Christian Communion The Koinonia of Gods Grace in Open and Closed Communion is an Online School of Prayer Learning Center Student Workbook that is complimentary to Sister Lara's book on Holy Communion "Five Secrets to Communion: Court Room Praying" from Online School of Prayer Campus. This is also a complimentary Book to Sister Lara's Book "Concerts of Communion: The Joy of Receiving and Meditating Upon the Names of God in Community" http://onlineschoolofprayer.webs.com

1. Christian Communion
The Koinonia of Gods Grace in Open and Closed Communion

2. Contents
1 Communion (Christian) 1
1.1 Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 New Testament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Aspects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3.1 Between churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3.2 Communion of Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4 See also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.5 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.6 External links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.7 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Open communion 4
2.1 Affirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Supporting belief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.3 Practitioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.4 Position of the Roman Catholic Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.5 Position of the Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.6 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.7 See also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3 Closed communion 8
3.1 Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1.1 Catholic Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1.2 Lutheranism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.1.3 Eastern Orthodox Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.1.4 Baptists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.1.5 Other groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.1.6 Latter Day Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2 “Close Communion” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3 Supporting belief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4 Fenced table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.5 Communion tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.6 See also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
i

3. ii CONTENTS
3.7 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.8 External links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.1 Lutheran perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.2 Apostolic Christian Church perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.3 Eastern Orthodox perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.4 Baptist perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.5 Anabaptist perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.6 Reformed perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.8.7 Roman Catholic perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 Koinonia 13
4.1 New Testament usage of koinonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2 The spiritual meaning of koinonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2.1 Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2.2 Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.2.3 Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.3 The sacramental meaning of koinonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.4 The problem associated with the etymological meaning of koinonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.5 See also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.6 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.7 Further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.8 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.9 External links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.10 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.10.1 Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.10.2 Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.10.3 Content license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4. Chapter 1
Communion (Christian)
This article is about interpersonal bonds in Christianity.
For the Christian rite reenacting the Last Supper, see
Eucharist.
The bond uniting Christians as individuals and groups
with each other and with Jesus Christ, is described as
communion.
1.1 Origin
The term is derived from Latin communio (sharing
in common).[1]
The corresponding term in Greek is
κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In
Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is
an especially close relationship of Christians, as individ-
uals or as a church, with God and with other Christians.
This basic meaning of the word predates its Christian
uses. In Ancient Greek, κοινωνία could apply to a busi-
ness partnership, to fellowship of life in marriage, to a
spiritual relationship with divinity, to comradely fellow-
ship between friends, to a community or society.[2]
1.2 New Testament
The Greek term κοινωνία (koinonia) appears in the New
Testament, but nowhere in the ancient Greek translation
of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. As a
noun, or in its adjectival or verbal forms, it is found in
43 verses of the New Testament. In addition, the noun is
found in some manuscripts (used for producing the En-
glish translation known as the King James Version, but
not for more recent translations) in Ephesians 3:9.
In the New Testament the word is applied, according to
the context, to communion, sharing or fellowship with:
• the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), God (1 John 1:6), the
Trinity (1 John 1:3), Jesus, Son of God (1 Corinthi-
ans 1:9), his sufferings (Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter
4:13), his future glory (1 Peter 5:1), the Holy Spirit
(2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1)
• the blood and the body of Christ (1 Corinthians
10:16), pagan sacrifices and gods (1 Corinthians
10:18-20)
• fellow Christians, their sufferings and the faith (Acts
2:42; Galatians 2:9; 1 John 1:3, 1:7; Hebrews 10:33;
Revelation 1:9; Philemon 1:6, 1:17)
• a source of spiritual favours (Romans 11:17), the
gospel (1 Corinthians 9:23), light and darkness (2
Corinthians 6:14)
• others’ sufferings and consolation (2 Corinthians
1:7; Philippians 4:14), their evangelizing work
(Philippians 1:5), their graces or privileges (Romans
15:27; Philippians 1:7), their material needs, to
remedy which assistance is given (Romans 12:13,
15:26-27; 2 Corinthians 8:4, 9:13; Galatians 6:6;
Philippians 4:15; 1 Timothy 6:18; Hebrews 13:16)
• the evil deeds of others (Matthew 23:30; Ephesians
5:11; 1 Timothy 5:22; 2 John 1:11; Revelation 18:4)
• the bodily human nature all have in common
(Hebrews 2:14)
• a work partnership, secular or religious (Luke 5:10;
2 Corinthians 8:23)
Of these usages, Bromiley’s International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia selects as especially significant the follow-
ing meanings:
I. Common life in general (only in Acts 2:42)
II. Communion between particular groups, the
most remarkable instance of which was that be-
tween Jews and Gentiles
III. Communion in the Body and Blood of
Christ
IV. Sharing in divine revelation and with God
himself (1 John 1:1-7).[3]
1.3 Aspects
1

