One reason we are studying the book of 1 Timothy is because we need a biblical view of how the church-the body of Christ- is intended to function. The Scriptures refer to the church as the household of God, the church of the living God, and a pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). There is no such thing as a “Lone Ranger” Christian according to Jesus’ teaching, and the New Testament is full of “one-another” commands that are given to all Christians, not just leaders. These commands are not given simply so we can “do a kind deed”, they are given because as we obey them, God continues to transform us into the image of Christ in us. That is, the church has a formative role to play in our lives. 

In the book, “The Reason For Church“, Brad Edwards explains that our culture now has massive distrust of any formal institutions. However, that distrust is exactly why Christians need to be part of a local body of believers. He writes:

“As our ordinary means of grace, every local church is a redemptive institution: God’s ordained vehicle for making himself known to our neighbors and making disciples of all nations.  In and through the body of Christ, God applies grace to the problems of sin, brokenness, and alienation that none of us can solve on our own…If institutions are generally, “what we make of each other,”  then the specific spiritual institution we call the church is what God uses to make us more like Jesus.” 

(Introduction, pg. xxiii-xxv)

For example, when washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) What was “new” about the new commandment? Simply this: it was based on Jesus’ example of sacrifice: humbling himself to wash feet, and soon after humbling himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross.  Jesus’ humility and sacrificial death is what changes our hearts as we yield to His Holy Spirit, and by faith take steps of obedience. 

We don’t serve God simply to get a blessing, we serve God because we love Him, and we desire to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus more and more.  That collective transformation happens through the body of Christ “when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:16)

Here are some other examples of the “one another” passages in the New Testament. Think about how you can live out these commands, but also think about how you have been shaped by people living out these commands in your life.

Romans 14:13 “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”
Romans 15:2 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
Question- When has someone sought to build you up, instead of judging you for your personal conviction on a specific matter? When has someone accommodated you graciously?

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Question- When have you been shaped by another Christian’s warning or wisdom? How have you learned thankfulness from other believers? How have other people ministered to you through song?

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Question- Have you been refreshed or restored by confessing sins to another Christian friend? Do you have other believers to whom you confess regularly? How have you been blessed by other people’s prayers and one-to-one ministry?

As we continue studying the book of 1 Timothy, remember that God’s instructions to the church are always relational. God is working in us as we seek Him and learn to be the body of Christ. The church is not a spiritual restaurant where we pick and choose from a buffet menu. The church is not a spiritual gas station where we come to fill our tank and then drive off. The church is not a set of programs or social activities to run. The church can be busy at many things, but first and foremost we need to seek Christ, the Head of the church.