Biblical Fellowship: Live Together or Die Alone (2)

One Anothering

Biblical fellowship is fleshed out through a series of New Testament one anothering commands.* Numbering over 50, these commands define the breadth, depth and scope of fellowship as revealed by God. Through these one anothers we see that biblical fellowship cannot be reduced to one-dimensional conversationalism, but must be pursued as a multi-faceted and multi-layered enterprise of love. In order for a church to care faithfully and fully for its members, it needs to embrace all these dimensions of fellowship and practice them with intentional focus.

Selective Fellowship

My experience has been—as I witness my own inclinations and those of others I love—that we tend to be selective in our practice of fellowship. We define and do fellowship in commitment terms with which we are most at ease. We choose aspects of fellowship that fit our personality most readily, make our friends most comfortable, or avoid the tasks most unpleasant.

But the thing about one anothering commands is that they are one anothering commands. All of them are imperatives which mean that none of them is optional. So practicing the one anothers is not a matter of personality or spiritual gifting; it’s a matter of obedience. All of us must do all these things in whatever sphere of fellowship and responsibility God entrusts to us. God calls us to step into this work with faith that He will enable us as we go.

God Gives What God Commands

Sometimes we avoid certain duties because we fear we cannot do them. When obedience is neither comfortable nor easy nor natural, we are tempted not even to try. It was this battle with moral paralysis that led the early church father, Augustine to pray: “Lord, give what you command, and command what you will.”

Augustine prays for grace from God so that he might be obedient to God. He asks God to give what He commands. Then in the confidence that God will do just that, this early Christian pastor boldly invites God to command whatever He wills. And he does so backed up with biblical promise:

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:8-11, emphasis added).**

It is this confidence that God gives grace whenever God gives duty that can liberate us to enter the world of true fellowship with believing hope.


* For example: Romans 13:8; 12:5, 10, 16; 15:5-7, 14; 16:16; Galatians 5:13; 6:1, 2; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9; 5:11, 26; 1 Peter 1:22; 5:14; 1 John 3:11; John 13:34, 35; Acts 2:46; 4:32; Ephesians 4:2; 5:21; Philippians 1:27; Hebrews 3:12, 13; 10:24,
25; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; Colossians 3:12, 13.

** See also Philippians 2:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, especially v.11