5. 2 CHAPTER 1. COMMUNION (CHRISTIAN)
1.3.1 Between churches
By metonymy, the term is used of a group of Christian
churches that have this close relationship of communion
with each other. An example is the Anglican Commu-
nion.
If the relationship between the churches is complete, in-
volving fullness of “those bonds of communion - faith,
sacraments and pastoral governance - that permit the
Faithful to receive the life of grace within the Church”,
it is called full communion. However, the term “full
communion” is frequently used in a broader sense, to re-
fer instead to a relationship between Christian churches
that are not united, but have only entered into an ar-
rangement whereby members of each church have certain
rights within the other.
If a church recognizes that another church, with which it
lacks bonds of pastoral governance, shares with it some of
the beliefs and essential practices of Christianity, it may
speak of “partial communion” between it and the other
church.
1.3.2 Communion of Saints
The communion of saints is the relationship that, accord-
ing to the belief of Christians, exists between them as
people made holy by their link with Christ. That this re-
lationship extends not only to those still in earthly life,
but also to those who have gone past death to be “away
from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians
5:8) is a general belief among Christians.[4]
Their com-
munion is believed to be “a vital fellowship between all
the redeemed, on earth and in the next life, that is based
on the common possession of the divine life of grace that
comes to us through the risen Christ”.[5]
Since the word rendered in English as “saints” can mean
not only “holy people” but also “holy things”, “commu-
nion of saints” also applies to the sharing by members of
the church in the holy things of faith, sacraments (espe-
cially the Eucharist), and the other spiritual graces and
gifts that they have in common.
The term “communion” is applied to sharing in the Eu-
charist by partaking of the consecrated bread and wine,
an action seen as entering into a particularly close rela-
tionship with Christ. Sometimes the term is applied not
only to this partaking but to the whole of the rite or to the
consecrated elements.
1.4 See also
• Open communion
• Closed communion
• Koinonia
1.5 References
[1] American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
[2] Robert Porter Lynch & Ninon Prozonic Papanicolas: How
the Greeks Created the First Age of Innovation
[3] Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia: A-D (William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1995 ISBN 0-8028-3781-6)
[4] John Henry Hobart, A Companion for the Festivals and
Fasts of the Protestant Episcopal Church (Swords, Stanford
& Company, 1840), p. 258
[5] Kenneth Baker, Fundamentals of Catholicism (Ignatius
Press 1983 ISBN 978-0-89870027-5), p. 149
1.6 External links
• Fellowship as defined in the New Testament
• Broken but Never Divided: An Orthodox Perspec-
tive
• Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to
the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects
of the Church understood as communion
1.7 Bibliography
• NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with
Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries. The
Lockman Foundation. 1998 [1981].
• Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (1979). The International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids, Michi-
gan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
• Robert Porter Lynch; Ninon Prozonic (2006).
“How the Greeks created the First Golden Age of
Innovation” (Word document). p. 14. Retrieved
2007-04-08.

6. 1.7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 3
• Richards, Lawrence O. (1985). Expository Dictio-
nary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zon-
dervan Corporation.
• Thayer, Joseph H. (1885). Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zon-
dervan Publishing House.
• Verna Lewis-Elgidely Koinonia in the Three Great
Abrahamic Faiths: Acclaiming the Mystery and Di-
versity of Faiths Cloverdale Books (2007) ISBN
978-1-929569-37-3

7. Chapter 2
Open communion
“Open table” redirects here. For the Restaurant Reser-
vation System, see OpenTable.
Open communion is the practice of Christian churches
that allow individuals other than members of that church
to receive Holy Communion (also called the Eucharist or
the Lord’s Supper). Many but not all churches that prac-
tice open communion require that the person receiving
communion be a baptized Christian, and other require-
ments may apply as well.
Open communion is the opposite of closed communion,
where the sacrament is reserved for members of the par-
ticular church or others with which it is in a relationship
of full communion or fellowship, or has otherwise recog-
nized for that purpose. Closed communion may refer to
either a particular denomination or an individual congre-
gation serving Communion only to its own members.
In the United Methodist Church, open communion is re-
ferred to as the Open Table.
2.1 Affirmation
Generally, churches that offer open communion to other
Christians do not require an explicit affirmation of Chris-
tianity from the communicant before distributing the el-
ements; the act of receiving is an implicit affirmation.
Some churches make an announcement before commu-
nion begins such as “We invite all who have professed a
faith in Christ to join us at the table.”
Open communion is generally practiced in churches
where the elements are passed through the congregation
(also called self-communication). However, it is also
practiced in some churches that have a communion pro-
cession, where the congregation comes forward to receive
communion in front of the altar; such is the case in the
United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, most
Anglican churches, and some Lutheran churches.
2.2 Supporting belief
Those practising open communion generally believe that
the invitation to receive communion is an invitation to
Christ’s table, and that it is not the province of human be-
ings to interfere between an individual and Christ. Some
traditions maintain that there are certain circumstances
under which individuals should not present themselves
for (and should voluntarily refrain from receiving) com-
munion. However, if those individuals were to present
themselves for communion, they would not be denied. In
other traditions, the concept of being “unfit to receive” is
unknown, and the actual refusal to distribute the elements
to an individual would be considered scandalous.
2.3 Practitioners
Most Protestant Christian churches practice open
communion, although many require that the commu-
nicant be a baptized Christian. Open communion
subject to baptism is an official policy of churches in the
Anglican Communion. Other churches allowing open
communion (with or without the baptism requirement)
include the Church of the Nazarene, the Evangelical
Free Church, the Church of God, Community Churches,
the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church
in America,[1]
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church,
the United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ,
United Methodist Church, the Free Methodist Church,
African Methodist Episcopal Church,[2]
Foursquare
Gospel Church, Association of Vineyard Churches,[3]
Metropolitan Community Church, Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ), Assemblies of God, the Reformed
Church in America, Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh
Day Baptists,[4]
and most churches in the Southern
Baptist Convention.[5]
All bodies in the Liberal Catholic
Movement practice open communion as a matter of
policy. The official policy of the Episcopal Church is
to only invite baptized persons to receive communion.
However, many parishes do not insist on this and practice
open communion. Among Gnostic churches, both the
Ecclesia Gnostica and the Apostolic Johannite Church
practice open communion. The Plymouth Brethren
4

