“That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have
handled, concerning the Word of life;
2 the life was manifested, and we have
seen, and bear witness, and declare to
you that eternal life which was with
the Father and was manifested to us”
•
•
•
•
The Revelation of truth (the Word of Life) is precious!
The nature of which came with the manifestation of Jesus
Was given to eye-witnesses
Have confidence in the written word!
“3 that which we have seen and heard
we
to you, that
have
with ; and truly our
fellowship is with the
and with
.”
• The “revelation” of truth needs
declared
• It is the BASIS for fellowship
• “Fellowship” is something to
seek after; not automatically
assumed
• “that you may have fellowship”
FATHER
& SON
YOU
(believe)
US
(declare)
“4 And these things
we
to you that
your
may be
full. 5 This is the
which we
have
from
Him and
to
you, that God is
light and in Him is
no darkness at all”
Cannot have fellowship with
God or one another apart from
obeying what is written!
FATHER
& SON
LIGHT
YOU
US
“6 If we say that we
have fellowship
with Him, and
walk in darkness,
we lie and do not
practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in
the light as He is in
the light, we have
fellowship with one
another, and the
blood of Jesus
Christ His Son
cleanses us from all
sin.”
no fellowship
FATHER
& SON
LIGHT
YOU
US
Fellowship Defined
2 Corinthians 6:14-16
• (2 Corinthians 6:14-16) "Do not be
unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
For what fellowship has righteousness with
lawlessness? And what communion has
light with darkness? {15} And what accord
has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a
believer with an unbeliever? {16} And what
agreement has the temple of God with
idols? For you are the temple of the living
God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them
And walk among them. I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.""
 YOKED: implies a
common labor, i.e.,
yoking oxen together
 FELLOWSHIP:
“partnership, sharing
in, partaking of”
 COMMUNION:
“sharing in common,
joint participation,
association”
 ACCORD: “a sounding
together” (concord,
KJV), like “a chord” in
harmony with others
 PART: “a part as
distinct from the whole,
an assigned part,
portion”
 AGREEMENT: “a
putting together or joint
deposit, approval”
Fellowship With
Darkness
RIGHTEOUS
LIGHT
CHRIST
BELIEVER
TEM. of GOD
INIQUITY
DARKNESS
BELIAL
UNBELIEVER
IDOLS
This fellowship is sin!
Have No Fellowship
With Sin!
RIGHTEOUS
LIGHT
CHRIST
BELIEVER
TEM. of GOD
Ephesians 5:11
excludes
INIQUITY
DARKNESS
BELIAL
UNBELIEVER
IDOLS
Fellowship Requires Separation!
Fellowship of Saints:
Commonality in Christ
1 Corinthians 1:9
(1 Corinthians 1:9) "God is faithful, by whom
you were called into the fellowship of His
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
“Common Salvation”
(Jude 1:3) "Beloved, while I was very diligent to
write to you concerning our common salvation, I
found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to
contend earnestly for the faith which was once for
all delivered to the saints."
Continued
“Common Faith”
“To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy,
and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
our Savior” (Titus 1:4)
Not Common:
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who
called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
which is not another; but there are some who trouble you
and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6, 7)
“For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we
have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit
which you have not received, or a different gospel which
you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” (2
Cor. 11:4)
Whatever is opposed to what is common “in Christ”
must be rejected, not tolerated!
The Basis of Fellowship is Not…
Good intentions
“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its
end is the way of death” –Prov. 16:25 (Matt. 7:21-23)
Personal relationships
“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for
because of these things the wrath of God comes
upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not
be partakers with them” –Eph. 5:5-7
Luke 5:1-11; 14:25, 26
The Basis of Fellowship is Not…
Agreeing to disagree over doctrine
“Then after fourteen years I went up again to
Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with
me and I went up by revelation, and
communicated to them that gospel which I preach
among the Gentiles, but privately to those who
were of reputation, lest by any means I might run,
or had run, in vain. Yet not even Titus who was
with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be
circumcised. And this occurred because of false
brethren secretly brought in (who came in by
stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in
Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into
bondage), to whom we did not yield submission
even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might
continue with you” –Gal. 2:1-5 (cf. 2:11-14; Jn. 17:2021)
The Basis of Fellowship is Not…
Dismissing doctrine by some
supposed “lack of clarity”
John taught that the truth is as clear
as light is from darkness (1 Jn. 1)!
Jesus taught that we stumble only
because the light is not in us (Jn.
11:9, 10)
Jesus is that light (Jn. 12:35, 36,
46)
Darkness needs to be “cast off”
(Rom. 13:12)
The Idol of “Subjectivism”
Prov. 3:5-7; 28:26

