ONE ANOTHER

Church Orientation & Recruitment of Elders

ROM 12:5 We who are many are one body, and each members of one another

The term “one another”crops up a lot in the New Testament. The faith that you have placed in Jesus Christ is not an entirely personal matter between you and God. The popular idea of a "personal faith" is not what Christianity is about at all. Certainly, you are individually and personally accountable to God. However, when it comes to thinking about being "one in Christ" you shouldn't be thinking of the "one" as you, but as "one body" of which you are a member in particular (1CO 12:27). That's where the emphasis lies --not on one person, but on one body.

After all, even God is not one Person. So we must think of ourselves as each Person in the Godhead thinks of Himself: "We are members of one another" (EPH 4:25).

Don't Do This to One Another

Before we look at what our obligations to one another are, let's get a few negatives out of the way --things we should not do to another
    1. "Do not judge one another any more" (ROM 14:13).
    2. "If you bite and devour one another be careful lest you be consumed by one another ... Let us not become boastful, provoking one another, envying one another " (GAL 5:15,26).
    3. "Do not lie to one another" (COL 3:9).
    4. "Speak not evil of one another my brethren" (JAM 4:11).

Love One Another

Now turning to the positive side, the most obvious one another in the scripture is "love one another". Jesus said this was the second greatest commandment (MAT 22:35-40).
1. Jesus himself said, "Love one another as I have loved you" (JOH 15:12).
2. Paul says, "You are taught of God to love one another" (1TH 4:9). 3. Peter says, "Love one another with a pure heart fervently... love covers a multitude of sins" (1PE 1:22; 4:8).

4. John of course several times exhorts us to "Love one another" (1JO 3:11,23;4:7,11,12; 2JO 1:5)

The opposite of this characterizes non-Christians generally. "For we also were once...spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us..." (TIT 3:3-4).
While love is in the heart, there should be an outward show of affection too. The Bible tells us to "Greet one another with a holy kiss of love" (ROM 16:15; 1CO 16:20; 1PE 5:14).

Edify One Another

"So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which we may edify one another" (ROM 14:19). There are many ways we can edify (build up) one another:

    1. FAITH:"Encouraged by one another's faith --yours and mine" (ROM 1:12).
    2. ACCEPTANCE: "Be likeminded toward one another...Accept one another just as Christ accepts you"" (ROM 15:5,7).
    3. ADMONITION:"Full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, that you may be able to admonish one another" (ROM 15:14).
    4. TARRYING: "When you come together to eat [the Lord's Supper] tarry for one another" (1CO 11:33). The underlying principle here is that its not right to run ahead impatiently, and leave behind those who are lagging.
    5. SHARING BURDENS:"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (GAL 6:2; 1CO 12:25).
    6. SINGING:"Teaching and exhorting one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." (EPH 5:19; Col 3:16)
    7. SUBMISSION:"Submit yourselves to one another in the fear of God" (EPH 5:21).
    8. ESTEEM: "Let each of you esteem one another as more important than himself... Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (PHI 2:3-5).
    9. ENCOURAGEMENT: "Comfort [encourage] one another with these words" (1TH 4:18; 5:11)
    10. SUPPORT:"Seek what is good for one another and for all men" (1TH 5:15).
    11. STIMULATING: "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works" (HEB 10:24).
    12. PRAYER: "Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed" (JAM 5:16).
    13. HOSPITALITY: "Use hospitality toward one another without grumbling" (1PE 4:9)
    14. GIFTS: "As each one has received a special gift, use it in serving one another" (1PE 4:10)