Question 1

What does "Fellowship" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Fellowship" means "church social time." The shared everything. Acts 2:42-47 describes koinonia in practice: they shared possessions, ate together daily, cared for every need, and held all things in common. Fellowship was not a church potluck but a total sharing of life, resources, sorrows, and joys. Koinonia with God meant participating in God's own life.

Question 2

Why did the word "Fellowship" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Greek koinonia ('shared participation/common life/mutual investment of everything/partnership in which nothing is withheld') socialized into 'having snacks after church.' The radical, all-sharing, life-in-common dimension became a social event. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but socialized (~1950).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Fellowship"?

Accepted Answer

"Fellowship" was replaced by: "socializing" (though this casual interaction; koinonia was sharing everything -- possessions, burdens, joys, lives); "community" (though this proximity-based; koinonia was an active, costly, mutual investment of entire lives); "hanging out" (though this recreational; koinonia was so radical that acts describes believers selling possessions to share with any in need).

What Does “Fellowship” Mean in the Bible?

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