Cruciality of the Communion of the Saints

Abstract

The “communion of the saints” is usually considered a New Testament topic. It appears in the Apostles’ Creed as a mandatory commitment for church orthodoxy and orthopraxy. However, the Old Testament Hebrews were also a faith community and committed to beliefs and behaviors (at least “on paper”) that enable and enhance communion and fellowship as well as exclude actions that cause division and dissension, which can lead to discouragement, disengagement, and even destruction. Consequently, the Hebrew Bible can offer, at least typologically, statements and stories that illustrate how crucial communion and community were for God’s OT people, and anticipate the same for the NT churches. This article will make use of selected passages in the Pentateuch that provide mainly data about what would prevent or pervert communion among ancient Hebrew believers inYahweh, which provides principles applicable to modern Gentile believers in Jesus as the Christos.