8. 2.5. POSITION OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH 5
were founded on the basis of an open communion with
any baptized Christian: today, following John Nelson
Darby, Exclusive Brethren practise closed communion,
and Open Brethren practise open communion on the
basis of “receiving to the Lord’s table those whom He
has received, time being allowed for confidence to be
established in our minds that those who we receive
are the Lord’s.”[6]
Most churches in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America practice their own form
of open communion, offering the Eucharist to adults
without receiving catechetical instruction, provided they
are baptized and believe in the Real Presence.[7]
The
Churches of Christ, Christian churches and churches
of Christ, and the Calvary Chapel[8]
and as well as
other nondenominational churches also practice open
communion.
The Church of England and Church of Sweden are open
communion churches.
Notable exceptions include the Orthodox Church, the
Roman Catholic Church, Reformed Seventh Day Adven-
tists, and some Reformed or Calvinist denominations. All
these typically practice some form of closed communion.
Assemblies of God, Baptist and other churches that prac-
tice congregational polity, due to their autonomous na-
ture, may (depending on the individual congregation)
practice open or closed communion.
Other groups that practice open communion are the
Moravian Church[9]
Wesleyans,[10]
and the Christian and
Missionary Alliance.[11]
Within the Latter Day Saint
movement, the Community of Christ practices open com-
munion. The LDS Church, on the other hand, views
its corresponding ceremony (known as the Sacrament) as
having meaning only for church members (though with-
out actually forbidding others from participating).
In the Anglican Communion, as well as in many other
traditional Christian denominations, those who are not
baptized may come forward in the communion line with
their arms crossed over their chest, in order to receive a
blessing from the priest, in lieu of Holy Communion.[12]
Within the Nontrinitan groups, the Church of God Gen-
eral Conference practices open communion.[13]
2.4 Position of the Roman Catholic
Church
The Roman Catholic Church does not practise open
communion.[14]
In general it permits access to its Eu-
charistic communion only to baptized Catholics.[15]
In
lieu of Holy Communion, some parishes permit a non-
Catholic to come forward in the line, with his arms
crossed over his chest, and receive a blessing from the
priest.[16][17]
However, Canon 844 of the 1983 Code of
Canon Law of the Latin Church and the parallel canon
671 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches also
recognizes that in certain circumstances, by way of excep-
tion, and under certain conditions, access to these sacra-
ments may be permitted, or even commended, for Chris-
tians of other Churches and ecclesial Communities.
Thus it permits Eastern Christians who are not in full
communion with the Roman Catholic Church (Eastern
Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy and Assyrian
Church of the East) to receive Communion from Roman
Catholic ministers, if they request it of their own accord
and are properly disposed, and it applies the same rule
also to some Western Churches that the Holy See judges
to be in a situation similar to that of Eastern Christians
with regard to the sacraments.[18]
For other baptized Christians (Anglicans and Protestants)
the conditions are more severe. Only in danger of death
or if, in the judgement of the local bishop, there is a grave
and pressing need, may members of these Churches who
cannot approach a minister of their own Church be ad-
mitted to receive the Eucharist, if they spontaneously ask
for it, demonstrate that they have the catholic faith in the
Eucharist, and are properly disposed.[19]
Catholic priests have sometimes violated these rules, giv-
ing Holy Communion to non-Catholics,[20]
sometimes
unknowingly.[21]
Notably, Pope John Paul II gave Holy
Communion to Brother Roger, a Reformed pastor and
founder of the Taizé Community, several times; in addi-
tion Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) also
gave Brother Roger the Eucharist.[22][23][24]
Moreover,
after Brother Roger’s death, at the Mass celebrated for
him in France, “communion wafers were given to the
faithful indiscriminately, regardless of denomination”.[25]
The Catholic Church does not allow its own faithful to
receive Communion from ministers of another Church,
apart from in extreme cases, such as danger of death,
and only if it recognizes the validity of the sacraments
of that Church. Other conditions are that it be physi-
cally or morally impossible for the Catholic to approach
a Catholic minister, that it be a case of real need or spiri-
tual benefit, and that the danger of error or indifferentism
be avoided.[26]
2.5 Position of the Lutheran
Church
The Lutheran Church has a variety of practices, de-
pending on denominational polity. Some branches of
Lutheranism, such as the Lutheran Church Missouri
Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod,
do not practice open communion; they exclude non-
members and require catechetical instructions for all peo-
ple, even members from other Lutheran churches, before
receiving the Eucharist.[27]
This generally stems from an
understanding that sharing communion is a sign of Chris-
tian unity; where that unity is not present, neither should

9. 6 CHAPTER 2. OPEN COMMUNION
Eucharistic sharing be present.
Other parts of the Lutheran Church, including the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and many mem-
bers of the Lutheran World Federation, practice open
communion and welcome all Baptized Christians, regard-
less of their denominational affiliation, training, or spe-
cific beliefs, to the table. In fact, the ELCA has specific
communion sharing agreements with a number of other
Christian denominations, encouraging the sharing of the
sacrament across belief system boundaries.[28]
The un-
derstanding that lies behind this practice is that Commu-
nion is both a foretaste of eschatological Christian unity
as well as an effective means of fostering that unity.
The Evangelical Church in Germany, which is a feder-
ation of Lutheran and Reformed churches, has an open
communion.[29]
2.6 References
[1] PCA Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Fencing the
Lord’s Table
[2] “St. Peter’s AME Church”. Stpetersame.com. 18 January
2010. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
[3] “The Vineyard Church | Houston, Tx”. Houstonvine-
yard.org. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
[4] Communion | Seventh Day Baptist Church
[5] http://www.baptiststandard.com
[6] Website of Brook Street Chapel, Tottenham
[7] At what age do ELCA congregations allow members their
first Communion?. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
[8] “Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale | Our Beliefs: Statement
of Faith”. Calvaryftl.org. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
[9] “The Sacrament of Holy Communion”. Moravian.org.
Retrieved 11 October 2013.
[10] “The Wesleyan View of Communion”. Kenschenck.com.
Retrieved 11 October 2013.
[11] “FAQs”. Living Rock Church. Retrieved 11 October
2013.
[12] The Episcopal Handbook. Church Publishing, Inc. 1
September 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2012. Pastoral bless-
ings are often available for children or adults who are not
communing. Simply cross your arms over your chest if
you wish to receive a blessing.
[13] http://www.cggc.org/about/what-we-believe/
about-the-lords-supper/
[14] Code of Canon Law, canon 842 §1 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 675 §2
[15] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §1 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §1
[16] Flader, John (16 June 2010). Questions and Answers on
the Catholic Faith. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 25 June
2012.
[17] Mass & Communion Etiquette. Holy Family Catholic
Church. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
[18] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §3 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §3
[19] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §4 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §4
[20] Packman, Andrew. “Table Manners: Unexpected Grace
at Communion”. The Christian Century. Retrieved 25
June 2012.
[21] Can a non-Catholic receive Communion?
[22] Ivereigh, Austen (26 August 2008). “Brother Roger of
Taize -- Catholic, Protestant, what?". America Magazine.
Retrieved 24 July 2015. Brother Roger also received com-
munion several times from the hands of Pope John Paul
II, who had become friends with him from the days of
the Second Vatican Council and who was well acquainted
with his personal journey with respect to the Catholic
Church. In this sense, there was nothing secret or hidden
in the attitude of the Catholic Church, neither at Taizé or
in Rome. During the funeral of Pope John Paul II, Car-
dinal Ratzinger only repeated what had already been done
before him in Saint Peter’s Basilica, at the time of the late
Pope.
[23] The Catholic World Report, Volume 15. Ignatius Press.
2005. During the funeral for Pope John Paul II, Brother
Roger himself received Communion directly from then-
Cardinal Ratzinger.
[24] John L. Allen Jr. (11 August 2010). “Another tribute for
Taizé from the Vatican”. National Catholic Reporter. Re-
trieved 24 July 2015. Brother Roger received communion
several times from the hands of Pope John Paul II, who
had become friends with him from the days of the Second
Vatican Council, and who was well acquainted with his
personal journey with respect to the Catholic Church.
[25] Tagliabue, John (24 August 2005). “At His Funeral,
Brother Roger Has an Ecumenical Dream Fulfilled”. The
New York Times. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
[26] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §2 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §2
[27] http://www.lcms.org/faqs/doctrine#partake
[28] http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/
Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/
Office-of-the-Presiding-Bishop/
Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/
Full-Communion-Partners.aspx
[29] "Übertritt in die Evangelische Kirche” [Going over to the
Evangelical Church]. Evangelical Church in Germany.
Retrieved 10 November 2014.

