Koinōnia

Philemon isn't a really popular book in the Bible. I rarely see anyone cite something in Philemon to make their point. But I ran across an interesting concept there that has larger ramifications.

Philemon, if you recall, is a letter written by Paul in prison to a friend in Colossae. ("Beloved brother and fellow worker" Paul calls him.) It seems that a slave belonging to Philemon ran away, ended up in Rome, and then ended up in Paul's orbit, where Paul led him to Christ. Onesimus (his name means "profitable" or "beneficial") found Christ and served Paul until Paul decided the right thing to do was to send him back to Philemon. "I have sent him back to you in person," Paul says, "that is, sending my very heart" (Phm 1:12). Paul expected Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to receive him "no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord" (Phm 1:16). He asked for Philemon's consent. What did he use to urge Philemon to consent? Not force, but he reminded him of "the fellowship of your faith" (Phm 1:6). Interesting phrase. Several Bibles translate it differently -- The "communication of your faith," the "faith which you have in common," the "sharing of your faith" -- but the root word is κοινωνία -- koinōnia. The literal meaning of that word is "partnership." Now, I was told that "fellowship is essentially two fellows in one ship." Fine, so applying that to "partnership," we now have "two partners in one ship." Do you sense the difference? In the former, we're only connected by the "ship," but in the latter we're connected as partners in that "ship." Paul says later in the letter, "If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me" (Phm 1:17). There's the same word, this time translated "partner." On that basis, Paul intended for Philemon to forgive Onesimus, surrender his ownership of Onesimus, and consider him family instead.

We Christians are used to the term, "fellowship." We enjoy the "fellowship of the Spirit" (2 Cor 13:14; Php 2:1) and fellowship with fellow believers (1 John 1:7). We understand church -- the gathering of believers -- to be for fellowship. If we replaced "fellowship" with "partnership," how would that affect our relationships? If we understood, as Paul did, that believers share a partnership in the faith, would that alter our perceptions? Of the faith? Of the church? Of our expected relationships with other believers? It would certainly mean that the "remote Christian" -- the growing numbers who think church online, for instance, is perfectly suitable -- would need to rethink that position. It would fit nicely with all the "one anothers" of Scripture to which we are called. How are we doing with "fellowship"? Or, rather, how are we doing with "partnership"? It changes things, doesn't it?