The phrase one another portrays the way Christ-followers are to relate to each other. When God’s people practice life together in community and grow in the likeness of Christ, the Good News of Jesus becomes relationally practical.

There are at least 59 one another commands in the New Testament that portray the way members of God’s family are to relate to each other. As these exhortations are lived out, God’s One Another Family becomes a witness to the entire world (John 13:15).

The groupings below are simply provided to help you read through this rather long list. You will quickly see that it is difficult to categorize these “one another” imperatives and that they often overlap from group to group.

Love one another

1. Love one another – John 13:34 NIV
2. Love one another – John 13:34 NIV
3. Love one another – John 13:35 NIV
4. Love one another – John 15:12 NIV
5. Love one another – John 15:17 NIV
6. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love – Romans 12:10 NIV
7. Love one another – Romans 13:8 NIV
8. Make your love increase and overflow for each other – 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV
9. Love each other – 1 Thessalonians 4:9 NIV
10. Love one another deeply, from the heart – 1 Peter 3:8 NIV
11. Love each other deeply – 1 Peter 4:8 NIV
12. Love one another – 1 John 3:11 NIV
13. Love one another – 1 John 3:23 NIV
14. Love one another – 1 John 4:7 NIV
15. Love one another – 1 John 4:11 NIV
16. Love one another – 1 John 4:12 NIV
17. Love one another – 2 John 5 NIV

Serve one another

1. Wash one another’s feet.” – John 13:14 NIV 
2. Serve one another in love – Galatians 5:13 NIV 
3. Carry each other’s burdens – Galatians 6:2 NIV 
4. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others – 1 Peter 4:10 NIV

Encourage one another

1. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs – Ephesians 5:19 NIV 
2. Encourage each other – 1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV 
3. Encourage each other – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV 
4. Build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV 
5. Encourage one another daily – Hebrews 3:13 NIV 
6. Spur one another on toward love and good deeds – Hebrews 10:24 NIV 
7. Encourage one another – Hebrews 10:25 NIV 
8. Pray for each other – James 5:16 NIV

Live in unity with one another

1. Be at peace with each other – Mark 9:50 NIV 
2. Live in harmony with one another – Romans 12:16 NIV 
3. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you – Romans 15:7 NIV 
4. Be patient, bearing with one another in love – Ephesians 4:2 NIV 
5. Be kind and compassionate to one another – Ephesians 4:32 NIV 
6. Forgiving each other – Ephesians 4:32 NIV 
7. Bear with each other – Colossians 3:13 NIV 
8. Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another – Colossians 3:13 NIV 
9. Confess your sins to each other – James 5:16 NIV 
10. Live in harmony with one another – 1 Peter 3:8 NIV

Be humble and submit one another

1. When you come together to eat, wait for each other – 1 Corinthians 11:33 NIV 
2. Have equal concern for each other – 1 Corinthians 12:25 NIV 
3. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ – Ephesians 5:21 NIV 
4. In humility consider others better than yourselves – Philippians 2:3 NIV 
5. Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another – 1 Peter 5:5 NIV

Honor one another

1. Honor one another above yourselves. – Romans 12:10 NIV 
2. Greet one another with a holy kiss – Romans 16:16 NIV 
3. Greet one another with a holy kiss – 1 Corinthians 16:20 NIV 
4. Greet one another with a holy kiss – 2 Corinthians 13:12 NIV 
5. Greet one another with a kiss of love – 1 Peter 5:14 NIV

Instruct one another

1. Instruct one another – Romans 15:14 NIV 
2. Teach [one another] – Colossians 3:16 NIV 
3. Admonish one another – Colossians 3:16 NIV

Do not harm one another

1. Stop passing judgment on one another – Romans 14:13 NIV 
2. If you keep on biting and devouring each other…you will be destroyed by each other – Galatians 5:15 NIV 
3. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other – Galatians 5:26 NIV 
4. Do not lie to each other – Colossians 3:9 NIV 
5. Do not slander one another – James 4:11 NIV 
6. Don’t grumble against each other – James 5:9 NIV 
7. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling – 1 Peter 4:9 NIV

Think it through

Are you part of a small community of Christ-followers where you have the opportunity to practice these “one anothers”?

What does this list tell us about God?

What does this list tell us about people?

What are you going to have to do to be obedient to what you discovered here?