10. 2.7. SEE ALSO 7
2.7 See also
• Eucharist
• Closed communion
• Excommunication

11. Chapter 3
Closed communion
Closed communion is the practice of restricting the
serving of the elements of Holy Communion (also called
Eucharist, The Lord’s Supper) to those who are mem-
bers in good standing of a particular church, denomina-
tion, sect, or congregation. Though the meaning of the
term varies slightly in different Christian theological tra-
ditions, it generally means that a church or denomina-
tion limits participation either to members of their own
church, members of their own denomination, or mem-
bers of some specific class (e.g., baptized members of
evangelical churches). See also intercommunion.
A closed-communion church is one that (perhaps with
exceptions in unusual circumstances) excludes non-
members from receiving communion. This is the prac-
tice of all churches dating from before the Protestant
Reformation and also of some Protestant church such
as Lutherans and Baptists. Lutherans require catecheti-
cal instruction for all people, even members from other
Lutheran Churches, before receiving the Eucharist while
some Baptist churches require part membership while
others even require full membership before participating
in the communion service.
Churches which practice open communion allow all
Christians to partake in the Lord’s Supper, with mem-
bership in a particular Christian community not required
to receive bread and wine, in contrast to pre-Reformation
churches, which hold that what is received in their cele-
brations ceases to be bread and wine.
3.1 Practice
3.1.1 Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (including all its component
particular Churches, whether Latin or Eastern) practices
closed communion. However, provided that “necessity
requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it” and that
the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, canon
844 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church
and the parallel canon 671 of the Code of Canons of
the Eastern Churches allow, in particular exceptional cir-
cumstances that are regulated by the diocesan bishop or
conference of bishops, members who cannot approach
a Catholic minister to receive the Eucharist from minis-
ters of churches that have a valid Eucharist.[1]
It also per-
mits properly disposed members of the Eastern churches
and of churches judged to be in the same situation with
regard to the sacraments to receive the Eucharist from
Catholic ministers, if they seek it of their own accord.[2]
The Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms
on Ecumenism warns that “due consideration should be
given to the discipline of the Eastern Churches for their
own faithful and any suggestion of proselytism should
be avoided.”[3]
Western Christians who do not share the
Catholic theology of the Eucharist (such as those who
follow Reformed Protestant teaching on the matter) are
absolutely excluded. Those who do personally share
Catholic belief in the Eucharist (as the body and blood
of the risen Christ, accompanied by his soul and divinity,
under the appearances of bread and wine) are permitted
to receive the sacrament when there is danger of death or,
in the judgement of the diocesan bishop or of the episco-
pal conference, some other grave necessity urges it and on
condition that “the person be unable to have recourse for
the sacrament to a minister of his or her own Church or
ecclesial Community, ask for the sacrament of his or her
own initiative, manifest Catholic faith in the sacrament
and be properly disposed”.[4][5]
The Catholic Church does not practise open communion,
holding that reception of Holy Communion is reserved
for those who are baptized.[6]
In general it permits ac-
cess to its Eucharistic communion only to those who share
its oneness in faith, worship and ecclesial life.[7]
For the
same reasons, it also recognizes that in certain circum-
stances, by way of exception, and under certain condi-
tions, access to these sacraments may be permitted for
Christians of other Churches and ecclesial Communities.
Thus it permits Eastern Christians who are not in full
communion with the Catholic Church (Eastern Orthodox
Church, Oriental Orthodoxy and Assyrian Church of the
East) to receive Communion from Catholic ministers, if
they request it of their own accord and are properly dis-
posed, and it applies the same rule also to some Western
Churches that the Holy See judges to be in a situation
similar to that of Eastern Christians with regard to the
sacraments.[8]
For other baptized Christians (Anglicans,
Lutherans, and other Protestants) the conditions are more
severe. Only in danger of death or if, in the judgement
8

