Notice the passages below and ponder them carefully.
- “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted…” (Ephesians 4:32a)
- “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
- “Finally, brothers, rejoice. aim for restoration, comfort one another…” (2 Corinthians 13:11a)
- “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)
- “Bearing with one another…” (Colossians 3:13a)
- “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same (equal) care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)
- “Therefore, confess your sins to one another…” (James 5:16a)
- “…and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16b)
These are descriptions of family dealings and family matters. They recognize the need for encouragement, patience, humility while supporting and defending one another. (united). It also supports helping burdens to difficult to carry, while holding each other accountable at the same time ( Gal. 6). In order to carry these out in practice, it is clear that individuals need to be much more transparent than we witness among one another in our fellowship.