The “one anothers” of Scripture

My cmnt: A number of years ago we attended a “prison” ministry church. The church had a school bus and I would use my own van, as would others, to help pick up the inmates (on work release) and take them to church on Sunday and then again at other times to help clean the church or to help them look for jobs or apartments – or just about any activity authorized by the administrators. Our pastor would occasionally preach from a list of “one anothers” and I would hear a lot of feedback about how meaningful those words were.

My cmnt: Over the years I’ve thought about those “one anothers” and so did a quick google search and found several good sites which list them. I’ve used several sources here, none of this is original with me, and all of it is valuable to my readers so I’ve included it here with credits.

All the “one another” commands in the NT

by Jeffrey Kranz | Mar 9, 2014 | Bible topics | Overviewbible.com

I’ve heard a couple people reference the “one another” passages in the Bible. You’ve heard a few of them:

Bear one another’s burdens.
Encourage one another.
Everybody get together; try to love one another right now. (Wait . . . that might be something else.)

But I figured it’d be good for us to have all those “one another” commands in one place, ergo, this infographic!

My cmnt: click the link above to see the very nice infographic

I have the whole list in text form below, and you can download this for free. (I used Logos Bible Software to put together this list, in case you’re curious.)

“One another” is two words in English, but it’s only one word in Greek: ἀλλήλων (ah-LAY-loan). It’s used 100 times in 94 New Testament verses. 47 of those verses give instructions to the church, and 60% of those instructions come from Paul.

Kissy-kissy? Yes! Four of the “one another” commands are about kissing. But with all due apologies to David Crowder and John Mark McMillan, these kisses are neither “sloppy, wet” nor “unforeseen.”

When you look at these verses, a few more common themes show up.

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

Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)
Don’t grumble among one another (Jn 6:43)
Be of the same mind with one another (Ro 12:16, 15:5)
Accept one another (Ro 15:7)
Wait for one another before beginning the Eucharist (1 Co 11:33)
Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another—seriously, guys, don’t eat each other (Ga 5:15)
Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another (Ga 5:26).
Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Ep 4:2)
Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ep 4:32)
Bear with and forgive one another (Co 3:13)
Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil (1 Th 5:15)
Don’t complain against one another (Jas 4:11, 5:9)
Confess sins to one another (Jas 5:16)

Love. One third of them instruct Christians to love one another.

Love one another (Jn 13:34, 15:12, 17; Ro 13:8; 1 Th 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pe 1:22; 1 Jn 3:11, 4:7, 11; 2 Jn 5)
Through love, serve one another (Ga 5:13)
Tolerate one another in love (Ep 4:2)
Greet one another with a kiss of love (1 Pe 5:14)
Be devoted to one another in love (Ro 12:10)

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

Give preference to one another in honor (Ro 12:10)
Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)
Serve one another (Ga 5:13)
Wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14)
Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind (Ro 12:16)
Be subject to one another (Ep 5:21)
Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Pe 5:5)

Here’s the rest:

Do not judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Ro 14:13)
Greet one another with a kiss (Ro 16:16; 1 Co 16:20; 2 Co 13:12)
Husbands and wives: don’t deprive one another of physical intimacy (1 Co 7:5)
Bear one another’s burdens (Ga 6:2)
Speak truth to one another (Ep 4:25)
Don’t lie to one another (Co 3:9)
Comfort one another concerning the resurrection (1 Th 4:18)
Encourage and build up one another (1 Th 5:11)
Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (He 10:24)
Pray for one another (Jas 5:16)
Be hospitable to one another (1 Pe 4:9)

Of course, Jesus and the apostles give many more instructions to the church; these “one another” passages are a good start, though.

Also: make sure you read these in context! These commands come from Jesus, Peter, John, Paul, and James, and they’re scattered across the New Testament. Don’t just stop at this list: dig into these passages to see what the author was talking about.

One more note on the kissing: check out the cultural settings of these verses before planting one on your pastor’s cheek next weekend.

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The “One Another” Passages

from mmlearn.org

The phrase “one another” is derived from the Greek word allelon which means “one another, each other;
mutually, reciprocally.” It occurs 100 times in the New Testament. Approximately 59 of those occurrences are
specific commands teaching us how (and how not) to relate to one another. Obedience to those commands is
imperative. It forms the basis for all true Christian community, and has a direct impact on our witness to the
world (John 13:35). In addition to allelon, the Bible uses other words and phrases to instruct us how to relate to others. With that in mind, the following list is not exhaustive, and primarily focuses on the use of allelon.

POSITIVE COMMANDS
Love one another (John 13:34 – This command occurs at least 16 times)
Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10)
Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)
Build up one another (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Be likeminded towards one another (Romans 15:5)
Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
Admonish one another (Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16) Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:2, 32; Colossians 3:13)
Be patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)
Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25)
Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19)
Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5)
Consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)
Look to the interests of one another (Philippians 2:4)
Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13)
Teach one another (Colossians 3:16)
Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13)
Stir up [provoke, stimulate] one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Employ the gifts that God has given us for the benefit of one another (1 Peter 4:10)
Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Confess your faults to one another (James 5:16)

NEGATIVE COMMANDS (how not to treat one another)
Do not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9)

Stop passing judgment on one another (Romans 14:13)

If you keep on biting and devouring each other…you’ll be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:15)

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:26)

Do not slander one another (James 4:11)

Don’t grumble against each other (James 5:9)

We do all this because we are in a real sense “members of one another” (Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:25).

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The “One Anothers” of Scripture

KEVIN MCCONAGHY • JAN 3, 2022 • watermark.org

Love One Another

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
“These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:17)
“Love one another with brotherly affection.” (Romans 12:10a)
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12)
“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22)
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)
“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” (1 John 3:23)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)
“And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.” (2 John 1:5)

Honor One Another

“Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10b)

Greet One Another

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

Welcome One Another

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

Show Hospitality to One Another

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9)

Have Fellowship With One Another

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Agree With One Another

“…agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11b)

Live in Harmony With One Another

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” (Romans 12:16)
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5)

Be at Peace With One Another

“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50)

Be Kind to One Another

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted…” (Ephesians 4:32a)

Forgive One Another

“…forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32b)
“…and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13b)

Bear With One Another

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)
“Bearing with one another…” (Colossians 3:13a)

Bear One Another’s Burdens

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Comfort One Another

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another…” (2 Corinthians 13:11a)

Care for One Another

“That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)

Confess Sins to One Another

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another…” (James 5:16a)

Pray for One Another

“…and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16b)

Encourage One Another

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
“Therefore encourage one another…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a)
“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Build One Another Up

“…and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11b)

Exhort One Another

“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

Instruct One Another

“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)

Teach and Admonish One Another

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

Sing With One Another

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Ephesians 5:19)

Stir Up One Another to Love and Good Works

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24)

Do Good to One Another

“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Serve One Another

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Wash One Another’s Feet

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)

Wait for One Another

“So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” (1 Corinthians 11:33)

Be Humble Toward One Another

“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5)

Submit to One Another

“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

Speak the Truth to One Another

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25)
“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” (Colossians 3:9)

Do Not Speak Against One Another

“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” (James 4:11)
“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” (James 5:9)

Do Not Judge One Another

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:13)

Do Not Provoke One Another

“Let us not become conceited, provoking one another…” (Galatians 5:26a)

Do Not Envy One Another

“…envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26b)

Clearly, the most common phrase in this list is “love one another,” but really all of the verses are about loving one another—because love is an action, and because all of God’s commands can be summarized as loving God and loving your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:9-10; Galatians 5:14). Living out these verses in community is how we can love—and be loved—by one another.