Moral Rapport in Communion of the Spirit

Abstract

The communion (koinōnia) of the Spirit calls for moral rapport with God, based on the reception of divine righteousness in the “fruit of the Spirit” among humans. This article explains the centrality of such moral rapport to the koinōnia of the Spirit, on the basis of insights from the book of Genesis, some of the Hebrew psalmists, and the apostle Paul. It gives special attention to Paul’s perspective on the “fruit of the Spirit,” thereby identifying distinctive evidence for the reality and the goodness of God, by way of contrast with either a purely mystical or a purely intellectual approach. Paul offers a perspective including “koinōnia of Jesus Christ,” pointing to his koinōnia with God in Gethsemane and thus confirming the central role of moral and volitional personal rapport with God. This approach gives moral and christological depth to the koinōnia of the Spirit, enriching it with divine righteousness.