Imagine being asked to spell “bewusstseinslage.”  That’s the word that Naysa Modi from Frisco, Texas misspelled causing her to place second in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this past Thursday.

I wouldn’t have been able to spell it correctly.  I don’t ever remember hearing the word much less knowing what it means.  Merriam Webster states that the word comes from the field of psychology and it means “a state of consciousness or a feeling devoid of sensory components.”

Using the word in this article is probably the only time I will ever use it!

Did you hear what the winning word was in the Spelling Bee?

The word was “koinonia.”  Karthik Nemanni, 14, of McKinney, Texas spelled this word correctly to become the 91st champion of the spelling competition.

Hey, I know this word!  If asked, I could have spelled it correctly!  I could have won the competition!  No, I wouldn’t; I can’t spell “bewusstseinslage” and probably most of the words that were provided in the competition.

But I know how to spell “koinonia” and, more importantly, I know what it means.  I want all people to know what it means… and to experience it!

Koinonia is a word that I’ve learned in studying the Scriptures.  It is of Greek origin.  Merriam Webster gives the following definitions: (1) the Christian fellowship or body of believers; (2) intimate spiritual communion and participative sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community.  Example: the koinonia of the disciples with each other and with their Lord.  The basic idea of the Biblical word is active participation.

Through Christ, we can have koinonia (fellowship) with God.  Our sins separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and put us on the path to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  But God loves us so much that He gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).  Because the sinless Son of God died on the cross for our sins, we can be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) and enjoy koinonia (fellowship) with God.

We accept God’s offer of salvation, koinonia, and eternal life by placing our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and by being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  This is what it means to “obey the Gospel,” the Good News that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.  Then, as 1 John 1:7 teaches us, as we continue to walk in the light of God’s Word, we continue to have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ continues to cleanse us from all sin.

In Christ, we can have koinonia (fellowship) with God AND with one another.  When we obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are added to the church, the Family of God (see Acts 2:36-47).  We become brothers and sisters in Christ.  We have a special relationship, a wonderful bond that is nurtured by loving one another, bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging one another, and practicing all of the “one another” passages in Scripture.

Koinonia.  We may not always spell it correctly, but may we all experience what it means: a blessed relationship with God and with His people that has been made possible through Christ.

Do you have koinonia with God and His people?  You can, if you’ll submit your life to Christ.  Won’t YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Spelling bee winner is 14-year-old Texan who spelled 'koinonia' correctly” by Amy Lieu of Fox News, www.foxnews.com

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org