Bible Students

A. Meet one another’s needs by sharing God’s provisions that He has placed under your care (Acts 4:32-37).

God has given people things apart from what they deserve. Through God’s mercy, all people have received what they have. Though individuals do work, their energy, effort, drive, and abilities are all given by God. One can do nothing apart from what God has given. Therefore, one can not act as if what they have is theirs. They must give to others, following the example of the Father. 

B. Minister to others, according to your spiritual giftedness, as a functioning and mutually edifying member of the Body of Christ (Romans 12:3-8).

God has given spiritual gifts, which as a gift must be given to others. God has given all that people have, so they must not be selfish with those gifts. They must give those gifts for the benefit of others, just as God has done. The gifts are given that individuals would follow in God’s example to serve one another in the body. 

C. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love since you are a member of God’s family through Christ (Romans 12:10).

Similarly, the individual in the body is not brought into the sheepfold according to anything they have done. They are brought in only due to the love of Christ. Therefore, this love must be shared with the other siblings in Christ. If a Christian believes another Christian is not worthy of their love, how can they expect God’s love (which requires a higher standard) to be on them? 

D. Give preference to one another and thus demonstrate honor to a fellow-believer (Romans 12:10).

Christ’s example was that of a servant. The Christian who is not willing to be a servant claims to be greater, according to the worldly standard, than Christ. The one who will not serve is not acting in the manner Christ acted. True Christian love places others first. 

E. Be of the same mind with one another that you may not be wise in your own estimation but instead that you may glorify the Lord through your unity (Romans 12:16, 15:5-6).

Unity, likewise, is modeled after Christ. If the individual is unified with Christ through His sacrifice, how can the Christian refuse to be unified with their own brother? The Christian has done much more against Christ than the brother has done against the Christian, regardless of the circumstances. If Christ desires unity, then the Christian should as well. 

F. Love one another that you may fulfill the law of God in its sum: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:8-10).

God’s Law is based on His actions toward humanity. Because God has loved creation without any merit of its own, individuals are expected to love each other apart from any works “deserving” love. God has loved the individual, so the Christian must attempt to love others as well. 

G. Do not judge one another and thus acknowledge God’s sovereignty in the lives of one another (Romans 14:1-13).

If Christ does not condemn the individual, how can the individual turn to another person and call condemnation on them? This can not mean not to call out sin, for all people are called to call out sin, just as Christ through the Spirit does in each Christian. However, Christians are called not to condemn others, but to plead for their salvation and repentance. The Christian who has been shown mercy must not wish condemnation on another person. 

H. Pursue things that make for peace and the building up of one another that you may not lead others to stumble (Romans 14:14-19).

Christ desires the building up of Christians. The Christian who wants to follow Christ must seek unity, peace, and edification of other Christians. Christians must seek to build one another up once there is unity. Christians must seek to build one another up, just as Christ has sought to build them up through His Spirit. 

I. Accept one another and thus follow Christ’s example of acceptance to the glory of God (Romans 15:7).

Now, acceptance is not the same as love. Acceptance today seems different than what is used here. The Christian is not to accept the evil behavior of individuals. This is accepting but unloving. The Christian is to be both accepting and loving, wanting fellowship and repentance with all people. The sinner who joins a church is in good company. Christians should accept sinners into the church, but desire all people to repent and change. 

J. Admonish one another because you are enabled by the Lord to do so (Romans 15:14).

The Christian is given knowledge, understanding, and love by God. The Christian is expected to do the same to others. The Christian can only do things according to what God has given them, so the Christian must seek to give those things to other people as well. If they refuse, it should be questioned by themself if they were given those things to begin with.