What Is the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV)

Today’s big question: what is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

In today’s passage, Paul closed his letter to the Corinthians by writing “the fellowship of Holy Spirit be with you all.” We can have fellowship with the Spirit because of the grace of Jesus Christ and love of God. Fellowship of the Spirit is more than a simple friendly relationship.

In order to fully understand what Paul meant by the fellowship of the Spirit, we should look at other passages with the same word. The Greek word for “fellowship” is koinonia¸ which can also mean communion, and the same Greek word is used in the epistle to the Philippians:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:1–2)

The Spirit dwelling within believers is a part of this concept, as all believers have the same Spirit dwelling within them. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:4–6 that “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Believers are “baptized into one body” (i.e., the church of which Christ is the head) by the one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Just as believers have one Spirit, we should also have one mind working toward the one goal—“striving together for the faith of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27). The fellowship of the Holy Spirit unifies believers, since we all have the one Spirit dwelling within us. Paul concluded his epistle with an exhortation of unity through the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, just as Christ loved us, we should also walk in love (Ephesians 5:2)—not only love for Christ but for others as well. Loving others just as Christ loved us will help us be of one mind (2 Corinthians 13:11). Love and fellowship of the Spirit go hand in hand, and participating in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with fellow believers is a reason to rejoice.

Today’s big idea: believers are of one body and one Spirit.

What to pray: ask God to help us love others just as Christ loved us.