The Power of Community

Ah... yes. the "power of community."  What could be more powerful than community? 

Rick says that Saddleback Church believes strongly in the power of community. and to that end he is now ateaching about the 10 Building Blocks of Community.  These are, he says, frequency, authenticity, mutuality, courtesy, sympathy... and that's the first five.  He is only teaching them five at a time. and sad to say, he just kinda picked verses here and there to support his idea... the idea of there being 10 Blocks of Community is not actually in the Bible, he just kinda made that up!  

Rick does this  often.  

According to Rick, "community" is a Greek word, from the Bible.  It's a "modern term", he says, for an "ancient word" that refers to biblical fellowship. Then with a little more twist of definitions, right before your very eyes, the meaning of biblical Christian "koinonia" emerges in a brand new light.  It's his very own, new-and-improved, definition of being committed to Jesus and being in community.

"Small groups are extremely important at Saddleback because we believe so strongly in the power of community. Community is a bit of a buzz word in today’s church culture, and I think that’s a good thing. We need to understand it. It’s really a modern term for an ancient word – fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship in the Bible is the word koinonia. And koinonia means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ."

Rick Warren, Nov. 7, 2014;
 The 10 Building Blocks of Community, posted at pastors.com,  

It's not a new concept of Rick's.  He has presented it before.... more than once or twice.

“..koinonia (the Greek word for fellowship) is "being as devoted to each other as we are to Jesus Christ."

Church membership covenant: Expect what the Bible expects By Rick Warren  10/25/02)

"The word for loving other believers is “fellowship.” Unfortunately, like “worship,” the word has been misused and watered down. Today fellowship is reduced to coffee and cookies and casual conversation. But real fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ." 

 Rick Warren, Pastors.com Ministry Toolbox Issue 198, 

Easter, What Am I Here For? March 16, 2005

Rick has been repeating this definition for years, telling the same false definition, over and over and over.... informing people on what koinonia "really" means. People who blindly follow Rick Warren's Purpose Driven methods unwittingly repeat it too. Bible teachers will use the original greek definition of the word when they are teaching what the Bible says,  but Rick tells a different concept.... and he tells everyone quite plainly,  he and his church associates,  (a.k.a. "we") have their own definition:

"In our church, we define koinonia (fellowship) as" being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ."

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church,

for a review of this book, click here

 and then, maybe also here. 

Koinonia does mean fellowship, but it does not mean  "being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ," and yet, Rick Warren has a whole lot of people believing and repeating his new definition of what koinonia means.  This is how some forms of propaganda work.  ( If you tell a falsehood long enough, over and over, people begin to believe it. Then they repeat it.   Where in the Bible does it teach that Christians are to be as devoted to one another as they are to Jesus Christ?  

It doesn't.  If this were the case, who would be their master?  (Matthew 6:24) 

In the gospel of Luke we hear Jesus teaching this:

^" If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, 

and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own 

life also, he cannot be my disciple.'.

Luke 14:25

Jesus here isn't advocating "hate" nor is he giving you permission to neglect your parents or to  treat them unkindly.  He is not suggesting that you hate your siblings or yourself.   He is however, clearly asserting the importance of his role and place in the life of someone professing faith in Him.  

 No one comes to the father except through him,(John 14:6) and this faith in Christ, is a very narrow gate with which to enter in...(Matthew 7:14) .  All the world will try to keep you from entering in... if you let it, even well meaning family and friends.  The moral of the story is that Jesus must be first and foremost of importance above all others, if one is to be a disciple, but rick wants you to be as devoted to yourr little group within his church as you are devoted to Jesus Christ. 


Rick has sometimes used 1 John 3:16 to attempt to validate his point... This verse says:

".....because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Yes, we are to love the brethren and to love them as Christ loved us, maybe even lay down our life for another, but this is different than "being as committed to others as we are to Jesus Christ."  It's a tricky switch-up of things.  It is a different gospel than the one a Christian has already believed in, and at it's core it is legalistic, for like a law, you now must be as devoted to you group as you are to Jesus.     

Let's say that you belong to a group...  or even a family.  Could your attachment to the group, your desire for a sense of belonging, ever be strong enough, so strong  that you would choose to go along with them rather than stand for Jesus, even if you knew the crowd was wrong?  Of course. It's called peer pressure, and it works most all the time unless you have a conviction of heart and stick to it.  Peer pressure is even employed intentionally on some people.  God however.. in his wisdom, gave us each freewill to choose or reject him. 
To stand for Jesus, who was crucified before Pontius Pilot will not always be an easy thing to do especially if it means being ostracized from a group of people you love.... as much as you love Jesus..

 The Greek word kononia  means: (a) contributory help or participation, (b) sharing in, communion, (c) spiritual fellowship, a fellowship in the spirit.  In true Christian community, there are all these things. and yet, it is not the same as the secular concept of "community."

As Christians, we are certainly called to love others.... to love our mother and father and wife, and children and brethern and sisters..and no doubt we are also called to look out for the needs of others... as we feed and cloth ourselves.  Despite this, Jesus is God, and God is supposed to be first and foremost above all these things.  Following the direction of a favorite crowd for fear of being hated or shut-out of the group instead of following the truth of God in Christ, is not what a witness or for that matter, a friend, of the Lord Jesus is supposed to do.  Peter did that, three times, and by the grace of God, he was restored by Jesus, personally, but not without deep regret for what he had done in denying the Lord.

It's hard to go against the flow.... and if the truth be told, sometimes a Christian must take a stand.... for Jesus, for correct doctrine or for the truth of a situation; and sometimes the people around a Christian might hold a differing opinion or they may not like to hear and know the truth. On occasions like these, what is is Christian to do? If your commitment to the members of your particular group is equal to your commitment to Jesus Christ, you might have a difficult time deciding who holds your allegiance... men or God.

" ...they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said,
 "We ought to obey God rather than men."" 
  Acts Chapter 5: 27-30

The word "koinonia" is not always interchangeable with the word  "community."  It has several meanings and applications.  It also has real definitions and it does not simply mean "being as devoted to one another as we are to Jesus Christ."  

While it is not a bad idea to encourage believers to be devoted to loving and caring for fellow believers,(and to unbelievers too,)it is a bad idea to hijack the Greek word for fellowship between Christians, (koinonia,) and make up one's own definition.

"'Community'..... It’s really a modern term for an ancient word – fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship in the Bible is the word koinonia. And koinonia means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ."         ~ Rick Warren

Rick Warren is prettuy open about what he is doing.  He is changing the church and the foundation of the church,, and in it's place he is attempting to build something completely different.... community.