What does it mean to have fellowship of the Spirit (Philippians 2:1)?

The third motive for the exhortations to follow is: If there be "any fellowship of the Spirit." We must remember that in the old manuscripts there was no difference between capitals and small letters, (for all were capitals), so we cannot be perfectly certain whether the word "spirit", should have a capital or not: whether it refers to the fellowship between the spirits of the saints: or the fellowship we have in the Spirit of God. Possibly both are included. Every true saint of God has the Spirit of God dwelling in him; and by God's Spirit every saint is linked to Christ, and linked to each other. The Spirit of God is such a bond between saints, that none can ever break it: all our divisions and sects and parties cannot break that bond of "fellowship of the Spirit." It, rather, should I say, HE is like that middle bar of the tabernacle, out of sight, that shot through the boards from the one end to the other, (Ex. 36:33), but it was the strongest bond to hold the boards together. We will see in a moment the exceeding beauty and need for this reminder as a motive for the Apostle's exhortation that is to follow.

The last motive is a joint one: If there be "any tender-heartedness and compassions." I take it that again we must supply "in Christ." The word translated "tender-heartedness" is really bowels: it is the "abode of tender feelings." The word "bowels" does not convey this meaning to most of us, as we use the word heart instead. We know the meaning of the word "heartless"; and I suppose the ideal word would be one with the opposite meaning, while still using the word heart, but we do not seem to have such a word in English, so perhaps tender-heartedness conveys most closely the meaning of the Greek word. The word translated compassions is the manifestation of these tender-hearted feelings. Both words are in the plural: and together give us the inward spring and the outward manifestation of the Lord's tender love and care for us.

'If any fellowship of the Spirit.'4 How should we take these words, which imply, like the rest, their conscious possession of the thing described? The language is ambiguous, and intended, it appears to me, to carry a double meaning. For it may well express, first, that oneness of spirit among fellow-servants of the same Master to which he had so feelingly referred in the former chapter, and which he elsewhere also speaks of as a happy experience of his own;5 but secondly, and chiefly, it is 'the communion of the Holy Ghost' that seems intended, which last, as the greater, includes and is the efficient cause of the former. Among true yoke-fellows there was surely fellowship of spirit, as both he and they well knew, and should yet more fully know. But his appeal here is not partial but general, as in the other points. They who knew that consolation was in Christ knew also their own participation of that Spirit which is God's common seal of His purchased possession. Their zeal for the Gospel, already noticed, was one effect of this fellowship of the Spirit, and he reckons on a continuance and experimental increase of the same fellowship for yet further fruit.

Before exhorting the saints to unity, Paul wrote to the Philippian saints, "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit" (Phil. 2:1). True Christian fellowship is "fellowship of the Spirit." In the Christian circle the motives that control our actions lie in the divine nature, and the Spirit of God gives character and power to all true fellowship. In the world fellowship is governed by similarity of outlook, and mutual interest; but in the assembly of God the Spirit of God binds the saints of God together, and enables them to express their feelings and desires towards one another in a way that gives pleasure to God.

The power for the enjoyment of this fellowship is the Spirit of God, given to dwell within us. Hence, 2 Corinthians closes with the words, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all." And Philippians 2:2 gives us to see the practical bearing of it, on the walk of the saints, as the Apostle so touchingly refers to it in his appeal, "if there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, of one accord, of one mind." This is the normal effect of the power of the Spirit, where He is ungrieved in us. He produces this unity among Christians, where self can have no place.

THE OPENING VERSE of chapter 2 appears to be an allusion to the supplies from the Philippians which had reached Paul by the hand of Epaphroditus. These gifts had been to him a very refreshing expression of the love and compassion that marked them, and of the true fellowship of the Spirit that existed between himself and them. As a result his heart had been filled with consolation and comfort in the midst of his afflictions. Whilst recognizing however, the immediate application of this first verse, do not let us miss its more general bearing. Christ is the source of consolation; love it is that produces comfort; the Spirit of God, possessed in common by all true believers, is the fountainhead of fellowship. These facts abide in all ages, and for us all.

The epistles to the Philippians and Colossians are remarkable by the absence of any allusion to the Spirit of God, save in a passing way. In Philippians Paul writes of the "fellowship of the Spirit" (Phil. 2:1), and "worship by the Spirit of God" (Phil. 3:3); while of Epaphras, in Colossians, he says, "Who also declared to us your love in the Spirit." These two things are beautiful. The true and normal character of the life of the Christian is unfolded in the Philippians. Christianity is the life of Christ reproduced in the life of the Christian here, by the power of Christ as his object, and to be seen in this world. There is "the fellowship of the Spirit" in that. In Colossians, on the other hand, the main subject is the glory of Christ, as Head, and the unfolding of His glories as the head of His body. Of that body we all are members, hence "love in the Spirit" (Col. 1:8), is a characteristic feature of the life each member possesses.

