God meant the Christian life to be lived in community. It doesn’t always work out that way. Christians can be imprisoned, confined to a hospital bed, or live alone in a hostile country without an opportunity to meet with other believers. If that is you, I’m not here to make you feel guilty about being alone, but to encourage you to seek fellowship where you can find it. And if you do meet with other brethren, I want to enlarge your vision for what that meeting can be by pointing you to the fifty-eight “one another” commands in the NT.
The first command comes from Jesus Himself, who said:
“Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).
It is enlightening to read His comment in context. The command to have peace occurs after three warnings against being in conflict with other believers.
First, the disciples were arguing about who among them would be the greatest in the coming kingdom (Mark 9:33-37). Then Jesus interrupted and told them how to be great—by being last of all and serving all. Don’t act like rivals.
Second, a little while later, the disciples complained about an exorcist casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Since he did not belong to their group, the disciples told the man to stop (Mark 9:38). But Jesus said, “Do not forbid Him” because “he who is not against us is on our side.” In fact, whoever helps someone who belongs to Christ will be rewarded (vv 39-41), so don’t discourage or hinder other brethren from doing ministry.
Third, Jesus warned the disciples against being a stumbling block to “one of these little ones who believe in Me” (v 42). While helping a believer is rewardable, hurting one is punishable. “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea” (v 42). Jesus goes on to describe just how severe the punishment can be. The lesson is don’t hurt other believers.
Then Jesus gave the first “one another” command:
“Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).
The disciples show that church life can be rife with conflict. But Jesus shows it doesn’t have to be that way.
Instead of being a rival, a hindrance, or a stumbling block to other believers, Jesus wants us to have peace with one another.
Believers should be peacemakers in the world (Matt 5:9), but that starts with peacemaking in the ekklēsia.
