WEEK #6

Authentic Biblical Community

Are you experiencing “B”? - Part 1

It doesn’t matter whether you are in an adult Bible fellowship, a small group, or on a ministry team. The question is – Are you experiencing Authentic Biblical Community? The forms may vary but the function is non-negotiable for a Christian who wants to obey the New Testament and experience life as God intended it. The Bible requires every believer in the church to experience on-going authentic relationships with a community of believers who practice the “one another” commands. The purpose of this series of articles is to biblically define ABC, to help the readers accurately assess whether they are experiencing ABC to the fullest and to determine what needs to be improved and strengthened in their present community experience.

A biblical community is made up of believers that govern how they relate to each other according to the “one another” commands in the Bible. The New Testament gives 31 positive “one another” command topics that every Christian community ought to practice and 10 negative “one another” command topics that ought to be avoided.

Positively there are commands like: love one another; be devoted to one another; build up one another; accept one another; admonish one another; greet one another; care for one another; bear one another''s burdens; comfort one another; seek after that which is good for one another; encourage one another; confess your sins to one another; and be hospitable to one another.

Negatively there are commands like: let us not judge one another; let us not challenge one another; let us not envy one another; do not lie to one another; do not speak against one another; and do not complain against one another.

The phrase “one another” [Gr. allelous] means these commands are reciprocal. This means the command requires mutual activity. This is two sided like a tennis match. The relationship is not like that of a counselor and his counselee. It’s rare that a counselee would ever feel at liberty to tell his counselor what to do. In Christian community we love and are loved. We serve and are served. We admonish and we are admonished. We accept and we are accepted.

How does a community of believers begin to relate to each other according to the “one another” commands? The answer is obedience. Each of these one another commands are Greek imperatives. The imperative mood in Greek is the mood of command. These commands are not optional things that the church practices if it feels like it. These commands address our will not our emotions. When the Holy Spirit guided the New Testament writers to use the imperative mood it means that He wanted or intended that the readers decide volitionally (surrender their will to God’s will) to practice these things. Churches are transformed when its members decide to obey these commands. As you learn these commands, purpose to obey them each time you see an opportunity. Meetings can be structured (a time & place) for fellowship, but true biblical community occurs when we spontaneously and purposefully make the most of each opportunity when it presents itself. Someone has a death in their family – Comfort One Another. Someone persists in a sin – Admonish One Another. Someone new visits the church – Greet One Another. Someone is fainthearted – Encourage One Another. It all starts with your obedience.

Are you connected in a community of believers that is committed to obeying these “one another” commands?

Richard D. Leineweber ©2009