Hello, Jim.

You asked whether that was a "biblical definition" of community and I would
say "no," it is not. Why?  Because it is neither biblical nor a definition.

It is not biblical because it does not rely in any serious way on scripture.
To conclude from John 17:11 that "community finds its essence and definition
in the very nature of God" is quite a leap.

It is not a definition because it does not define. The text is quite mixed
up in what it is presenting. It begins by asserting a conclusion about the
"heart" of Christ, shifts to an assertion about where to find a definition
of community, then shifts to a claim about community being both the
"intended purpose" of God (making one wonder about whether he believes in
"unintended purposes") but something that God will not create on demand. He
then shifts to what he claims to be requirements for "fellowship," as
opposed to community, and a comment about honesty.

So, no, it is not Biblical and it is not a definition.

James W. Allen
jallen@...