12. 3.1. PRACTICE 9
of the local bishop, there is a grave and pressing need,
may members of these Churches who cannot approach a
minister of their own Church be admitted to receive the
Eucharist, if they spontaneously ask for it, demonstrate
that they have the catholic faith in the Eucharist, and are
properly disposed.[9]
The Catholic Church allows its own faithful to receive
Communion from ministers of another Church, only if it
recognizes the validity of the sacraments of that Church,
and so it never allows reception of Communion as ad-
ministered in Protestant churches, the validity of whose
orders it denies. Other conditions are that it is physically
or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister,
that it is a case of real need or spiritual benefit, and that
the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided.[10]
The Catholic Church thus clearly distinguishes between
Churches whose celebration of the Eucharist it recognizes
as valid and other Christian communities.[11]
It does not
allow a Catholic to receive communion in a Protestant
church, since it does not consider Protestant ministers to
be priests ordained by bishops in a line of valid succession
from the apostles. It applies this rule also to the Angli-
can Communion, pursuant to Apostolicae curae, a posi-
tion that the Church of England disputed in Saepius offi-
cio.
3.1.2 Lutheranism
Confessional Lutheran churches, including the Lutheran
Church–Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical
Lutheran Synod, practice closed communion and require
catechetical instruction for all people before receiving the
Eucharist.[12][13][14][15]
Failing to do so is condemned by
these Lutherans as the sin of unionism.[16]
This teaching
comes[17]
from 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 which says, “Is
not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a
participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread
that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Be-
cause there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,
for we all share the one loaf” and Paul’s teaching of fel-
lowship in 1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers
and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all
of you agree with one another in what you say and that
there be no divisions among you, but that you be per-
fectly united in mind and thought.” These Lutherans also
take seriously God’s threat in 1 Corinthians 11:27,29 that
“Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord
in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against
the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine
himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of this cup.
For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the
body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.”
Therefore, the belief is that, inviting those forward who
have not been first instructed would be unloving on the
church’s part, because they would be inviting people for-
ward to sin.[18]
This is described as akin to letting some-
one drink poison without stopping him. [19]
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
the largest Lutheran Church in America, however, does
not practice closed communion, but rather “eucharistic
hospitality.”[20]
In terms of guests receiving the Sacra-
ment, according to this practice, the burden of decision
of admittance to the Sacrament is not on the host con-
gregation, but on its guests. The invitation to the Sacra-
ment is extended to “all baptized persons,” along with “a
brief written or oral statement in worship which teaches
Christ’s presence in the sacrament.” In terms of members
receiving the Sacrament, reception of the Sacrament is al-
ways to include “continuing catechesis [which] include[s]
instruction for Holy Communion,” but this is not a pre-
requisite for first communion, and even infants may be
permitted to receive the Sacrament at or after the service
of their baptism.[20][21]
3.1.3 Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, comprising 14 or 15
autocephalous Orthodox hierarchical churches, is even
more strictly a closed-communion Church. Thus,
a member of the Russian Orthodox Church attend-
ing the Divine Liturgy in a Greek Orthodox Church
will be allowed to receive communion and vice versa
but, although Protestants, non-Trinitarian Christians, or
Catholics may otherwise fully participate in an Ortho-
dox Divine Liturgy, they will be excluded from commu-
nion. In the strictest sense, non-Orthodox may be present
at the Divine Liturgy only up to the exclamation “The
doors! The doors!" and ought to leave the church after
that. However, this attitude has been relaxed in most Or-
thodox churches; a non-communicant may stay and par-
ticipate in the Divine Liturgy but may not partake of the
Eucharist.[22]
Thus, while in certain circumstances the
Catholic Church allows its faithful who cannot approach
a Catholic minister to receive the Eucharist from an East-
ern Orthodox priest, the Eastern Orthodox Church does
not admit them to receive the Eucharist from its ministers.
At the very end of the Divine Liturgy, all people come up
to receive a little piece of bread, called antidoron, which
is blessed but not consecrated, being taken from the same
loaf as the bread used in the consecration. Non-Orthodox
present at the Liturgy are not only permitted but even en-
couraged to receive the blessed bread as an expression of
Christian fellowship and love.
3.1.4 Baptists
Some Baptists practice closed communion even more
strictly than the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and
the Eastern Orthodox Church. They restrict communion
(or the Lord’s Supper) to members of the local church
observing the ordinance. So thus, members from other
churches, even members of other local churches of the
same Baptist group are excluded from participating in
the communion. The Strict Baptists in the United King-

13. 10 CHAPTER 3. CLOSED COMMUNION
dom derive their name from this practice. In the United
States, it is usually, but not exclusively, associated with
Landmark ecclesiology. For a similar practice by some
others, see “Close Communion”, below.
The closed communion practiced by Primitive Baptists
admits participation by Primitive Baptists who do not be-
long to the local church.[23]
3.1.5 Other groups
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Pres-
byterian Church, the Reformed Seventh-day Adventist
Church, Exclusive Brethren, the Apostolic Christian
Church, the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, Amish,
some Anglicans, the Church of God in Christ, the Church
of God of Prophecy, and some other churches in the
Reformed tradition such as Calvinists also practice closed
communion. Jehovah’s Witnesses hold that only the
144,000 should receive communion. Other nontrinitar-
ian Christians that practice closed communion include
the Church of God (Seventh Day), Christadelphians, and
Oneness Pentecostals such as the True Jesus Church.[24]
3.1.6 Latter Day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS
Church) serves communion to its members only al-
though without forbidding others to participate, but the
Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) practices open com-
munion.
3.2 “Close Communion”
Among the modern descendants of the Anabaptists, the
Amish, Old Order Mennonites and Conservative Men-
nonites all practice what they term close communion, re-
stricting communion to members of a local congregation
only.
The term close communion normally means the same
thing as closed communion. However, some make a dis-
tinction, so the terms can be a source of confusion.
The most prominent distinction (which in some circles
may be called “cracked communion”) is one where a
member of a congregation holding the “same faith and
practice” as the hosting congregation (generally meaning
being a member of a congregation in the same or a sim-
ilar denomination) may participate in the service, but a
member of another denomination may not. For example,
a Southern Baptist congregation practicing close commu-
nion might allow a member of another Southern Baptist
congregation to participate, on the premise that both con-
gregations are of the “same faith and practice” as they are
both in the same denomination. Similarly, the Southern
Franz Pieper, June 27, 1852 - June 3, 1931
Baptist congregation might allow a member of an Inde-
pendent Baptist congregation to participate; though the
congregations are of different denominations the differ-
ences between them are mainly in the area of church or-
ganization and not in doctrinal issues, thus falling under
the “same faith and practice” rule. However, the con-
gregation would thus exclude a Catholic, on the basis
that Baptists and Catholics are not of the “same faith and
practice”.[25]
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia allows
communion to those who can assent to the first three
terms of its church covenants, and discuss this with the
elders ahead of time. They don't appear to distinguish
the term “close communion” from “closed communion”,
though.
The earliest use of close communion comes from a mis-
translation of the Lutheran theologian Franz August Otto
Pieper’s Christian Dogmatics. The term has since spread,
although both the first edition and later translations cor-
rected the error to “closed communion.” [26]
3.3 Supporting belief
Complex reasons underlie the belief. In 1 Corinthians
10, it is written: “The chalice of benediction which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking
of the body of the Lord? For we, being many, are one
bread, one body: all that partake of one bread.” Since
all Christians are now no longer of a unity that would al-

