One Another
INTRODUCTION
One Another
INTRODUCTION
One Another: A Christian wrote, “In our congregation we have learned about almost everything; the Gospel, prophecy, the work of the body of Christ, but one thing we have never learned is how to get along with one another.” How sadly true in so many places, and how utterly unnecessary. The New Testament is full of instructions to show Christians how to get along with each other. Just one little commandment, “Love one another,” if heeded would cause all trouble to cease. There are hundreds of exhortations against evil practices such as envy, maliciousness, evil speaking, guile, quarreling, and strife; and as many exhortations of a positive nature encouraging the true believer to forbearance, forgiveness, peaceableness, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness and other Christian virtues.
Distressing things: And yet in spite of all this teaching it is not uncommon to hear distressing reports of unchristian behavior and such actions are not confined to any one group or class of Christians. However, most of the Lord's people get along well together, and the cases about to be enumerated are not general, but exceptional. They are brought up only to show how far some have come short in this most important grace. While conditions do not reach such serious ends, some congregations are continually disturbed by misunderstandings, hard feelings, and bitterness among members. The following incidents are taken from happenings among what might be called fundamentally strong groups of Christians.
Preachers affected by quarrels: A few years ago a preacher wrote, “My heart is well-nigh broken; I have been compelled to take a rest, I cannot go on with my work. How some brethren can act the way they do, I just cannot understand.” Sadly, there are more than a few cases where preachers are driven to distraction and even nervous breakdowns because of mistreatment by brethren. In one instant, a preacher lost his wife and family and attempted to harm himself, when fired because of what later proved to be a false rumor begun by a gossiping member; another had to resign from a congregation in disgrace after a misunderstanding with an elder of the church that led to a visible fight after a Sunday night worship service. A local newspaper carried a story about a church leader chasing a preacher around the church building, threatening a fight over something the preacher had said in the pulpit. Because of differences of opinion, an older servant of the Lord found that week after week, leaders of the church turned more and more against him. He felt as though his life’s work had been wasted, and he was soon forced to leave the congregation with a grieving, hurting, and broken heart.
Fierce strife: Quarrels among Christians do not often end in blows, but such has happened. Once in a church business meeting a woman gave an elder a resounding slap on the cheek. Some perhaps have witnessed fist fights among members of the church. The story is told of a hot summer night church business meeting that got so out of hand, and the leaders got so upset with each other, that an argument took place. The church windows were open, and it got so loud that a nearby neighbor called the police in order to quell the disturbance. Of course, it was blazoned on the headlines of the local newspaper the next day.
Quarrels: Quarrels among Christians that do not lead to hard feelings are legion. In some cases men or women have displayed fits of temper, saying mean, hard, cruel things about one another – utterly unworthy of one called after the name of Christ. On one occasion years ago, after a morning worship service in a little country congregation, two men quarreled so violently that one of the members of the congregation went around closing the windows so nearby neighbors would not hear. Such things bring great reproach on the name of Christ and are definite hindrances to the promotion of His cause. Let none of us ever be party to such things.
One another – teaching neglected: The expression “one another” is found over and over in the New Testament and it is always accompanied by definite teaching on Christian relationship. Fifteen times we have the three words “love one another” linked together. This surely should tell us that the Lord considers loving one another of vital importance. We should stop and consider the fact that teaching on this has been sorely neglected in our age. No doubt much trouble could be avoided if this truth was regularly brought to bear on the conscience of the Lord’s people.
One another in Romans: The title over the last five chapters of Romans could well be “one another.” Eleven times in these chapters we have this expression. In Romans 12:5 we read that we are “individually members of one another.” We find it twice in 12:10: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” If all Christians would give good heed to this one exhortation, the peace and fellowship among Christians would always be wonderful. In 12:16 we have, “Be of the same mind toward one another” and in 13:8, “Owe no man anything except to love one another.” In chapter 14 we have it twice; in verse 13, “Let us not judge one anymore,” and in verse 19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” In 15:5, we again have, “Be likeminded toward one another,” and in 15:7, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.” In 15:14, he commends the Romans in that they were “able also to admonish one another.” Then in 16:16 we read, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” If heeded, these five chapters alone should forever dispel the least bit of difficulty among God’s people, producing the sweetest fellowship imaginable.
One another in other portions: Not only in Romans, but in almost every one of Paul’s epistles we have teachings on this important subject. But Paul is not alone in teaching on this subject. Both James and Peter use the term “one another” four times. In 1 John we have “love one another” five times and four times in the Gospel of John. The subject of Peter’s first epistle is Christian behavior under suffering, yet he considers the subject of brotherly love so important that he brings it in five times, once in each chapter. As we go along you will quickly notice that the verses using the expression “one another” are almost exclusively the basis for our study. Though they cover the field quite well; by no means do they exhaust the subject.
(Unless stated otherwise, the New King James Version of the Bible is used in this study)
