Have you ever wondered what it might be like to visit one of the earliest churches? If you stopped in on a service, I think you’d likely be disappointed. In fact, I doubt you’d ever go back. By our modern standards, everything would feel a little disorganized. It might not start on time and, if the apostle Paul was the preacher, there’s no telling when it might end. The worship music would probably strike you as a little amateur. Besides that, there would be no Sunday School, no youth group, no dedicated building, no bulletins, no PowerPoint, no sound system, and no sermon outline. You’d probably return from your visit, wondering how the early church grew at all. And yet, grow it did! The reason for the disconnect is that we often evaluate churches by their programs and externals, whereas the power of the early church wasn’t as easy to advertise. To experience the impact of the early church, you’d have to hang around longer than most people today are eager to. But if you did, you’d see that the heart of the church was in their community life and the quality of relationships they built together. One of the windows into early church life comes through the “one another” commands of the New Testament. By seeing what everyday believers were called to do to one another, we get a better picture of what we’re called to be as a church.

1. Greet one another.

If you read the New Testament letters, there’s an interesting way that most of them end (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Peter 5:14). The writer will greet the church and then tell the believers to give each other a big kiss! In 2 Corinthians 13:12, for instance, Paul says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” That would be a struggle for Canadians, for sure. The principle, obviously, is that Christians are supposed to greet each other warmly. The implication seems to be that they were trying to keep people from gathering and giving all their attention to a letter from the apostle Paul while failing to acknowledge each other. Unfortunately, we often do this exact thing. Fellowship requires that we take time to notice one another and greet each other when we gather.

2. Bear one another’s burdens.

Obviously, fellowship didn’t end with a polite greeting. In Galatians 6:2, Paul urged the believers, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The image is of people in the church carrying heavy weights. God’s desire is for each of us to take a bit of each other’s load. Just listening can make a huge difference. We’re strengthened when we know we’re not alone. We can listen, pray, help, counsel, and share. Fellowship requires that we get close enough to each other that we can help each other carry the concerns that would otherwise weigh us down. It also requires that we share our burdens and not try to keep them to ourselves.

3. Bear with one another.

Interestingly, the church isn’t just a community where people bear one another’s burdens, we also need to bear with each other. We need to put up with each other and forgive one another the sins that would spoil our unity. In Ephesians 4:2, Paul speaks of “bearing with one another in love” and urges them to do so “with all humility and gentleness, with patience.” In Colossians 3:13 he talks of “bearing with one another” and adds, “if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” People not only help us bear our burdens, sometimes they are our burdens. When different personalities come together, they can grate on one another and cause stress and tension. Fellowship requires that we put up with each other and work through our differences.

4. Do good to one another.

Finally, there’s one verse that combines a “one another” with something that we love as Canadians: our freedom! In Galatians 5:13, it says, “you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Jesus has set us free, but there’s a temptation to use our freedom for our own indulgence. We’ve been set free to serve one another. Fellowship requires that we “do good to one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

The power of the early church wasn’t in their programs or their professionalism. But it could be seen in their fellowship and the quality of their relationships. They help us to see our need to throw out our scorecards for how we often evaluate church and rethink how we engage with other believers. Be a part of the solution. Arrive early to speak to people. Stick around to talk to people. Listen to people’s needs and do what you can to help ease their burdens and serve them in love. God may give us a taste of the wonder of the early church in our generation as we do!

In awe of Him,

Paul