14. 3.5. COMMUNION TOKENS 11
low common celebration of the Eucharist between them
all, the bread being a visible sign of union, communion
is not taken together between separated Churches and
communities. Additionally as described in 1Co 11:29:
“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and
drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s
body.” It is deemed better to prevent outsiders from tak-
ing communion than to risk them taking communion “un-
worthily”. Catholics thus see the communion as sinful for
those who do not recognise the Real Presence or who are
otherwise 'unworthy', i.e. who are not in the 'right place'
to accept the Eucharist (free of mortal sin). Christian
communities that keep close communion often also have
accountability within those members that partake of the
communion, so that they do not run afoul of this problem.
Such communities will also delay taking communion un-
til the members (the church body) can take communion
in Christian unity, as required by 1Co 11:33 “Wherefore,
my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for
another.”
Justin Martyr indicated that the second-century Chris-
tian Church had three requirements for sharing in the Eu-
charist: identity of belief, Christian baptism, and moral
life. “No one may share in the eucharist except those
who believe in the truth of our teachings and have been
washed in the bath which confers forgiveness of sins and
rebirth, and who live according to Christ’s commands”
(First Apology, 66).
Corporate responsibility is another argument often used
in favour of closed communion. The Heidelberg Cate-
chism, for example, says that those who “by confession
and life, declare themselves unbelieving and ungodly” are
not to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper, for then “the
covenant of God would be profaned, and his wrath kin-
dled against the whole congregation.” Church leaders are
obliged to do all they can to ensure that this does not hap-
pen, and hence “exclude such persons... till they show
amendment of life,” (Q & A 82).
3.4 Fenced table
In Protestant theology, a fenced table is a communion
table which is open only to accredited members of the
Christian community. Fencing the table is thus the op-
posite of open communion, where the invitation to the
sacrament is extended to “all who love the Lord” and
members of any denomination are welcome at their own
discretion.
The phrase goes back to early Scottish Calvinism, where
the communion table literally had a fence around it, with a
gate at each end. The members of the congregation were
allowed to pass the gate on showing their communion to-
ken, a specially minted coin which served as an admission
ticket and was given only to those who were in good stand-
ing with the local congregation and could pass a test of the
catechism. Examples of this kind of church furnishing
are still to be seen in a very few highland churches.
A communion token from South Leith Parish Church.
The phrase “fencing the table” is also used metaphori-
cally for other kinds of group demarcation and restrictive
practices.
3.5 Communion tokens
Main article: Communion token
Many Scottish Protestant churches used to give tokens to
members passing a religious test prior to the day of com-
munion, then required the token for entry. Some US and
other churches also used communion tokens.
3.6 See also
• Open communion
• Sister Churches (ecclesiology)
3.7 References
[1] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §2
[2] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §3
[3] Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on
Ecumenism, 125

15. 12 CHAPTER 3. CLOSED COMMUNION
[4] Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on
Ecumenism, 131
[5] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §4
[6] Code of Canon Law, canon 842 §1 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 675 §2
[7] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §1 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §1
[8] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §3 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §3
[9] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §4 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §4
[10] Code of Canon Law, canon 844 §2 and Code of Canons
of the Eastern Churches, canon 671 §2
[11] Communion of Non-Catholics or Intercommunion
[12] WELS Topical Q&A: Romans 16:17 - What Kind of
Warning Is This?, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
[13] “Closed Communion” @ www.lcms.org. Retrieved 2010-
01-17.
[14] Understanding Closed Communion, stating "Therefore,
our Congregation and our Denomination practices what is
called ‘close or closed Communion’, meaning that before
you take Communion at our Churches, we ask you to take
a Communion Class first to properly learn what Commu-
nion is all about.", by Archive.org
[15] Holy Communion - A Guide for Visitors
[16] Christian Encyclopedia: Unionism. Retrieved 2014-06-
21.
[17] “Need help explaining simply to Catholic the closed com-
munion”. WELS Topical Q&A. Wisconsin Evangelical
Lutheran Synod. Archived from the original on 27 Sep
2009. Retrieved 29 Jan 2015.
[18] “Communion - Both “close” and “closed"". Forward in
Christ. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Archived
from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 29 Jan 2015.
[19] “Fellowship and Worship principles”. WELS Topical
Q&A. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Retrieved
29 Jan 2015.
[20] Use of the Means of Grace: A Statement on the Practice of
Word and Sacrament, ELCA, 1997).
[21] At what age do ELCA congregations allow members their
first Communion?. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
[22] Timothy Ware, “The Orthodox Church” 1963.
[23] http://marchtozion.com/church/
134-why-primitive-baptists-practice-closed-communion
[24] http://www.cerm.info/bible_studies/Apologetics/
Oneness_pentecostalism.htm
[25] Finn, Nathan (September 2006). “Baptism as a Prereq-
uisite to the Lord’s Supper” (PDF). The Center for Theo-
logical Research. p. 10.
[26] Text from Minister to Minister, Sept. 1997 - Gerald Ki-
eschnick, President Texas District
3.8 External links
3.8.1 Lutheran perspective
• A closer look at close communion - Confessional
Lutheran perspective
• Close Communion: Its Basis and Practice, a Confes-
sional Lutheran view, by Wisconsin Lutheran Sem-
inary Library
• What about Fellowship Official Lutheran Church
- Missouri Synod statement regarding closed/close
communion
• The Biblical Practice of Closed Communion
(PDF) - a Lutheran church-Missouri Synod
view
3.8.2 Apostolic Christian Church perspec-
tive
• Closed Communion
3.8.3 Eastern Orthodox perspective
• Ecclesiology and Communion
3.8.4 Baptist perspective
• The Case for Closed Communion
• Covenant Communion - a variation of the
Closed Communion emphasis
3.8.5 Anabaptist perspective
• The Lord’s Supper
3.8.6 Reformed perspective
• Close Communion - American Presbyterian view
• Terms of Communion - Reformed Presbyterian /
Associate Presbyterian / United Presbyterian views
3.8.7 Roman Catholic perspective
• Why does the Catholic Church have a closed Com-
munion? and Who can receive Communion?
• Relative part of the Roman Catholic Directory for
the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecu-
menism

