A Field Guide to Biblical Community Намуна

There are two sides to “one another-ing” in 1 Peter 3:9.

On the one hand, God charges us, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling.” Jesus was “despised and rejected” (Isa. 53:3); “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Relying on Christ’s gospel and the Spirit to motivate actions they couldn’t naturally conjure up, first-century Christians followed Jesus’ example. They displayed their belief that vengeance is God’s to enact, not their own (Rom. 12:19). They turned the other cheek as government officials and religious leaders sought their death (Matt. 5:39). They displayed the mercy and grace God first showed themselves in Christ toward their persecutors.

On the other hand, “bless, for to this you were called.” Suffering and community are related. This is seen throughout 1 Peter and the New Testament. Some of the most overt times in history when Christians realize our need for encouragement, exhortation, and help to do good occur while suffering for Jesus’ name. Perseverance, endurance, and consistency are hard when faced alone, but story after story proves that Christians suffer better when we suffer together. We need one another to turn us from our natural responses to evil and revile and help us “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).

But the “one another” commands in 1 Peter 3 are only six of the dozens in the Bible. If by God’s grace, you live those six well, or if you want to practice others, today’s verses (from Peter’s next chapter) included three more commands: “Keep loving one another earnestly . . .,” "show hospitality to one another without grumbling,” and “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another . . .” (1 Peter 4:8–10).

Or practice any other “one another” command in the Bible. As one author says, “One-third of the one-another commands deal with the unity of the church. . . One-third instructs Christians to love one another . . . 15% stress an attitude of humility and deference among believers,” and there are others.2 There is no “right” starting point for displaying God’s heart toward “one another.” But as God’s family, we are designed actively, prayerfully to grow in “one another-ing” together!

What are some ways you can practice these “one another” commands today, and with whom? Pray that God would open a door for you to live this out and then boldly practice!