Greek · The Great Words

Koinonia: Fellowship

Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship: not just friendly company but a shared life, things genuinely held in common, which the New Testament roots first in sharing the life of God himself.

The original word

How the Bible uses it

What it means

Koinonia comes from the ordinary word for ‘common’. It described business partners who shared a venture, or friends who shared a life. The New Testament takes that everyday word and makes it hold something profound: a community that shares not only meals and prayers but the very life of God.

So koinonia is more than socialising. Acts pictures it as breaking bread, praying, and sharing possessions so that no one was in need. It is fellowship with weight to it, a genuine holding of life in common.

And Christ

John is careful about the order: our fellowship with one another flows from a prior fellowship ‘with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ’ (1 John 1:3). We are drawn into the shared life of God, and only then into real shared life with each other. This is why Christians say the church is not a club you join but a family you are welcomed into, through Christ.

Frequently asked questions

What does koinonia mean?

Koinonia (Greek κοινωνία, Strong's G2842) means fellowship, sharing, or partnership, a life genuinely held in common. It comes from koinos, meaning 'common', and describes far more than casual friendship.

What is biblical fellowship?

Biblical fellowship is a shared life, seen in Acts 2:42 as teaching, breaking bread, prayer, and sharing possessions. According to 1 John 1:3 it flows first from fellowship with the Father and the Son, and then out into community with one another.

Is koinonia just socialising?

No. Koinonia can include meals and friendship, but at its heart it is sharing the very life of God and, from that, a real common life with others, holding things together rather than merely gathering.