One Another

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending my parent’s church in Middleville, Michigan. That day, the Pastor exhorted us to have true Biblical Fellowship with other Christians as it is commanded in Scripture. He started with Acts 2:42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” and pointed out that the church then grew by leaps and bounds.

He gave some sample questions that could be used in fellowship. These questions and this type of fellowship is sadly much different than your typical potluck fellowship conversation in American churches today.
1. How often did you meet with God this week?
2. What has God been saying to you through His Word?
3. What sins/temptations did you experience this week that you need to confess?
4. Are you giving to the Lord’s work proportionately to how God has blessed you?
5. What internet, TV, etc… did you see this week that blessed you or that you shouldn’t have?
6. How did you influence your family/close friends this week? positively or negatively?
7. Did you pray for me this week?
8. What challenges or struggles are weighing on your mind?
9. What lives did you influence for Christ this week?
10. Did you just lie to me?
While I do not believe the questions are an end in themselves, I do think that we as God’s people need to be having more of this type of fellowship as we love Him with our all. (Luke 10:27) Why is it that questions about our spiritual walk and about God become awkward to us even in church?

The pastor went on to say that they would be doing a study on the “one anothers” of the New Testament. Since I wouldn’t be there for it, I looked up these one anothers and was a little surprised at what I found. There are many more of them than I had realized and a lot that I hadn’t thought about in our Christian walk. I want to study this out more, but here’s a very “raw” list of what I found.

1. love one another - 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; Romans 13:8; John 13:34; John 15:12; John 15:17
2. bear one another’s burdens - Galatians 6:2
3. forbearing one another in love - Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13
4. care one for another - 1 Corinthians 12:25
5. pray one for another - James 5:16
6. have compassion one of another - 1 Peter 3:8
7. comfort one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18
8. hospitality one to another - 1 Peter 4:9
9. greet one another with kiss of charity - 1 Peter 5:14; Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12
10. fellowship one with another - 1 John 1:7
11. receive one another - Romans 15:7
12. minister gift one to another - 1 Peter 4:10
13. serve one another - Galatians 5:13
14. wash one another’s feet - John 13:14
15. be subject one to another - 1 Peter 5:5;
16. submit one to another Ephesians 5:21
17. edify one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Romans 14:19
18. exhort one another daily - Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25
19. admonish one another - Romans 15:14
20. be kind one to another - Ephesians 4:32; Romans 12:10
21. forgiving one another - Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
22. teaching and admonishing one another - Colossians 3:16
23. consider one another to provoke unto love and good works - Hebrews 10:24
24. speak truth to one another - Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9
25. speak not evil one of another - James 4:11
26. grudge not one against another - James 5:9
27. don’t judge one another - Romans 14:13
28. confess faults one to another - James 5:16
29. in honor preferring one another - Romans 12:10
30. tarry one for another - 1 Corinthians 11:33
31. same mind one toward another - Romans 12:16; Romans 15:5
32. be not puffed up one against another - 1 Corinthians 4:6

And, it is implied that we used to but no longer:
bite and devour one another - Galatians 5:15
provoke one another - Galatians 5:16
envy one another - Galatians 5:16
hate one another - Titus 3:3

What difference would this kind of fellowship make in our churches today and in the world around us?