MINISTRY PARTNERS
Appearing 19 times in the New Testament, koinonia is a Greek word most commonly translated as “fellowship.” Koinonia and some of its surrogates are often rendered as “partner/s/hip” in the versions consulted. It can also be translated into other English words such as participation, sharing, and association.
koi·no·ni·a (koinəˈnēə/noun)
Christian fellowship or communion, with God or, more commonly, with fellow Christians.
Koinonia is, “to share with someone in something”. The notion speaks of participation. We are called into fellowship (koinonia) with Christ by God (1 Cor. 1:9). This partnership with God is meant to lead us into meaningful partnerships as brothers and sisters in God’s family (1 John 1:3). Furthermore, the participatory nature of partnership leads to both relational intimacy as well as to a fruitful advance of the Gospel (Phil. 1: 5).
