Fellowship in 1Jo
Jesus loved all his disciples, but there was something very
special and unique about John. It must have been because of John's special
character; it was certainly not mere favoritism. The depth and closeness of love
depends upon mental and spiritual affinity; it is limited only by the
comprehensions and capacities of the participants. John was especially beloved
because of a deeper unity with the mind of his Master.
"John was the first to believe after the resurrection when he saw the empty
tomb. Though not prominent in the history, John wrote the deepest gospel, the
deepest epistle (this one) and the deepest prophecy (Rev)" (GVG, "Fellowship
with Him", Ber 56:274).
John was the disciple chosen by the Holy Spirit to record the
deepest and most beautiful expressions in Scripture of "fellowship". His
searching words reach far beneath the thin veneer of man-made "fellowship" and
man-instigated "disfellowship"; even those verses (1Jo 1:6,7) which are often
quoted to justify rapid and ruthless "cutting off" will be seen under a closer
inspection to have a fuller, richer significance.
"There is only one major book in the Scriptures which may be
said to deal specifically with the subject of fellowship, and significantly it
was penned at the very close of the apostolic age: 1 John. Its origin is linked
with the departure from fellowship of a substantial and influential group of
members:
'They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us,
they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might
be made manifest that they were not all of us' (1Jo 2:19)" (AE, "Problems of
Fellowship in the First Century", Xd
108:212).
It is worthwhile to note this, in the epistle which has more
to do with "fellowship" than any other: The primary resolution of an ecclesial
disagreement was not the excision of the unfaithful by the faithful, but the
final withdrawal from the faithful by the unfaithful. Obviously, this is not the
only prescribed method for dealing with error or misconduct, but all too often
we lose sight of the fact that it is one divinely-approved outcome! The
extremist's position is that an otherwise righteous brother may become
unrighteous through a passing association with unrighteous men, regardless of
his endeavors to uphold the Truth personally. But to John this is just not the
case! There is no condemnation of the faithful remnant even though they were
"tolerating" errorists in their midst. (The OT affords at least two similar
instances of the unfaithful withdrawing from the "one body": "Every man to his
tents, O Israel" of Sheba in 2Sa 20:1, and "What portion have we in David?" --
the revolt of the ten tribes -- in 1Ki 12:16.)
It is safe to assume there is at least one statement of
Brother Thomas that is never quoted by the "pure fellowship" advocates. Towards
the end of his life, in 1870, he wrote the following words:
"It is not my province to issue bulls of excommunication, but simply to shew
what the truth teaches and commands. I have to do with principles, not men. If
anyone say that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh common to us all, the
apostle John saith that that spirit or teacher is not of God; is the deceiver
and the anti-Christ, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ; and is therefore
not to be received into the house, neither to be bidden Godspeed (1Jo 4:3; 2Jo
1:7,9,10). I have nothing to add or to take from this. It is the sanctifying
truth of the things concerning the 'name of Jesus Christ'. All whom the apostles
fellowshipped, believed it; and all in the apostolic ecclesias who believed it
not -- and there were such -- had not fellowship with the apostles, but opposed
their teachings; and when they found they could not have their own way, John
says, 'They went out from us, for they -- the anti-Christ -- were not all of us'
(1 John 2:19). The apostles did not chase them out, but they went out of their
own accord, not being able to endure sound doctrine (2Ti 4:3).
"Then preach the word, etc, and exhort with all long-suffering and teaching.
This is the purifying agent. Ignore brother this and brother that in said
teaching; for personalities do not help the argument. Declare what you as a body
believe to be the apostles' doctrines. Invite fellowship upon that basis alone.
If upon that declaration any take the bread and wine, not being offered by you,
they do so upon their own responsibility, and not on yours. If they help
themselves to the elements, they endorse your declaration of doctrine, and eat
condemnation to themselves."
* * * * *
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have
fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his
Son Jesus Christ" (1Jo 1:3).
