Communion — In Position, In Practice, and Its Blessings

Michael Hardt

1 John 1:1–7; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Song of Songs 2:3, 9, 17; 7:9

Introduction

As a non-native speaker of English, I am reluctant to discuss English synonyms. However, in seeking to make a number of points in relation to the subject of communion, I will be quoting scriptures speaking about ‘fellowship’. Hence, I feel I owe the reader an explanation.

Both ‘fellowship’ and ‘communion’ are used in the King James Version and J N Darby translation (synonymously, as far as I can tell) as translations of the Greek word koinonia, which describes close, inner fellowship. For a merely external type of fellowship, such as people involved in the same activity, a different Greek word is used: metochos. It describes an outward act of partaking in the same thing. The two Greek words are used in Luke 5:7 and 10 respectively (although both are translated as ‘partners’ in most English Bibles): the fishermen in the other boats were external partakers (metochoi), people involved in the same trade, whereas James, John and Simon were close companions or partners involved in the same business (koinonoi). They had shared interest; there was a fellowship of attitude and feeling.

In this article (and much of the rest of this issue) we are concerned with this close inner communion (or fellowship).

The positional side

Like sanctification, communion has a positional as well as a practical side. Whilst most of the issues we struggle with in our Christian lives tend to lie on the practical side, it is a very blessed thing to get a hold of the positional side (and I dare say we need to get hold of it before we can address the practical side with any degree of success).

What, then, is positional communion? The Apostle John writes: ‘our fellowship is indeed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ’. While ‘our’ refers to the apostles in the first instance, John points out that the same fellowship belongs to us: ‘that ye also may have fellowship with us’.

The knowledge of the Father as revealed in the Son is central to this fellowship. The Son came as the great revealer of the Father, as ‘the word of life’. The apostles had ‘heard’, ‘seen’, ‘contemplated’ and ‘handled’ Him. John was passing on the wonderful news that the children of God have come to the same communion.

The practical enjoyment of this will vary depending on our spiritual state. But the fact is always true of us. Those who walk in darkness (unbelievers) do not have this fellowship; those who walk in the light (believers) do (vs. 6–7).

But, I hear you ask, what if a believer commits a sin? Well, in this case he is not walking according to the light but he is still walking in the light (which makes his sin even more serious). As a well-known Bible teacher pointed out, if we turn our back to the sun, the sun will shine on our back. In this case, we will no longer enjoy communion. But what we lose (until we are restored) is the enjoyment of the thing, not the thing itself.

Children of God have been brought into communion with the Father. They can share the Father’s thoughts and the Father’s joy in relation to His Son. And they have been brought into communion with the Son. They have (immense privilege!) the same God and Father that the Son has as man.

John’s careful definition

John’s description of this communion seems ‘roundabout’ at first sight but it is, of course, divinely inspired and perfect. Why does he say ‘your fellowship is with us’ and ‘our fellowship is with the Father and the Son’ rather than simply ‘your fellowship is with the Father and the Son’?

The latter statement might have been misused, especially by false teachers who claimed to have the same fellowship but denied essential parts of the truth relating to the Father and the Son. The inspired wording provides a wonderful safeguard: the communion with the Father and the Son as described and taught by the apostles was the true communion. Everything else was counterfeit.

The practical side

The practical side of communion is a matter of degree. The whole truth, the entire revelation, is there for us to enjoy. We have access to the Father, and we know the Son. Virtually unlimited treasures are there for us to enjoy. And yet, the practical enjoyment of them is extremely fragile. An unjudged thought, an evil look, a bad word, a minor lack of honesty — any of these, or many other things, will lead to a shadow being cast on the back of the child of God who should be basking in sunshine.

In the Song of Songs, an interesting piece of Scripture imagery underlines the point that the enjoyment of communion is sensitive and vulnerable. ‘My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart’, says the bride (2:9). The gazelle has amazing properties (alacrity, speed, etc.) but is a shy animal. Anyone who has ever tried to watch gazelles in the mountains knows only too well that a small disturbance will suffice and the beautiful gazelle will vanish from sight. It is that easy to lose the practical enjoyment of our communion with the Lord.

However, this distinction between position and practice does not allow us to tolerate a gulf between the two. Scripture does not advocate mediocre practice. Just as with sanctification, God wants the practical side to coalesce, as far as possible, with the positional side. Communion belongs to us, and we should enjoy it. In fact, it is most detrimental if we do not. In Christian living, everything stands and falls with practical communion. Without it, as we say in German, we are ‘usable for nothing and capable of anything’. We have no ability whatsoever because, as the Lord said, ‘without me ye can do nothing’ (John 15:5). There may be much activity or zealous labour but no fruit. Without communion, there is no pit into which we cannot fall. Wandering from the Lord, we are prone to error in doctrine and practice. A child of God out of (practical) communion is like a ship without a compass, a mobile phone without reception, or a GPS without a signal: without effective guidance, communication or real orientation. There is neither liberty in prayer nor joy in worship nor power in service.