16. Chapter 4
Koinonia
For other uses, see Koinonia (disambiguation).
Koinonia {coy NO nyah / coin IN ee ah) is a transliterated
form of the Greek word, κοινωνία, which means com-
munion, joint participation; the share which one has in
anything, participation, a gift jointly contributed, a col-
lection, a contribution, etc. It identifies the idealized
state of fellowship and unity that should exist within the
Christian church, the Body of Christ.
4.1 New Testament usage of
koinonia
The essential meaning of the koinonia embraces concepts
conveyed in the English terms community, communion,
joint participation, sharing and intimacy. Koinonia can
therefore refer in some contexts to a jointly contributed
gift.[1]
The word appears 19 times in most editions of the
Greek New Testament. In the New American Standard
Bible, it is translated “fellowship” twelve times, “sharing”
three times, and “participation” and “contribution” twice
each.[2]
In the New Testament, the basis of communion begins
with a joining of Jesus with the community of the faith-
ful. This union is also experienced in practical daily life.
The same bonds that link the individual to Jesus also link
him or her with other faithful. The New Testament letters
describe those bonds as so vital and genuine that a deep
level of intimacy can be experienced among the members
of a local church.[3]
The first usage of koinonia in the Greek New Testament
is found in Acts 2:42-47, where a striking description of
the common life shared by the early Christian believers
in Jerusalem is given:
Communion itself was the breaking of bread and the form
of worship and prayer. It was in the breaking of the bread
that the Apostles “recognized” Christ and it was in the
breaking of bread, called Communion, that they cele-
brated Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection in obedi-
ence to his Last Supper instruction: “Do this in memory
of me.”
A special New Testament application of the word
koinonia is to describe the Communion that existed at
the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or sacrament of the
Eucharist. For example, 1 Corinthians 10:16 (KJV) use
the English word “communion” to represent the Greek
word koinonia. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is
it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread
which we break, is it not the communion of the body of
Christ?" Any common meal certainly could represent a
“sharing”. The koinonia is viewed as much deeper, how-
ever, when the meal is associated with a spiritual purpose.
Joining in the Lord’s Supper is uniting oneself with other
believers in the objective reality of Christ’s death.[4]
4.2 The spiritual meaning of
koinonia
The word has such a multitude of meanings that no single
English word is adequate to express its depth and richness.
It is a derivative of “koinos”, the word for “common”.
Koinonia is a complex, rich, and thoroughly fascinating
Greek approach to building community or teamwork.
Koinonia embraced a strong commitment to “kalos
k'agathos” meaning “good and good”, an inner goodness
toward virtue, and an outer goodness toward social re-
lationships. In the context of outer goodness, translated
into English, the meaning of koinonia holds the idea of
joint participation in something with someone, such as
in a community, or team or an alliance or joint venture.
Those who have studied the word find there is always an
implication of action included in its meaning. The word
is meaning-rich too, since it is used in a variety of related
contexts.
4.2.1 Sharing
Koinonos means 'a sharer' as in to share with one another
in a possession held in common as Christ would have it.
It implies the spirit of generous sharing or the act of giv-
ing as contrasted with selfish getting. When koinonia is
present, the spirit of sharing and giving becomes tangible.
In most contexts, generosity is not an abstract ideal, but
13