By "we" John must mean the apostles, who heard and saw and
touched the living Christ "from the beginning" (1Jo 1:1,2). The apostles were
commissioned to share this living reality with others, that they might have
fellowship with the apostles, but primarily that they might through that
knowledge have personal fellowship with God and His Son. The oneness depends
upon our learning and accepting and harmonizing ourselves with the revelations
of the apostles.
"And what is fellowship? We must ever be on guard against letting technicalities
take the place of realities. Fellowship is not an external agreement to
associate, but communion, harmony, unity of mind and spirit....Fellowship with
God is not just a technicality -- not just a form -- not just the accepting of
certain beliefs or joining a certain group. It is a way of life -- a thinking
like God, a walking in harmony with His revealed will and commands" (GVG, Ber
56:274,277; see also John Marshall, "The Living Ecclesia", Xd
108:55,56).
We do not make the rules governing this fellowship, nor for
that matter did our "pioneer brethren" in the last century! "Fellowship" is not
like "the law of the land", with higher courts of human judges, case histories
to memorize, and a confusing array of legal precedents established before we
were born.
True Biblical fellowship is a way of life, a life renewed in
the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each brother and sister shares the
fellowship of a common bond, an awareness of God's love and mercy in Christ
extended toward all Christ's brethren. For a brother to claim oneness with
Christ, but to treat lightly or harshly his oneness with his brethren, for each
of whom Christ died, is to miss the mark entirely. A brother acting in an
unloving or unforgiving way toward another brother may suppose that he is
cutting that person off from true fellowship, and perhaps making his own
position more secure. But in reality he is violating the supreme law of his
Saviour's life, the law confirmed by his shed blood; he is loosening the bond of
love and forgiveness that binds him to Christ, for:
"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar" (1Jo
4:20).
* * * * *
"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1Jo
1:4).
This is the whole purpose of John's epistle -- to exhort to a
meaningful faith which results in a joyful life, not to recount a form of words
without power. Joy is the great identification, the "secret ingredient" of the
Truth which defies the art of the apothecary. Do we confuse the "counterfeit"
fellowship of rules and laws and prohibitions with the "real" -- a life of
loving service, of openness and warmth? Rules are necessary in a certain
measure, but they must be applied with love and joy, in the spirit of unity and
cooperation; otherwise they become a dead Pharisaic letter to those who observe
them. Love and joy must cast out fear -- the unscriptural fear of contamination
that hides behind legalities and never realizes the "joy" which is at the heart
of the Truth! Jesus touched the defiled, the dying, and the dead with impunity,
because the power of light and joy was stronger than darkness and fear. It is
not that from without which defiles the spiritual man, but if within his heart
there has never been engendered the joy of the Truth -- a joy that flows out to
embrace others, to seek peace and unity and mutual edification -- then he is
"defiled" indeed!
* * * * *
"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin" (1Jo 1:6,7).
In keeping with our theme, it must be noted here that the
emphasis is upon "walking". We reveal whether or not the Truth has made an
impression upon us by our personal conduct, by the extent our lives have been
transformed by the Spirit-power of the word and prayer. "Light" undoubtedly does
originate in true beliefs, but true beliefs are not an end in themselves -- as
may be mistakenly supposed if one's life in the Truth has been one long
continuous "warfare" against error. Let us beware of imbalance here; let us also
beware of misapplication of such verses as these, to justify an extreme
position.
Another point arises from 1Jo 1:7: The conditional portion of
the sentence specifies that we must "walk in the light as he is in the light."
If we take a rigid "fellowship" stand on such a passage as this, then let us be
honest: Let us realize that a comparison with God and Christ in regard to
"light" places us all -- every one -- on the wrong side! Alongside God and the
perfect man, we are, relatively speaking, all in "darkness", and if "darkness"
nebulously defined is the ground of excommunication, then none of us deserves
fellowship with God and Christ. But of course, this is true! None of us deserves
to be included in God's Family; it is the gift of God. Let us wrap ourselves in
the robe of His "light". It is a warming, cheering, health-giving, joyful
blanket of love and hope. Here is the "fellowship with the Father and with his
Son Jesus Christ."
