37 Bible Verses about Fellowship, In Christian Service

Therefore a man must leave his father and mother, and he and his wife must become one,'

After this the Master appointed seventy-two others, and sent them on before him, two by two, to every town or place to which he intended to come. And he said to them, "The harvest is abundant enough, but the reapers are few. So pray to the owner of the harvest to send reapers to gather it.

over your co-operation in the good news from the day you first received it until now.

and from there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God's favor for the work which they had now finished.

But it was very kind of you to share my difficulties. And you at Philippi know as well as I do, that in the early days of the good news, after I left Macedonia, no church but yours went into partnership and opened an account with me. Even when I was at Thessalonica you sent money more than once for my needs.

As they were engaged in worshiping the Lord and in fasting, the holy Spirit said, "Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me, for the work to which I have called them." So after fasting and prayer, they laid their hands upon them and let them go.

But Paul selected Silas and set out, the brothers commending him to the Lord's favor.

And when I was with you and wanted money, I did not burden any of you, for when the brothers came from Macedonia they supplied what I needed. So I kept myself, as I shall always do, from being a burden to you in any way.

But you must remember those early days when after you had received the light you had to go through a great struggle with persecution, sometimes being actually exposed as a public spectacle to insults and violence, and sometimes showing yourselves ready to share the lot of those in that condition. For you showed sympathy with those who were in prison, and you put up with it cheerfully when your property was taken from you, for you knew that you had in yourselves a greater possession that was lasting.

My hopes for you are unshaken. For I know that just as surely as you share my sufferings, just so surely you will share my comfort.

Whatever happens, show yourselves citizens worthy of the good news of the Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am kept away and only hear news of you, I may know that you are standing firm with one spirit, one purpose, fighting side by side for faith in the good news. Never for a moment falter before your opponents, for your fearlessness will be a sure sign for them of their coming destruction, but to you it will be an omen, from God himself, of your deliverance. For you have been granted the privilege not only of trusting in Christ but of suffering for him.read more.
Take your part in the same struggle that you have seen me engage in and that you hear I am still keeping up.

But it was very kind of you to share my difficulties.

for he preferred sharing the hardships of God's people to a short-lived enjoyment of sin,

And I beg you, my true comrade, help them, for they toiled at my side in spreading the good news, with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

and found him and brought him to Antioch. The result was that for a whole year they met with the church, and taught large numbers of people, and it was at Antioch that the disciples first came to be known as Christians. About that time some prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch, and one of them named Agabus got up and under the influence of the Spirit revealed the fact that there was going to be a great famine all over the world. This was the famine that occurred in the reign of Claudius.read more.
The disciples determined to make up a contribution, each according to his ability, and send it to the brothers who lived in Judea, and this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

As they were going out, the people begged to have all this said to them again on the following Sabbath, and after the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout converts to Judaism went away with Paul and Barnabas, and they talked with them, and urged them to rely on the favor of God. The next Sabbath almost all the town gathered to hear God's message.read more.
But when the Jews saw the crowd, they were very jealous, and they contradicted what Paul said and abused him. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out plainly, and said, "God's message had to be told to you first, but since you thrust it off and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the heathen. For these are the orders the Lord has given us: " 'I have made you a light for the heathen, To be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth!' " When the heathen heard this they were delighted, and praised God's message, and all who were destined for eternal life believed, and the Lord's message spread all over the country. But the Jews stirred up the well-to-do religious women and the leading men of the town, and they started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

At Iconium in the same way, they went to the Jewish synagogue and spoke with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused their message stirred up the heathen and poisoned their minds against the brothers. They spent some time there, speaking fearlessly and relying upon the Lord, who bore witness to his gracious message by letting signs and wonders be done by them.read more.
But the people of the town were divided, some siding with the Jews and some with the apostles. And when there was a movement on the part of both the heathen and the Jews with the authorities to insult and stone them, and they became aware of it, they made their escape to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and the country around, and there they went on preaching the good news. In the streets of Lystra a man used to sit who had not the use of his feet. He had been lame from his birth, and had never been able to walk. He was listening to Paul as he talked, when Paul looked at him and, seeing that he had faith that he would be cured, said to him loudly, "Stand on your feet!" And he sprang up and began to walk. The crowds, seeing what Paul had done, shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" They called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul, because he was the principal speaker, Hermes. The priest of the temple of Zeus that stood at the entrance to the town came with crowds of people to the gates, bringing bulls and garlands, meaning to offer sacrifice to them. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rushed into the crowd, tearing their clothes and shouting, "Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human beings like you, and we bring you the good news that you should turn from these follies to a living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that they contain. In ages past he let all the heathen follow their own ways; though he did not fail to give some evidence about himself, through his kindnesses to you, in sending you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, giving you food and happiness to your heart's content." Even with these words they could hardly restrain the people from offering sacrifice to them. But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and won the people over, and they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead. But the brothers gathered about him, and he got up and re-entered the town. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. They proclaimed the good news in that town and made a number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, reassuring the disciples and encouraging them to stand by the faith and reminding them that we have to undergo many hardships to get into the Kingdom of God. They appointed elders for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Then the apostles and elders with the whole church resolved to select representatives and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. They were Judas who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. They were the bearers of this letter: "The apostles and the brothers who are elders send greeting to the brothers of heathen birth in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. As we have heard that some of our number, without any instructions from us, have disturbed you by their teaching and unsettled your minds,read more.
we have unanimously resolved to select representatives and send them to you with our dear brothers Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we send Judas and Silas to you, to give you this same message by word of mouth. For the holy Spirit and we have decided not to lay upon you any burden but this indispensable one, that you avoid whatever has been sacrificed to idols, the tasting of blood and of the meat of animals that have been strangled, and immorality. Keep yourselves free from these things and you will get on well. Goodbye."

