κοινωνία

Summary

κοινωνία ("sharing, participation, fellowship") in 1 Corinthians 10:16 describes genuine participation in Christ's body and blood through communion — not mere association but real sharing in the sacrificial reality. The corporate dimension is central: koinonia demands mutual care, and the failure to practice it at the Lord's table is the very sin Paul rebukes in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul uses it to describe the believer's participation in Christ's body and blood through communion: "Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a koinonia in the blood of Christ?" The word conveys more than mere association — it implies genuine participation in the reality signified. When believers share the bread and cup, they participate in Christ's sacrificial death and in one another as members of His body. The corporate dimension is central: koinonia is not private devotion but communal sharing. The failure to practice koinonia (sharing, mutual care) at the Lord's table is precisely the sin Paul rebukes in 1 Cor 11:17-34.