But as soon as hindrances are removed and the view is clear, the Lord will guide us with His own eyes (Ps. 32:8).

Communion’s treasure trove

What, then, is this rich field in which we can enjoy communion? What exactly are the items in this treasure? The answer is that it is a sheer infinite variety of gems and riches, of which we can only indicate a few, each of which is rich and limitless in itself.

Communion with what Christ is in Himself: Here we contemplate the Son and share the Father’s joy in Him. The fellowship to which we have been called is ‘the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord’ (1 Cor. 1:9). The Spirit places the Son before us as our object so that we will consider His glories, be they His personal, moral or official glories. He is the beloved Son, the Son of man, the Saviour, the shepherd, the advocate, the high priest — and the list goes on.

Communion in the results of the work of Christ: Here we look back at the cross of Christ and the results flowing from it. We see sin dealt with, God’s claims met, the Father glorified, enemies reconciled, slaves freed and sinners justified. Surveying the cross, we see victory over death and Satan, sinners turned into worshippers, lepers into priests, strangers into sons and children, all of them formed together into one body and linked with Christ in glory. What a vista of themes, what a rich realm faith can ponder here!

Communion in praising God: Following on from the previous point, we have fellowship with Christ in praising God for the deliverance that He granted. Christ praises Him: ‘He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings’ (Ps. 40:2). He starts the praise and He associates others with Him in this (Ps. 22:22–31; Heb. 2:12).

Communion with Christ as linked with Him: A further line of communion concerns areas where we are united with Christ: we have died with Him, and we have been quickened with Him, raised with Him, and are already seated in the heavenlies in Him. We are linked with Him as the man in heaven and take His perspective in relation to matters on earth (Eph. 2:5–6; Col. 3:1–2).

Communion in daily life

There are further rich strands of the subject to pursue:

Our prayers, if in communion with Him, are prayers in His name: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall come to pass to you’ (John 15:7).
Our walk is (to be) characterised by communion with Christ. He is our model. We follow Him. We share our questions and burdens with Him, and He communicates His mind to us. We are called His friends if we so walk (John 15:14–15) and also His companions (Heb. 1:9).
In our service and testimony for Christ, we are equally linked with Him. He sent us as the Father sent Him (John 20:21). He came to make God known and this included the cross. He is infinitely above us. And yet our service fundamentally has the same objective: making God known in the world.
Even in our sufferings for Christ’s sake we are in fellowship with Him: suffering from the same world for the same cause. Paul wished to know ‘the fellowship of his sufferings’ (Phil. 3:10) which — peculiarly — results in deep joy (Acts 5:41).
Finally, in our hope, we have communion with Christ. We wait for what He waits for, and His longing is our longing: our meeting with Him, to be with Him for ever (2 Thess. 3:5; Rev. 22:17, 20).

The psalms of communion

Interestingly, a number of psalms indicate some of these areas of communion, although this may only be seen clearly through their New Testament quotations. Here is a selection of such instances:^[1]

Psalm 2: communion in reigning;
Psalm 16: communion in service;
Psalm 22: communion in praise;
Psalm 23: communion in wilderness circumstances;
Psalm 32: communion restored;
Psalm 40: communion in the results of Christ’s work;
Psalm 110: communion with the exalted Christ.

In each case, a study of the psalm will bring out this wonderful theme of being associated with Christ and enjoying fellowship with Him. In Psalm 2, He is to reign, but the New Testament discloses that He will allow us to have fellowship with Him in His reign (Ps. 2:8–9; Rev. 2:26–27). Psalm 16 presents Christ as the dependent servant, yet associated with others (v. 3). In Psalm 22, He encourages His brethren to join with Him in praise (v. 22). And so we could go on …

The fruit of communion

Enjoying this communion will not go without result. The bride describes her bridegroom as an apple tree (could the thought of communion be expressed more sweetly?): ‘In his shadow have I rapture and sit down; and his fruit is sweet to my taste’ (Sgs. 2:3). Lingering in the shade of the apple tree has an effect on the bride. A little later, we read the bridegroom’s comment: ‘the fragrance of thy nose [is] like apples’ (7:8).

May the fragrance of communion with Him mark our lives and ways.

[1] For a fuller treatment of this theme, see ‘The Psalms of Communion’ by Henri Rossier (to my knowledge currently available in French only).

From: Truth and Testimony, 2024