Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”

TRUE FELLOWSHIP

Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

2nd Corinthians 13:1-11 “Finally, brethren . . . be of one mind. . . .”

1st Peter 3:8 “Finally, be ye all of one mind. . . .”

1st Corinthians 1:10-11 “. . . be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

John 17:8-11 “Holy Father, keep . . . those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

Proverbs 11:14 “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

Psalm 55:14 “We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.”

QUESTION: In whose company?

GODLY FELLOWSHIP REQUIRES MEN TO DISCRIMINATE:

Psalm 26:4-5 “I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.”

Λ 119:63 “I am companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” (Goodbye, Ecumenicals!)

Proverbs 9:6 “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”

2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness. . . ?”

Symbolic Examples

Deuteronomy 22:9 “Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.”

v. 10 “Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.”

v. 11 “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.”

1st Timothy 6:3-5 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds . . . from such withdraw thyself.”

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. . . .”

ATTRIBUTES OF TRUE FELLOWSHIP

Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened. . . .”

Isaiah 62:6 “. . . ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence.”

Matthew 23:8 “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.”

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. . . .”

17:25-26 “. . . that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them. . . .”

21:15-17 [Three times, the love of the Lord is made to equal feeding His sheep.]

Luke 22:31-32 “. . . but I have prayed for thee . . . and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Acts 20:35 “. . . ye ought to support the weak. . . .”

Romans 15:1 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

1st Thessalonians 5:14 “. . . comfort the feebleminded, support the weak. . . .”

Galatians 5:13 “. . . use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

6:1-10 “Bear ye one another’s burdens. . . .”

Hebrews 10:24-25 “. . . provoke unto love and to good works. . . . exhorting one another. . . .”

3:13 “But exhort one another daily . . . lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Ephesians 4:2-3 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. . . .”

5:1-2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us. . . .”

Philippians 2:1-3 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love. . . .”

1st John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”

(1st John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”)

Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”