ONE ANOTHER VERSES

The New Testament is chock full of ways we can love one another. Some involve unity, some involve putting aside our pride and an entire third of them explicitly say to love one another.

We encourage you to take time to read and reflect on these verses.

This guide is a companion to BridgePointe’s teaching series in 1 John, Love One Another - Choosing unity in a world divided. Just as Jesus, Paul, John James and Peter were urging the first followers of Jesus to treat each other with the utmost care and respect despite perceived differences, we are called to the same standard of love and relationship today.

As you read these verses allow God to read you. Ask Him the following questions and be open to the Spirit speaking into your life.

• How am I living out this command?

• Would my family, friends and coworkers say this is true of me?

• Do I love others the way I want to be loved?

• How is the Spirit leading me towards loving the people in my life like this command suggests?

Unity

One third of the one-another commands deal with the unity of the church.

1. Be at peace with one another
   Mark 9:50 – “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

2. Don’t grumble among one another
   John 6:43 – “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered.

3. Be of the same mind with one another
   Romans 12:15 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
   Romans 15:5 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had…”

4. Accept one another
   Romans 15:7 – “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

5. Wait for one another before beginning Communion
   1 Corinthians 11:33 – “So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.”

6. Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another (Seriously, guys, don’t eat each other!)
   Galatians 5:15 – “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

7. Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another
   Galatians 5:26 – “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

8. Gently, patiently tolerate one another
   Ephesians 4:2 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

9. Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another
   Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

10. Bear with and forgive one another
    Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

11. Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil
    1 Thessalonians 5:15 – “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”

12. Don’t complain against one another
    James 4:11 – “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.”
    James 5:9 – “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

13. Confess sins to one another
    James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Love

One third of the One Another verses instruct Christians to love one another.

1. Love one another
   John 13:34 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
   John 15:12 – “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
   John 15:17 – “This is my command: Love each other.”
   Romans 13:8 – “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
   1 Thessalonians 3:12– “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
   1 Thessalonians 4:9 – “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.”
   1 Peter 1:22 – “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
   1 John 3:11 – “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”
   1 John 4:7 – “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
   1 John 4:11 – “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
   2 John 5 – “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.”

2. Through love, serve one another
   Galatians 5:13 – “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

3. Tolerate one another in love
   Ephesians 4:2 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love”

4. Be devoted to one another in love
   Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Humility

About 15% stress an attitude of humility and deference among believers.

1. Give preference to one another in honor
   Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

2. Regard one another as more important than yourselves
   Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”

3. Serve one another
   Galatians 5:13 – “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

4. Wash one another’s feet
   John 13:14 – “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet”

5. Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind
   Romans 12:16 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

6. Be subject to one another
   Ephesians 5:21 – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

7. Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another
   1 Peter 5:5 – “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

   “God opposes the proud
       but shows favor to the humble.”

Here’s the rest

1. Do not judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way
   Romans 14:13 – “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

2. Greet one another with a kiss
   Romans 16:16 – “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.”
   1 Corinthians 16:20 – “All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
   2 Corinthians 13:12 – “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”
   1 Peter 5:14 – “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

3. Husbands and wives: don’t deprive one another of physical intimacy
   1 Corinthians 7:5 – “Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

4. Bear one another’s burdens
   Galatians 6:2 – “ Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

5. Speak truth to one another
   Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

6. Don’t lie to one another
   Colossians 3:9 – “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices”

7. Comfort one another concerning the resurrection
   1 Thessalonians 4:18 – “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

8. Encourage and build up one another
   1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

9. Stimulate one another to love and good deeds
   Hebrews 10:24 – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,”

10. Pray for one another
    James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

11. Be hospitable to one another
    1 Peter 4:9 – “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”