1. the share which one has in anything, participation; with the genitive of the thing in which he shares: πνεύματος, Philippians 2:1; τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, 2 Corinthians 13:13 (14); τῶν παθημάτων τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Philippians 3:10; τῆς πίστεως, Philemon 1:6 (cf. Lightfoot); τοῦ ἱματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, i. e. in the benefits of Christ's death, 1 Corinthians 10:16 (cf. Meyer at the passage); τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ in the (mystical) body of Christ or the church, ibid.; τῆς διακονίας, 2 Corinthians 8:4; τοῦ μυστηρίου, Ephesians 3:9 Rec. εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, to obtain fellowship in the dignity and blessings of the Son of God, 1 Corinthians 1:9, where cf. Meyer.

2. contact, fellowship, intimacy: δεξιά κοινωνίας, the right hand as the sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office), Galatians 2:9 (where see Lightfoot); τίς κοινωνία φωτί πρός σκότος; what in common has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (τίς οὖν κοινωνία πρός Ἀπολλωνα τῷ μηδέν οἰκεῖον ἐπιτετηδευκοτι, Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 14 at the end; εἰ δέ τίς ἐστι κοινωνία πρός Θεούς ἡμῖν, Stobaeus, serm. 28 (i. p. 87, Gaisf. edition)); used of the intimate bond of fellowship which unites Christians: absolutely, Acts 2:42; with εἰς τό εὐαγγέλιον added, Philippians 1:5; κοινωνίαν ἔχειν μεθ' ἡμῶν, μετ' ἀλλήλων, 1 John 1:3, 7; of the fellowship of Christians with God and Christ, μετά τοῦ πατρός καί μετά τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, 1 John 1:3, 6, (which fellowship, according to John's teaching, consists in the fact that Christians are partakers in common of the same mind as God and Christ, and of the blessings arising therefrom). By a use unknown to secular authors κοινωνία in the N. T. denotes:

3. a benefaction jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship (cf. Grimm, Exeget. Hdbch. on Wisd. 8:18, p. 176): 2 Corinthians 8:4; εἰς τινα, for the benefit of one, 2 Corinthians 9:13; ποιεῖσθαι κοινωνία (to make a contribution) εἰς τινα, Romans 15:26; joined with εὐποιΐα, Hebrews 13:16. (Cf. Buttmann, § 132, 8.)