A question that came to me recently: What is the scriptural test for fellowship in the New Testament and is it equivalent to the test for church membership as practiced today? Should it be?

I see it as a good thing when true brothers in Christ from different denominations come together to pray and work to obey the Great Commission. It shows unity, and emphasizes what is truly important. Is it legitimate to work together with born again believers who have a different doctrinal statement of faith? And, if it is, why do we exclude the same brothers from membership in our church if they don’t agree with our doctrinal statement of faith?

The issue of church membership today is, at least partially, one of management or more technically political power. If you doubt that statement, tell me this – who can vote and hold office in your church? If you have a membership roll in your church, only members can vote, hold office, or serve in teaching or leadership positions. There is a reason for this. We want our churches to be doctrinally correct and we don’t want believers who have been misled or who are not informed, to teach incorrect doctrine or make decisions in the church. My question – is our practice based on biblical teaching, biblical principles, human wisdom, practical considerations?

I believe that the Bible is inspired. I won’t go into detail on that issue here. I also believe that the Bible is sufficient. We can rely on the teaching and principles of scripture to guide and equip us to serve God.

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

So what does the Bible teach us about Christian fellowship and church membership?

John talks about one standard for Christian fellowship.

• 2John 1:9-11  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

“Receive him not into your house” refers, I belive, to church fellowship, as churches met in houses. John is saying that we should not allow those who do not believe in the doctrine of Christ to be allowed to fellowship in our church and we should not commend them to others.

I believe “the doctrine of Christ” is one test for Christian fellowship.  What is “the doctrine of Christ” that John refers to here?  This is how I summarize the minimum, essential doctrine of Christ:

• Jesus, being both God and man, sacrificed Himself  on the cross and bore the entire wrath of God in my place, was buried, rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven.

Of course, there is infinitely more to the story. We may well, As Paul Washer suggests, spend all of eternity learning more about God and the Gospel.

There are a couple of other matters to consider, though, in addition to the Doctrine of Christ, when it comes to deciding if it is appropriate for me to fellowship with a person as a Christian brother – false teachers and false brothers.

False teachers, according to Jesus, may appear to be teaching the truth but the fruit of their lives reveals they are ravenous wolves disguised as sheep. Instead of feeding the flock they massacre them and feed on them. (Matthew 7:15-20)

False brothers are those who claim to be believers but whose lives are characterized by sin. We all sin, but truly born again people are not okay with it and will repent and seek forgiveness. (1 John 1:8-10) The Apostle Paul clarifies his teaching to the Corinthian church in the context of church discipline in 1 Corinthains 5:9-11 “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” The phrase “not to eat” refers to the fellowship of the church, as this is one of the things the believers did together as a church. (Acts 2:42 & 46) (The process of church discipline is outlined by Jesus in Matthew 18:15-20 and aims to restore the offender to fellowship)

So to answer my first question, I believe that I should have fellowship with every person who is truly born of God. If they have been accepted by God, based on the work of Christ, they are my brothers and sisters.

As to my second question, Is this equivalent to church membership? I see no evidence that the early church had a membership roll in the way we do today. Their “membership” was organic as evidenced throughout the epistles in the use of the body metaphor. They were members, that is “body parts”, because they were a part of the church. As we have already seen, false teachers and false brothers were to be excluded and not to be received into the church. Since the churches were governed by elders rather than being a democracy, the policital problem of believers who are misled or uninformed becoming teachers or holding positions of authority was not an issue. Today, members must be subject to the elders of the church, and the church should have a detailed statement of beliefs.  However, churches in the New Testament were doctrinally correct, not because they only admitted believers who shared their views, but because they functioned under the leadership of the Head – Christ. (Ephesians 4:15) Of course, this is messy, as the New Testament letters plainly document.

Thirdly, since the test for fellowship in the New Testament was relational rather than contractual, should it be the same today? Should we abandon church membership rolls in favor of the biblical organic model? Like the Christian life as a whole, that would be impossible . . . unless empowered by the Holy Spirit.