One Another

Jesus never intended his followers to try to live their life of faith in isolation. He sent his disciples out two-by-two on their journeys. He often used inclusive family terms to speak about their life of faith ("our Father" like "your brother"). This community reflects the nature of God as a relationship of three in one — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are made in the image of God, and God himself declared that it was not good for us to try to do life alone. While Jesus spent time with the Father, he also invested himself in the apostles and drew his closest companionship from three. Jesus defined our smallest unit of Christian faith to be a time when two or three are gathered in his name. Life in Christ was always intended to be a life together.

Jesus' emphasis on community and family is carried over in the rest of the New Testament as we hear about house churches and our need to be present to help each other. The "one another" passages of the New Testament arise out of this background. They are a holy recognition of our need for each other to live the Christian life. We can't do it by ourselves, and we were never intended to try to do it by ourselves.

Below, you will find a collection of New Testament passages from various translations that use the phrase "one another" and a few that use the phrase "each other." These are great passages to use in trying to live out the life of the spiritual family that Jesus envisions in the Sermon on the Mount. As you try to live these fully, you will also recognize your need to be in close fellowship with a small group of believers who can help you grow, hold you accountable, and encourage you in the Lord.

These are shared for your growth, obedience, and commitment as a person of God while you live your life in partnership with other believers.

Mark 9:50 — "Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

John 13:14 — "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."

John 13:34 — "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

John 13:35 — "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 15:12 — "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

John 15:17 — "This I command you, that you love one another."

Acts 21:5 — When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

Acts 21:6 — After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

Romans 1:12 — [T]hat is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 12:5 — [S]o we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:10 — Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor...

Romans 12:16 — Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Romans 13:8 — Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 14:13 — Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

Romans 14:19 — So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

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...

Romans 15:7 — Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Romans 15:14 — And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

Romans 16:16 — Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

1 Corinthians 7:5 — Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Corinthians 11:33 — So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

1 Corinthians 12:25 — [S]o that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

1 Corinthians 16:20 — All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

2 Corinthians 13:12 — Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Galatians 5:13 — For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:15 — If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:26 — Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 6:2 — Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Ephesians 4:2 — [W]ith all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love...

Ephesians 4:25 — Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

Ephesians 4:32 — Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 5:19 — [S]peaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord...

Ephesians 5:21 — [A]nd be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Philippians 2:3 — Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves...

Colossians 3:9 — Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices...

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.

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

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 Thessalonians 4:18 — Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:13 — Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

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.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 — We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater...

Hebrews 3:13 — But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 10:24 — [A]nd let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds...

Hebrews 10:25 — [N]ot forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

James 4:11 — Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.

James 5:9 — Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

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.

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 Peter 4:8 — Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:9 — Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Peter 4:10 — As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Peter 5:5 — You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

1 Peter 5:14 — Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

1 John 1:7 — [B]ut if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 3:11 — For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another...

1John 3:14 — We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

1 John 3:23 — This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

1 John 4:7 — Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:11 — Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12 — No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

2 John 1:5 — Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.