κοινων-ία G2842
Fellowship, communion, sharing — participation in a common bond, whether spiritual union or material generosity.
Encompasses the deep mutual participation that defines Christian community. At its theological center stands the communion of Christ's body and blood (1 Cor 10:16), where Paul uses κοινωνία twice to describe believers' shared participation in the eucharistic cup and bread. Luke names it as one of four pillars of the early Jerusalem church alongside the apostles' teaching, breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42). The word stretches from vertical fellowship with God and his Son (1 John 1:3, 6–7) to the horizontal, material expression of that bond: Paul calls the Macedonian collection for Jerusalem's poor a κοινωνία (Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:13). Spanish distinguishes 'comunión' from 'contribución,' capturing this dual spiritual-practical range. German 'Gemeinschaft' emphasizes the communal dimension.
Senses
1. fellowship, communion, sharing — Shared participation and partnership in a spiritual or practical bond. Theologically central in Paul's eucharistic language — the cup is a κοινωνία of Christ's blood, the bread of his body (1 Cor 10:16). Named as a foundational practice of the early church (Acts 2:42). Extends to vertical fellowship with God and his Son (1 John 1:3, 6–7; 1 Cor 1:9) and to concrete material sharing such as the relief collection for Jerusalem (Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8:4). Spanish splits the range between 'comunión' (spiritual fellowship) and 'contribución' (material sharing), while German 'Gemeinschaft' foregrounds the communal bond. 19×
AR["-شَراكَةُ", "الشَّرِكَةُ", "الشَّرِكَةِ", "شَرَاكَةً", "شَرِكَةً", "شَرِكَةٌ", "شَرِكَةَ", "شَرِكَةُ", "شَرِكَةِ", "شَرِكَتِ", "ـالشِّركَةِ", "مُشَارَكَة"]·ben["ভাগ-করার", "সহভাগিতা", "সহভাগিতায়", "সহভাগিতার", "সহভাগিতার,"]·DE["Gemeinschaft", "κοινωνίᾳ"]·EN["a-contribution", "a-sharing", "fellowship", "of-fellowship", "sharing"]·FR["communion"]·heb["הִתְחַבְּרוּת", "הַ-שֻׁתָּפוּת", "הַשִּׁתָּפוּת", "חֶבְרָה", "שִׁתְּפוּת", "שִׁתּוּף", "שֻׁתָּפוּת"]·HI["और", "संगति", "सनगति", "सनगति,", "सहभगित", "सहभागिता", "सहभागिता-की", "सहभागिता-को", "साझेदारी"]·ID["berbagi,", "persekutuan", "persekutuan,"]·IT["comunione"]·jav["ngudang-udangi", "pasekutuan,", "pasrawungan", "patunggilan", "sesarengan", "sesrawungan,", "urunan"]·KO["교제", "교제-는", "교제-를", "교제가", "교제를", "교제의", "교제의,", "교제이다", "교통", "그-", "나눔-을"]·PT["comunhão", "contribuição", "de-comunhão"]·RU["общение", "общении,", "общения"]·ES["comunión", "contribución", "de-comunión"]·SW["kushiriki", "kushiriki,", "ushirika", "ushirikiano"]·TR["-a", "Oğlu'nun-", "bedeninin-", "katkı", "o-", "ortakligini", "ortakliginiz-icin", "paydaşlık", "paydaşlığın", "paylasim", "paylaşım", "paylaşımı", "paylaşımın"]·urd["بانٹنے-کو", "رفاقت-پر", "شراکت", "شراکت-پر", "شراکت-کا", "شراکت-کو", "چندہ"]
Acts 2:42, Rom 15:26, 1 Cor 1:9, 1 Cor 10:16, 1 Cor 10:16, 2 Cor 6:14, 2 Cor 8:4, 2 Cor 9:13, 2 Cor 13:14, Gal 2:9, Phil 1:5, Phil 2:1 (+7 more)
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κοινων-ία, ἡ, communion, association, partnership, κ. μαλθακά Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ περὶ.. ἀνθρώπους πρὸς ἀλλήλους κ.Refs; ἀνθρωπίνη κ. human society, Refs 4th c.BC+; fellowship, NT; ἡ πρὸς τὸν Δία κ. Refs 2nd c.AD+ __b joint-ownership, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 with genitive objecti, λυγραὶ.. τῶν ὅπλων κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἡδονῆς τε καὶ λύπης κ. συνδεῖRefs 4th c.BC+; βίου, of marriage, NT+6th c.AD+; τίς…