Why the “One Another” Commands Matter

If you’ve been around church for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the phrase “one another.” It pops up all over the New Testament. Love one another. Forgive one another. Encourage one another. Serve one another.
It’s easy to breeze past those little phrases, but together they form a powerful portrait of what gospel community looks like. These are not throwaway lines. They are commands—thirty or so times in the New Testament—showing us that following Jesus is not a solo project.

The gospel doesn’t just reconcile us to God; it also reconciles us to people. In Christ, strangers become brothers and sisters. Enemies become friends. Outsiders become family. Paul puts it beautifully:

“For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.”
— Ephesians 2:14–15

When Jesus saves you, He doesn’t just hand you a ticket to heaven; He brings you into His family. And in that family, how we treat one another matters deeply.

Our culture prizes independence. We celebrate self-reliance. “Do your own thing.” “Look out for yourself.” But the gospel calls us into something radically different: a life of interdependence.
Think about it: you can’t “love one another” in isolation. You can’t “encourage one another” on your couch by yourself. You can’t “forgive one another” if you never engage with messy, real relationships. The “one anothers” force us out of selfishness and into self-giving love.
Jesus told His disciples:

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
— John 13:34–35

Notice the weight of this: our love for one another is the apologetic to the watching world. The church doesn’t prove its authenticity by slick marketing or polished programs, but by sacrificial, Spirit-enabled, gospel-rooted love.

So, why spend time studying these commands? Because the health of our churches depends on it. The New Testament vision for community isn’t simply “show up on Sundays” or “be nice to people.” It’s a call to radical, Christlike love worked out in everyday relationships.
Over the next several posts, we’re going to walk through some of the key “one another” passages—love, encouragement, forgiveness, service, hospitality, and more. My prayer is that as we do, you’ll see how each of these commands flows out of the gospel and points us back to Jesus.

• He loved us first, so we love one another.
• He encouraged the weary, so we encourage one another.
• He forgave our debt, so we forgive one another.
• He carried our burdens to the cross, so we carry one another’s burdens.

When we live this way, our churches become outposts of the kingdom—places where the beauty of Christ shines through our relationships.

As we begin this journey, let me ask you:

• Do you view your church as a family or just a weekly event?
• Are you actively pursuing the “one anothers” or passively attending on the sidelines?
• What would change if you believed that your love for fellow believers was the very evidence of your discipleship?

Friend, the “one anothers” are not optional. They’re gospel commands. They’re the Spirit’s blueprint for a Christ-centered community. And they matter because Jesus matters.
Next time: We’ll begin where Jesus began—Love One Another.