17. 14 CHAPTER 4. KOINONIA
a demonstrable action resulting in a tangible and realistic
expression of giving.
In classical Greek, koinonein means “to have a share in a
thing,” as when two or more people hold something, or
even all things, in common. It can mean “going shares”
with others, thereby having “business dealings” such as
joint ownership of a ship. It can also imply “sharing an
opinion” with someone, and therefore agreeing with him,
or disagreeing in a congenial way. Only participation as
a contributive member allows one to share in what oth-
ers have. What is shared, received or given becomes the
common ground through which Koinonia becomes real.
4.2.2 Relationships
Koinonos in classical Greek means a companion, a part-
ner or a joint-owner. Therefore, koinonia can imply an
association, common effort, or a partnership in com-
mon. The common ground by which the two parties are
joined together creates an aligned relationship, such as
a “fellowship” or “partnership”. In a papyrus announce-
ment, a man speaks of his brother “with whom I have
no koinonia”, meaning no business connection or com-
mon interest. In the New Testament, (Luke 5:10) James,
John, and Simon are called “partners” (koinonia). The
joint participation was a shared fishing business.
Two people may enter into marriage in order to have
“koinonia of life”, that is to say, to live together a life in
which everything is shared. Koinonia was used to refer to
the marriage bond, and it suggested a powerful common
interest that could hold two or more persons together.
The term can also relate to a spiritual relationship. In
this sense, the meaning something that is held and shared
jointly with others for God, speaking to man’s “relation-
ship with God”. Epictetus talks of religion as ‘aiming to
have koinonia with Zeus". The early Christian commu-
nity saw this as a relationship with the Holy Spirit. In this
context, koinonia highlights a higher purpose or mission
that benefits the greater good of the members as a whole.
The term “enthusiasm” is connected to this meaning of
koinonia for it signifies “to be imbued with the Spirit of
God in Us.”
To create a bond between comrades is the meaning of
koinonia when people are recognized, share their joy and
pains together, and are united because of their common
experiences, interests and goals. Fellowship creates a mu-
tual bond which overrides each individual’s pride, vanity,
and individualism, fulfilling the human yearning with fra-
ternity, belonging, and companionship. This meaning of
koinonia accounts for the ease by which sharing and gen-
erosity flow. When combined with the spiritual implica-
tions of koinonia, fellowship provides a joint participation
in God’s graces and denotes that common possession of
spiritual values.
Thus early Greco-Roman had a fellowship God, sharing
the common experience of joys, fears, tears, and divine
glory. In this manner, those who shared believed their
true wealth lay not in what they had, but in what they gave
to others. Fellowship is never passive in the meaning of
koinonia, it is always linked to action, not just being to-
gether, but also doing together. With fellowship comes a
close and intimate relationship embracing ideas, commu-
nication, and frankness, as in a true, blessed interdepen-
dent friendship among multiple group members.
4.2.3 Community
The idea of community denotes a “common unity” of pur-
pose and interests. By engaging in this united relation-
ship a new level of consciousness and conscience emerges
that spurs the group to higher order thinking and action,
thus empowering and encouraging its members to exist
in a mutually beneficial relationship. Thus community
and family become closely intertwined, because aiming
at a common unity strives to overcome brokenness, di-
visiveness, and, ultimately gaining wholeness with each
of the members, with their environment, and with their
God. By giving mutual support, friendship and family
merge. Both fellowship and community imply an inner
and outer unity. Nowhere in the framework of commu-
nity is there implied a hierarchy of command and control.
While there is leadership, the leader’s task is to focus en-
ergy, and align interests, not impose control.
Koinonia creates a brethren bond which builds trust and,
especially when combined with the values of Wisdom,
Virtue and Honor, overcomes two of humanity’s deep-
est fears and insecurities: being betrayed and being de-
meaned.
Whether working collectively or individually, the inno-
vators of ancient Greece worked for the greater good of
the whole — to propel their community forward, to share
their understanding with others so that all ships would rise
on a rising tide. Thus loftier goals and dreams are more
easily manifested in the mind and achieved in reality. The
team’s sense of Purpose became manifest.[5]
4.3 The sacramental meaning of
koinonia
The Eucharist is the sacrament of communion with one
another in the one body of Christ. This was the full
meaning of eucharistic koinonia in the early Catholic
Church.[6]
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “the Eucharist is
the sacrament of the unity of the Church, which results
from the fact that many are one in Christ.”[7]

18. 4.8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 15
4.4 The problem associated with
the etymological meaning of
koinonia
In his book Communitas (1998), Roberto Esposito sug-
gests that “koinonia” is not “completely equivalent” to
“communitas”, “communio”, or “ekklesia":
“Indeed, one could argue that it is the ar-
duous relation that the 'koinonia' has with the
originary form of 'munus’ that distances it from
its strictly ecclesiastical inflection.”[8]
4.5 See also
• Communion (Christian)
• Koinonia Partners (formerly Koinonia Farm), an
intentional community founded on principles of
koinonia
4.6 References
[1] Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p.
352.
[2] NAS Exhaustive Concordance
[3] Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, p. 275-
276.
[4] Robinson, “Communion; Fellowship,” in Bromiley, The
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, pp. 752-753.
[5] Lynch, “How the Greeks created the First Golden Age of
Innovation”.
[6] Hertling, L. Communion, Church and Papacy in Early
Christianity Chicago: Loyola University, 1972.
[7] ST III, 82. 2 ad 3; cf. 82. 9 ad 2.
[8] ESPOSITO, Roberto ([1998]2010). Communitas. The
Origin and Destiny of Community, tr. by Timothy Camp-
bell, Standford: Stanford University Press, p.10 Read the
full introduction Introduction: Nothing In Common
4.7 Further reading
• Lewis-Elgidely, Verna. Koinonia in the Three Great
Abrahamic Faiths: Acclaiming the Mystery and Di-
versity of Faiths, Cloverdale Books, 2007. ISBN
978-1-929569-37-3
4.8 Bibliography
• NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with
Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries. The
Lockman Foundation. 1998 [1981].
• Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (1979). The International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids, Michi-
gan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
• Lynch, Robert Porter; Ninon Prozonic (2006).
“How the Greeks created the First Golden Age of
Innovation” (Word document). p. 14. Retrieved
2007-04-08.
• Richards, Lawrence O. (1985). Expository Dictio-
nary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zon-
dervan Corporation.
• Thayer, Joseph H. (1885). Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zon-
dervan Publishing House.
4.9 External links
• Lexicon entry for koinonia, common domain

19. 16 CHAPTER 4. KOINONIA
4.10 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
4.10.1 Text
• Communion (Christian) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communion_(Christian)?oldid=682183559 Contributors: Fubar Obfusco,
Michael Hardy, Choster, DonPaolo, Tom harrison, Andycjp, Lima, Pearle, Alansohn, Arthena, Isnow, Dodo78, Search4Lancer, ABot, Paul
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Pastor, Narky Blert and Anonymous: 62
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Bertelin, Ptolemy Caesarion, Vanished user ewfisn2348tui2f8n2fio2utjfeoi210r39jf, Anchor Link Bot, James2c19v, BoBoMisiu, Shark96z,
Ohsimone, Elizium23, John Paul Parks, Bazj, Addbot, Tarheelz123, Yobot, AnomieBOT, Schetm, SD5, Routerone, Novaseminary, Boy-
wiz, Kyledi, Einie101, Steve03Mills, Esoglou, Hazhk, BG19bot, HGK745, Jfhutson, FoCuSandLeArN, Ashbeckjonathan, AsteriskStar-
Splat and Anonymous: 58
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