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The
word “fellowship” is very familiar and is widely used among
believers in this country and abroad. It is used for a group of
believers who worship together. Many non-conformists prefer
“Fellowship” instead of “Church” or “Congregation”.
“Fellowship” is considered to be better than “church”, as it
doesn’t carry the non-biblical historical and religious baggage
associated with the institutionalized Church. (See my Mini-Ulpan about Kehilah
in the Summer 2000 Issue of Chai:
www.bmja.net)
In the Jewish historical context it is always preferred, as the
word “Church” has a negative association with
Rome
and persecutions. Fellowship is much less official and carries a lighter
and friendlier meaning.
In
Hebrew “fellowship” can be translated as “joining together” with
the sense of strong affiliation or partnership (twrbxth-Hithabrut,
hwxa-Achvah,
Shutafut,
tw[r-Reaut).
Most
Israeli Messianic fellowships use the Hebrew word Kehilah
which is nearer to “congregation” and is used interchangeably with
“fellowship”.
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The
word is also used to describe believers who meet together. This is also
the most common biblical meaning of “fellowship”. This is known in
Hebrew and in Israeli fellowships as twrbxth
Hithabrut, the actual act
of having fellowship (see Hebrew translation of Acts
2:42
,
1 John 1:7).
twrbxth
Hithabrut
is attributed to the fellowship among believers and is also used for the
closest fellowship of all, the one we have with our Lord Yeshua. In this
context the fellowship is really a partnership or sharing of the
suffering of Yeshua (Philipians
3:10
).
This is the partnership one has with a close friend and is bound with
loyalty and dedication.
One
well-established Israeli Messianic publishing house is called tyxyvm
hwxa !rq
Keren
Achvah Meshichit.
the Messianic Fellowship
Foundation. Messianic
Fellowship could be translated into Hebrew a number of ways but
primarily
tyxyvm
twwxa
Achvot
Meshichit
and
tyxyvm
hrbx
Hevrah
Meshichit.
Gil
Alon, (BMJA Member)
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