All Things In Common

The fellowship room in our church building has been dubbed "The Koin." Some might wonder if we are terribly bad spellers, since "coin" starts with a "c." Others might wonder why we're naming rooms after loose change anyway.

Well, the fact of the matter is that this room's name comes from the Greek word koinonia. It's the word for "fellowship," as in the following verses:

• "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Acts 2:42)
• "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)
• "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14)
• "If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

You can see by these uses that the word "fellowship" indicates an intimate knowledge of and close relationship with another person. Most Greek dictionaries will define it as having partnership and communion, participating together, and sharing things in common. So, let's quickly apply this understanding to "church life" and consider why we would designate a room to fellowship.

Our relationships with one another in the local body of Christ are to be personal and affectionate. "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love," the apostle Paul said in Romans 12:10. The bonds formed among one another here are to surpass the bonds we would have in the world with co-workers, friends, or even biological family. God's spiritual family is the eternal family where people find eternal life and eternal love together. It's where true fellowship is experienced.

Thus, the Koin is not just a room for meals, Bible classes, and white elephant gift exchanges. The Koin is a room that provides the space for us to live out what should be happening all over our property: true biblical fellowship. The room's name is simply a reminder for us, serving to call to mind what is most important in our gathering. We are to press into partnership and participation together for the glory of God.