Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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I have one question regarding the need for fellowship with one another in the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. What if there is a group of people who brings out the worst in us, for example we lose our temper with them or we fall into sin against them, how do we maintain a fellowship with them?

Often fellowship and unity are spoken of together. What exactly does fellowship and unity mean? It means going beyond yourself spiritually in dealing with others. "All things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient, all things are lawful for me but all things edifieth not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth" (I Corinthians 10:23-24).

The Holy Book of Philippians 2:3-4 speaks of fellowship, "If any fellowship of the spirit, let nothing be done in strife or vain glory, let each esteem others better than themselves, look not everyone on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

These verses mean that in fellowship with one another, as one family whose head is the Lord Jesus Christ, we must go beyond ourselves and extend ourselves one to another. We must further take into consideration the Christian spirit and qualities of true love when we enter into an upright fellowship. Thus "fellowship" will not cause us to spiritually harm ourselves or bring harm to another. The acceptable "fellowship" will have the reverse effect and bring us closer to the Lord our God.

Wrong doing will not be accepted, encouraged nor stimulated within a true fellowship with others and with the Lord Jesus Christ as the head of this fellowship.
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