“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:3-5).
Paul told the saints in Rome they were “members one of another.” They were part of the same body; therefore, they were to act in a certain way toward one another.
The same is true for us today. As we are members of the Lord’s church – particularly members of a local congregation – certain responsibilities come with that. In order to help us learn how to treat our brethren and fellow members of the body of Christ, we are going to consider what Paul told the Christians in Rome about their treatment of “one another.”
Love One Another
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor” (Romans 12:10).
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8).
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says the word translated “be devoted” describes the love of parents and children, as well as husbands and wives. This means that the love shown is not based upon what others do for us; rather, it is based on our commitment to one another. We are to be devoted to our brethren as we would to our closest family relationships.
To “give preference to one another” is the basic definition of love – to put others ahead of ourselves. Paul described this attitude in another one of his letters: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
In the second verse cited above, Paul said that we are to owe nothing to others except love. There is no substitute for this. He told the brethren in Corinth, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
As members of the same body, we are to show love for one another and put their needs ahead of our own.
Be of the Same Mind toward One Another
“Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly” (Romans 12:16).
“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus” (Romans 15:5).
The phrases in these two verses are nearly identical in the Greek. The difference is a preposition – eis (toward, Romans 12:16) and en (with, Romans 15:5).
Let us notice the distinction and consider what these two verses are saying. Paul explained that we are not to be arrogant toward our brethren because we are to act with humility, not thinking of ourselves “more highly…than [we] ought to think” (Romans 12:3). This is so we can maintain unity with our brethren – the very thing Jesus prayed for before His death: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21).
As members of the same body, we must have the same mind toward one another and strive for unity.
Do Not Judge One Another
“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 14:13).
It is important that we understand the context in which this verse is found. This chapter is about how to deal with matters of opinion (Romans 14:1), not matters that pertain to “the faith” (cf. Jude 3). We know this because, regardless of the differing opinions brethren hold on these matters, “God has accepted” both (Romans 14:3).
James reminded us that there is only one Judge (James 4:12). Therefore, we are not to judge the Lord’s servants (Romans 14:4). Of course, this does not prohibit us from judging with “righteous judgment” (John 7:24); but we must not go beyond the Lord’s standard. If we do, we are guilty of “teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9). John warned that those who add to God’s word will have divine judgment against them (Revelation 22:18).
As members of the same body, we are not to judge or condemn our brethren based upon any human standard.
Build Up One Another
“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19).
Rather than judging others in the sense of condemning them over a matter of opinion, we need to build up our brethren. The King James Version uses the word edify in this verse. It means to strengthen one another.
We are to grow in the faith. Peter described this growth process we all go through: “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). If we are not growing, then we are slipping. The Hebrew writer warned about this: “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1). Each one of us is responsible for ourselves in this regard.
However, because we love one another, we must help build up one another. The Hebrew writer said, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 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 3:12-13). We should not want our brethren to fall away; therefore, we should strive to encourage them in the faith.
As members of the same body, we are to help one another to be strong in the Lord and continue to grow in the faith.
Accept One Another
“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
The King James Version uses the phrase, “Receive ye one another.” This goes along with the idea of fellowship. In this context, Paul went on to talk about the acceptance of the Gentiles and how they were welcomed by Christ (Romans 15:8-12). Therefore, they were to be welcomed by those who were also in Christ.
In Christ, we can accept those we may not have otherwise accepted. Paul wrote elsewhere, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Regardless of one’s background, he is an equal member of the Lord’s body. The church is not a social club made up of those with shared interests, experiences, or demographics. Instead, it is made up of those who are saved, and these individuals come from every walk of life.
As members of the same body, we are to accept one another just as Christ has accepted each one of us.
Admonish One Another
“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 15:14).
The word “admonish” means to warn or reprove. This must be done in preaching, as Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). However, it is not limited to preaching since we are to “admonish one another.” In fact, it may often be more effective when the admonition comes from another brother or sister in Christ rather than from “the preacher.”
We need to be watchful for our brethren. Paul wrote, “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). When they are in danger of sin or putting themselves in dangerous situations (spiritually), we need to warn them. This could include missing worship services, keeping the wrong company, etc. They may need admonishing from one (or more) of their brethren to get them back on track.
As members of the same body, we are to admonish one another in order to help each other stay on the path we are to take.
Greet One Another
“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).
When Paul talked about this greeting, he was referring to a cultural practice (greeting with a kiss). We are not commanded to do this; but if it is customary in the culture in which we live, then we need to make sure we do it in a way that is holy. But the emphasis of this phrase is on the fact that we are to “greet one another.”
This is important because it reminds us that the church should not be divided. Paul told the brethren in Corinth that there was to be “no division in the body” (1 Corinthians 12:25). However, whenever you have a group of people – especially a large group of people – it is very easy for “cliques” to form. It often happens naturally as we gravitate toward those with shared interests, life experiences, economic status, and more. But we must be intentional about not doing this with our brethren in Christ.
As members of the same body, we are to greet one another and not segregate ourselves as the world often does.
Conclusion
As Christians, particularly in the local church, we are “members one of another” (Romans 12:5). We need to be mindful of how we should treat each other so that we can function as God wants us to.
