Fellow. A co-worker; a partaker or sharer of; a companion; one with whom we consort; one joined with another in some legal status or relation; a member of a college or corporate body. (Black's Law Dictionary Fifth Edition)
Consortship. In maritime law, an agreement or stipulation between the owners of different vessels that they shall keep in company, mutually aid, instead of interfering with each other, in wrecking and salvage, whether earned by one vessel or both. (Black's Law Dictionary Fifth Edition)
Fellowship. Companionship; a union of friends or equals; fraternity. (The Concise American Heritage Dictionary Revised Edition)
Fellowship in the Church* in a way is like Communism; yet without greed, led instead with generosity. In Black's Law Dictionary Fifth Edition, Communism is a "system of social organization in which goods are held in common, the opposite of the system of private property". As not-so-distant history has taught us, trying to enforce this system upon unwilling participants has not worked well. However, the Church makes this system work. How do they do it? What have Christians figured out?
Acts 4:32-35 says that when filled with the Holy Spirit, "the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need." (New American Standard Bible)
Instead of being fueled by greed or pursuit of power, the believers were led by grace-filled generosity in pursuit of holiness and righteousness and love—love for GOD, love for our neighbor, and love for the truth that had set them free. United and bonded in the cause of Jesus Christ, sharing became an honorable deed. Encouraging one another in the faith, remaining steadfast in hope, and fostering trust. Their care for each other became real as their words were backed up by action.
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
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John 13:35 (NASB)
The worldly Communism we know today reeks of the polar opposite, sorely lacking these virtues. I will get into Leadership and Manipulation in a following post. Nevertheless it can be pointed out here that wherever love isn't, fear thrives, and that's how popular names like Stalin and Hitler and others make such bloodstained marks in history. In the lack of love for life remains only the love for death, and evil lives there. Worldly Communism would sterilize diversity in the name of equality and unity, trapping a population within utopian dystopia, because the environment is more predictable and therefore more easily controlled by the few that way, despite the fact that the order they preach of is different from peace, which comes from true fairness that walks alongside equity rather than equality.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 (NASB)
The distinction between the two ways of "Communism" is critical to understand. They look similar, but look a little deeper and you'll see the difference between sharing and taking, grace and greed, love and fear, comrades and thieves, and brethren and slaves. This is the way of the Church versus the way of the world.
Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it, yet as we are all born with sinful hearts, goodness is not so easily achieved naturally, but must be a learned thing in order to be kept. Let us as a whole look to the roots of our faith, the first church, and return to the way of fellowship. Grace be to you all in the matchless name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
*Note the capitalization, naming the body of the Christ as a whole, versus a congregation in particular: "Church" and "church".