Remember me to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow-workers in the cause of Christ Jesus,

Remember me to Urbanus, our fellow-worker in Christ's cause, and to my dear Stachys.

My fellow-worker, Timothy, wishes to be remembered to you, and so do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow-countrymen.

So as far as Titus is concerned, he is my partner and comrade in my work for you, while these brothers of ours represent the churches, and are a credit to Christ.

But I feel that I must send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, whom you sent to look after my needs.

For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, many as they are, form one body, so it is with Christ.

Endowments vary, but the Spirit is the same, and forms of service vary, but it is the same Lord who is served, and activities vary, but God who produces them all in us all is the same.

Each one is given his spiritual illumination for the common good.

For just as there are many parts united in our human bodies, and the parts do not all have the same function, so, many as we are, we form one body through union with Christ, and we are individually parts of one another. We have gifts that differ with the favor that God has shown us, whether it is that of preaching, differing with the measure of our faith,read more.
or of practical service, differing in the field of service, or the teacher who exercises his gift in teaching, the speaker, in his exhortation, the giver of charity, with generosity, the office-holder, with devotion, the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

For the body does not consist of one part but of many. If the foot says, "As I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "As I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body.read more.
If all the body were eye, how would we hear? If it were all ear, how could we have a sense of smell? As it is, God has arranged the parts, every one of them in the body as he wished them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

Whatever the endowment God has given you, use it in service to one another, like good dispensers of God's varied mercy.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," or the head to the feet, "I do not need you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that are considered most delicate are indispensable, and the parts of it that we think common, we dress with especial care, and our unpresentable parts receive especial attentionread more.
which our presentable parts do not need. God has so adjusted the body and given such especial distinction to its inferior parts that there is no clash in the body, but its parts all alike care for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts share its sufferings. If a part has honor done it, all the parts enjoy it too.

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the good news for the heathen, just as Peter had been intrusted with it for the Jews??8 for he who actuated Peter to be an apostle to the Jews also actuated me to be one to the heathen??9 and when they recognized the favor God had shown me, James, Cephas, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the church, pledged Barnabas and me their co-operation, with the understanding that we should work among the heathen and they among the Jews.

Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it. And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as inspired preachers, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then come ability to cure the sick, helpfulness, administration, ecstatic speaking. Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone an inspired preacher? Is everyone a teacher? Is everyone a wonder-worker?read more.
Is everyone able to cure the sick? Can everyone speak ecstatically? Can everyone explain what it means? But you must cultivate the higher endowments.

Now I urge you, brothers??ou know that the family of Stephanas was the first to be converted in Greece, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of God's people??16 I want you to enlist under such leaders, and under anyone who joins with you and works hard. And I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here, for they have made up for your absence. They have cheered my heart, and yours too. You should appreciate such men.

Look upon our Lord's patience as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul, with the wisdom that God gave him, wrote you to do, speaking of it as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which ignorant, unsteadfast people twist to their own ruin, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures.

What is Apollos? Or what is Paul? Just servants through whom you came to have faith, as the Lord gave each of us opportunity. I did the planting, Apollos the watering, but it was God who made the plants grow. So neither the planter nor the waterer counts for anything, but only God who makes the plants grow.read more.
The planter and the waterer are all one, though each of us will be paid for his own work.

One man receives through the Spirit the power to speak wisely, another, by the same Spirit, receives the power to express knowledge, another, from his union with the same Spirit receives faith, another, by one and the same Spirit, the ability to cure the sick, another, the working of wonders, another, inspiration in preaching, another, the power of distinguishing the true Spirit from false ones, another, various ecstatic utterances, and another, the ability to explain them.read more.
These are all produced by one and the same Spirit, and apportioned to each of us just as the Spirit chooses.

And they signaled to their comrades in the other boat to come and help them. And they came, and they filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' feet and said, "Leave me, Master, for I am a sinful man." For he and all the men with him were perfectly amazed at the haul of fish they had made,read more.
and so were Zebedee's sons, James and John, who were Simon's partners. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you are to catch men!"