Communion (Christian)
Encyclopedia
The term communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). The corresponding term in Greek
is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity
, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with other Christians. This basic meaning of the word, found in many passages of the New Testament
as well as in secular Greek, predates its other, more specific, Christian uses.
, it could apply to a business partnership, to fellowship of life in marriage, to a spiritual relationship with a god such as Zeus
, to comradely fellowship between friends, to a community or society.
, the Greek term κοινωνία (koinonia) is an exclusively New Testament
term, appearing nowhere in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament
known as the Septuagint. As a noun, or in its adjectival or verbal forms, it is found in 43 verses of the New Testament. In addition, the noun is found in some manuscripts (used for producing the English translation known as the King James Version, but not for more recent translations) in .
In the New Testament, the word is applied, according to the context, to communion, sharing or fellowship with:
Of these usages, Bromiley's International Standard Bible Encyclopedia selects as especially significant the following meanings:
, the term is used of a group of Christian Churches that have this close relationship of communion with each other. An example is the Anglican Communion
.
If the relationship between the Churches is complete, involving fulness of "those bonds of communion - faith, sacraments and pastoral governance - that permit the Faithful to receive the life of grace within the Church",http://clsa.org/content/files/USCCB_memo_2006_0405.pdf it is called full communion
. However, the term "full communion" is frequently used in a broader sense, to refer instead to a relationship between Christian Churches that are not united, but have only entered into an arrangement whereby members of each Church have certain rights within the other.
If a Church recognizes that another Church, with which it lacks bonds of pastoral governance, shares with it some of the beliefs and essential practices of Christianity, it may speak of "partial communion" between it and the other Church.
The communion of saints
is the relationship that, according to the belief of Christians, exists between them as people made holy by their link with Christ. This relationship is generally understood to extend not only to those still in earthly life, but also to those who have gone past death to be "at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Since the word rendered in English as "saints" can mean not only "holy people" but also "holy things", the term communion of saints also applies to the sharing by members of the Church in the holy things of faith, sacraments (especially the Eucharist
), and the other spiritual graces and gifts that they have in common.
In a special way the term communion is applied to sharing in the Eucharist by partaking of the consecrated bread and wine, an action seen as entering into a particularly close relationship with Christ. Sometimes the term is applied not only to this partaking but to the whole of the rite or to the consecrated elements. For further information, see the article Eucharist
.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with other Christians. This basic meaning of the word, found in many passages of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
as well as in secular Greek, predates its other, more specific, Christian uses.
Classical Greek
The Greek word κοινωνία (koinonia) was in use before the advent of Christianity. In Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, it could apply to a business partnership, to fellowship of life in marriage, to a spiritual relationship with a god such as Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, to comradely fellowship between friends, to a community or society.
New Testament
In the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, the Greek term κοινωνία (koinonia) is an exclusively New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
term, appearing nowhere in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
known as the Septuagint. As a noun, or in its adjectival or verbal forms, it is found in 43 verses of the New Testament. In addition, the noun is found in some manuscripts (used for producing the English translation known as the King James Version, but not for more recent translations) in .
In the New Testament, the word is applied, according to the context, to communion, sharing or fellowship with:
- the divine nature , God , the Trinity , Jesus, Son of God , his sufferings , his future glory , the Holy Spirit
- the blood and the body of Christ , pagan sacrifices and gods
- fellow Christians, their sufferings and the faith
- a source of spiritual favours , the gospel , light and darkness
- others' sufferings and consolation , their evangelizing work , their graces or privileges , their material needs, to remedy which assistance is given
- the evil deeds of others
- the bodily human nature all have in common
- a work partnership, secular or religious
Of these usages, Bromiley's International Standard Bible Encyclopedia selects as especially significant the following meanings:
- I. Common life in general (only in )
- II. Communion between particular groups, the most remarkable instance of which was that between Jews and Gentiles
- III. Communion in the Body and Blood of Christ
- IV. Sharing in divine revelation and with God himself .
Derived meanings in Christianity
By metonymyMetonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept...
, the term is used of a group of Christian Churches that have this close relationship of communion with each other. An example is the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
.
If the relationship between the Churches is complete, involving fulness of "those bonds of communion - faith, sacraments and pastoral governance - that permit the Faithful to receive the life of grace within the Church",http://clsa.org/content/files/USCCB_memo_2006_0405.pdf it is called full communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
. However, the term "full communion" is frequently used in a broader sense, to refer instead to a relationship between Christian Churches that are not united, but have only entered into an arrangement whereby members of each Church have certain rights within the other.
If a Church recognizes that another Church, with which it lacks bonds of pastoral governance, shares with it some of the beliefs and essential practices of Christianity, it may speak of "partial communion" between it and the other Church.
The communion of saints
Communion of Saints
The communion of saints , when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven, and, for those who believe in purgatory, those also who are in that state of purification.They are all part of a single "mystical body",...
is the relationship that, according to the belief of Christians, exists between them as people made holy by their link with Christ. This relationship is generally understood to extend not only to those still in earthly life, but also to those who have gone past death to be "at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Since the word rendered in English as "saints" can mean not only "holy people" but also "holy things", the term communion of saints also applies to the sharing by members of the Church in the holy things of faith, sacraments (especially the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
), and the other spiritual graces and gifts that they have in common.
In a special way the term communion is applied to sharing in the Eucharist by partaking of the consecrated bread and wine, an action seen as entering into a particularly close relationship with Christ. Sometimes the term is applied not only to this partaking but to the whole of the rite or to the consecrated elements. For further information, see the article Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
See also
- Communion of SaintsCommunion of SaintsThe communion of saints , when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven, and, for those who believe in purgatory, those also who are in that state of purification.They are all part of a single "mystical body",...
- Full communionFull communionIn Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
- EucharistEucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
- Open communionOpen communionOpen communion is the practice of Christian churches that allow individuals other than members of that church to receive Holy Communion...
- Closed communionClosed communionClosed communion is the practice of restricting the serving of the elements of Holy Communion to those who are members of a particular church, denomination, sect, or congregation...
- Open communion
- KoinoniaKoinoniaKoinonia is the anglicisation of a Greek word that means communion by intimate participation. The word is used frequently in the New Testament of the Bible to describe the relationship within the Early Christian church as well as the act of breaking bread in the manner which Christ prescribed...