Communion of Saints

Definition and Meaning

The communion of saints is the article of the Apostles' Creed that older Korean translations render as "the saints communing with one another" and the new Korean translation renders as "the fellowship of the saints." The phrase translates the Latin communio sanctorum. Both Korean terms used for it, gyotong (交通) and gyoje, convey the idea of mutual exchange and sharing. Protestants generally understand "saints" here to mean not a special class of people but all who believe in Christ. In Korean churches, fellowship among believers is also broadly called fellowship.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Greek word koinonia, translated "fellowship" in the New Testament, denotes communion, participation, and sharing. Acts 2:42 records that the early church "continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." First John 1:3 teaches that the fellowship of believers is rooted in fellowship with God. First Corinthians 12 describes the church as many members joined together to form one body.

The phrase does not appear in the early Roman creed (the Old Roman Creed) and is believed to have been added to the creed in the Western church around the fifth century. Because the Latin expression can be read either as "the fellowship of holy persons" or as "common participation in holy things (the sacraments)," interpretations have differed.

• The Roman Catholic Church understands it as the communion shared by the church on earth and the faithful departed, and connects it with the intercession of the saints (prayer offered on behalf of others).
• Protestants reject interpretations that link it to the veneration of saints. Instead, they explain it as the relationship in which believers united to Christ share their gifts and needs with one another. The Westminster Confession of Faith devotes a separate chapter, Chapter 26, to this subject.

Practice in Korean Churches

In Korean churches, shared meals after worship, gatherings in fellowship halls, the welcoming of newcomers, and pastoral visitation are commonly referred to as the communion (fellowship) of saints. The gatherings that serve as the center of fellowship vary somewhat by denomination.

• Presbyterian churches and churches in the Full Gospel tradition regard district (cell) worship meetings as an important setting for fellowship.
• The Korean Methodist Church maintains small-group meetings that carry on John Wesley's class meeting tradition.
• In recent years, a growing number of churches have also gathered in the form of small groups or house churches.

Many denominations share the view that the Lord's Supper is where the communion of saints is most clearly manifested. This aspect receives particular emphasis in churches that celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday, such as the Anglican Church of Korea. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person gatherings declined, there were also efforts to sustain fellowship online.