But the moment there is the setting forth of Christ, there is sure to be opposition. The apostle speaks in the end of chapter 1 of the Philippians being in the same conflict which they had seen in him. Satan tried to stop the testimony to the Lord Jesus by leading the rulers of this world to put the apostle into bonds, and he was trying to mar the testimony of the Philippians by want of unity. He will do all he can to stop any expression of Christ in the saints. The moment there was testimony for Christ in the world in Abel's sacrifice, Satan tried to blot it out, and Cain killed his brother; but it was futile, "he being dead yet speaketh." So in Paul, Christ would be magnified in his body whether by life or by death, through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Now turning to the Philippians, all desired to serve Christ and had ministered to the apostle, but Satan was seeking to bring in diversity of thought and mind among them. To correct it the apostle says, If there be any encouragement in Christ, comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies. He directs their eyes to Christ, and away from one another. Fellowship is in the Spirit, there is no bond of union for us in the flesh. Nothing would tend to disunion more than looking at each other according to the flesh; we should be greatly discouraged in doing this, but there is encouragement in Christ. If I look at myself and see how little I am for Christ, and see, too, it is because the flesh is allowed, and if I look at my fellow-saints and see how feeble their steps are - what discouragement: but that will not do, we must have our eyes turned away to Christ, there is encouragement in Him, for there is such comfort of love in Him, such tenderness and compassion. There is always encouragement in looking to Christ. Then we can get near each other. The flesh in us is all unlovely and we cannot trust it. The springs of life are in Christ, and we have received of His Spirit; thus we can regard one another as Christ looks at us - in love. The Spirit of God by the apostle always seeks to keep us up to our privileges; he would have us in the reality of God's thoughts as to us, and not let us, through the flesh in some form, sink below our privilege. See how he insists with the Galatians on the privilege of sonship, and of being children of Jerusalem above; he will not let them turn back to Judaism and Jerusalem on earth. The Spirit of God must enforce in our souls God's own grace towards us, and as we drink in of the Spirit of Christ we understand what fellowship in the Spirit is, and there are bowels and mercies instead of fault-finding and disunion.

(1) He appeals, therefore, to the comfort in Christ which they had enjoyed, the consolation of a love which had sought them and which was with them ever, a communion of the Spirit which had in it, therefore, a true, divine energy. There were bowels and compassions, tender thoughts and desires for others which the Spirit had awakened. He could appeal to them, therefore by all this, that they would fulfil what was his joy for them, that there might?be that perfect unity of mind which was but the unity of one aim, one interest, — the same love responsive in them all, soul joined to soul by this precious sympathy. Here oneness of mind would be not from mere reception of a common creed, but as the whole outcome of truth received, with all its blessed effects, as God wrought in them by it. The first necessity for this was that the spirit of the world, as the spirit of strife, with which the world was full, of vain glory which would necessitate a striving after it, should be absent from them. In the presence of God, lowliness is that which marks the soul. How could pride be nursed in such a presence? and where as a consequence realizing what they were themselves, of which they knew more, necessarily, than they could know of others? The result would be simple enough, the esteeming others as better than themselves. With regard to others, we have to give them credit to the full with regard to things in which we cannot know. With regard to ourselves, we are not called upon to spare ourselves; and in the consciousness of the love which is towards us, spite of all we are, we shall be delivered from any desire to make ourselves more than others. From this point of view, we can look upon each other, not with suspicion or envy, but, on the contrary, as rejoicing in that which we find of Christ in them. This is, in fact, the truest blessing for our own souls, — to walk in the enjoyment of that which Christ is, to all His own around us, and of the effects, therefore, produced by the reality of what Christ is, thus enjoyed.

In the third place it is the communion or fellowship of the Holy Ghost. Not only have we all been baptized into one body by the Spirit, but we “have been all made to drink into one Spirit”. Every one called to the fellowship of God’s Son has drunk of the living water of which John 4 speaks, and, consequently, has within him that well of water springing up to eternal life. Christian fellowship is not, therefore, merely an association which finds its centre in an outside Object, even when that object is so great and glorious as Christ; it is one which also palpitates with an inward spring of vitality and power in the Spirit of God. Here were the Corinthians making little circles round various teachers which should throb with admiration of the teacher in question. To such, the Apostle says, “the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all”. He had previously told them “All the saints salute you”, and bidden them “Greet one another with an holy kiss”. Did they respond? Anyway, to get away in mind from the confined and stuffy atmosphere of sectarianism into the fresh currents of the Spirit is a blessing indeed.

Christian fellowship is then the result of the gift and indwelling of the Holy Ghost, consequent on the accomplished redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ. Its activities are therefore spiritual. Fellowship is free and unfettered in its operation, but gives no license to levity or pride. It is serious, and gives none occasion to the flesh. It is a divinely wrought work.