not meals purchased at a drive thru and quickly devoured in the car. The imagery of breaking bread describes meals that create opportunities for intimate fellowship in the body of Christ to develop. Enjoying meals together as a local church builds connection and intimacy in the church, which encourages us in the Lord and motivates us to serve one another.
According to Luke’s account of the early church, First Century Christians devoted themselves to the teaching of God’s word and to prayer. He also tells us they were equally devoted to fellowship and to the breaking of bread. Early Christians did not merely have fellowship; they devoted themselves to practicing it. Christian fellowship is first and foremost a relationship, rather than an activity. True fellowship is an encouraging activity that flows from an intimate relationship. In Acts 2:42, the early church was not simply devoting itself to events and programs, but to relationships that would produce common experiences such as enjoying meals with one another.
Friendliness matters in a church. But intimacy built through devoted and purposeful fellowship and the breaking of bread matters more. Fellowship was a priority for the early church; therefore, it should be for us as well. A church without close fellowship with one another is a church that is incapable of effectively ministering to one another.
How devoted are you to the fellowship and to the breaking of bread with fellow Christians? Are you purposefully seeking Christian fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ? If you are not purposefully engaged in Christian fellowship and the breaking of bread, I encourage you to devote yourself to these two important practices in the months ahead.
Acts 2:42 helps explain the reason behind our yearly Deacon Care Group Lunches. These meals are not only to enjoy good food. They are for the purpose of fostering Christ-honoring fellowship within Grace Baptist Church through the breaking of bread. The goal is not to eat one meal together and go our separate ways. The objective is to build lasting relationships within the body of Christ that will mature over weeks, months, years, and even decades.
Fellowship in the body is not limited to talking after a church service. It is living life together with a common relationship with Christ and with the common purpose of bringing glory to his name. Dedicate yourself to building meaningful relationships within Grace Baptist Church. If you are unsure how or where to start, join your deacon group meal in the month of February. These meals create the perfect opportunity for you to begin dedicating time and exerting effort to persistently develop strong interpersonal relationships in our ministry.
[1] William H. Marty in The Moody Bible Commentary, p. 1678.