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Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near (Hebrews 10:25).
The phrase “one another” is one word in the Greek. If you read the Greek New Testament, the word looks like “oneanother.”
Oneanother in the Greek is a reciprocal pronoun and means two doing the same thing together. The implication is a “one-on-one” relationship and not a small group of 10 or a large group of a thousand.
Oneanother is used 100 times in the New Testament. Fifty-nine of the occurrences are specific commands of what to do or what not to do. Yes, 59 commands on the same topic …
Together or oneanother!
What does the New Testament teach about oneanother?
Devoted to one another, honor one another, build up one another, admonish one another, care for one another, forgive one another, submit to one another, teach one another, comfort one another, encourage one another …
Tired of reading oneanother’s? Then pause for a moment and continue below …
Pray for one another, exhort one another, confess to one another, show hospitality to one another, bear one another’s burdens, speak to one another with psalms, look to the interests of one another, be likeminded towards one another, accept one another …
There’s more, but I will stop.
We can’t oneanother unless we are with another person.
Encourage oneanother and pray for oneanother doesn’t work unless we are in fellowship with another. If we walk alone in our faith, there are 59 commands being ignored or 59 blessings we’re not receiving.
We need those 59 oneanothers!
If I’m devoted to “one,” then that “one” should be devoted to me.
If we pray for “one,” then we can expect prayers in return. If we forgive, then we should be forgiven. This is the relationship indicated by the reciprocal pronoun “oneanother” in the New Testament.
This is the body of Christ. We are “oneanother!”
The depth of commitment for honest conversations happens best in committed oneanother relationships.
How can we begin or return to oneanother?
- Dive deeply into relationships in a church. The best oneanother happens in the confines of a larger group of believers. A group acting as one should worship together.
- Join a small group. The oneanother of support, hospitality, and meeting oneanothers’ needs sustains itself better in small group.
- Become a discipler. Grow from a disciple to a discipler allowing the Lord to work through us as we disciple others.
Will we get tired of oneanother? Will a oneanother sooner or later offend us? Will we offend another oneanother?
Yes.
But oneanother is the only path in the Bible where we unite with oneanother and forgive oneanother.
Together or Oneanother!