Jesus taught God’s law regarding divorce and
remarriage (Matt. 5:32; 19:9)
◦ “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for
sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery;
and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery”
Clear or unclear?
 “whoever”
 “divorces his wife”
Clear or unclear?
 Except for sexual immorality” Clear or unclear?
 “and marries another”
Clear or unclear?
 “commits adultery”
Clear or unclear?
 “And whoever marries her”
Clear or unclear?
 Who is divorced”
Clear or unclear?
 “commits adultery”
Clear or unclear?

Jesus taught God’s law regarding divorce and
remarriage (Matt. 5:32; 19:9)
◦ “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for
sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery;
and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery”

Jesus Versus Darrell Beane…
◦ “Now the contention is that Jesus never said, never gave
authority for the guilty party to remarry. Well, I’m going to
show you that he did give authority for the guilty party to
remarry. And he gave specific authority for the guilty party
to remarry”
(
http://watchmanmag.com/1999/02/01/charts-divorce-remarriage-and-fellowship/ )
taught God’s law regarding divorce and
remarriage (Matt. 5:32; 19:9)
Jesus’ teaching lacks clarity on the subject,
Then…
◦ No one can be certain about anything regarding
remarriage
◦ The Lord’s teaching was not light and thereby
taught things that were not “in God” (1 Jn. 1:5)
 Was Jesus teaching light or darkness in Matthew 19:9?
◦ The Lord’s teaching was less bright than what the
prophets and apostles spoke (2 Pet. 1:19; cf. John
the forerunner, Lk. 1:79; Jn. 1:8)
◦ The Lord failed to teach us on things pertaining
to the dissolution of the most fundamental union
created by God

Are you ready to charge the Lord of
Glory with these things?
◦ “Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but
every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You
may be justified in Your words, And may
overcome when You are judged’” (Rom.
3:4)
◦ God’s teaching is only unclear to those
who have not cast off works of darkness
and fail to arm with light (Rom. 13:12; cf.
Lk. 11:34, 35; Jn. 1:5)


Heard Jesus didn’t think He lacked clarity (Matt.
19:10)
Teach that the Lord’s teaching “lacks clarity,” sin
◦ Are not worthy of fellowship
◦ Kick against the goads
◦ Err grievously and do not know the power of God nor the
scriptures

who hold up the hands of those who teach error
on MDR have fellowship with them (2 Jn. 9-11)
◦ Those who preach for Christ need to have a spine to call
a spade a spade!
 Fellowship
with Christ is the
foundation for unity of mind, will
& action among Christians
◦ 1 Cor. 1:9-10
 Fellowship
implies unity,
Acts 2:42, 44
Fellowship and Unity
Eph. 4:1-3; 1 Cor. 1:9-10
↭


↭
S
I
N
fellowship is disrupted by
, division ultimately
occurs (Amos 3:1-3)
◦ Between God & man (Isa. 59:2)
◦ Between Christians
(1 Cor. 11:18-19)
 When
Unity is Disrupted by Sin…No
Fellowship!
“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”
(Amos 3:3)
Teach
truth, Gal. 2:9
Practice
truth, Eph. 4:1-3
Endorse
truth, 3 Jn. 5-8
Practice
error, 2 Jn. 9
Teach error, 2 Jn. 10
Endorse error, 2 Jn. 11
Therefore “Come out
from among them and be
separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is
unclean, and I will
receive you.”