A Good Word – ἀλλήλων (One Another)

“Read your Bible. Pray every day. And you’ll grow, grow, grow!” You might recognize those lines from a well-known Sunday School song. Maybe you remember the hand motions reinforcing the benefits of daily Scripture reading. And you might even recall the warning in the second verse of the song: “Neglect your Bible, forget to pray, and you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink.” That song emphasizes important practical truths. The disciplines of reading the Word of God and praying to the God of the Word should never be minimized. The 176 verses of Psalm 119 spotlight the clear teaching of Scripture that great blessing comes from reading God’s Word. And countless Psalms underscore the need to pray to the Lord in all circumstances.
Sometimes, though, our right embrace of personal Bible reading and private prayer can lead us to downplay another clear teaching of Scripture—the need for “one another” in spiritual growth. The meaning of the Greek word ἀλλήλων (allēlōn) itself is straightforward: “one another,” “each other,” referring to relationships of mutuality. In all cases, “one another” requires more than one person; and it often involves a group of people.
To really grow spiritually in the ways God wants us to grow, we need allēlōn—one another. In fact, when the New Testament uses the image of “growing” spiritually, it usually refers to growing with one another (1 Cor 3:6–9; 2 Cor 10:15; Eph 2:19–22; 4:14–16; Col 1:3–12; 2:19; 1 Pet 2:1–5). What are these one anothers that lead to spiritual growth? Consider just a handful:
- “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.” (Rom 12:10)
- “Accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” (Rom 15:17)
- “Through love serve one another.” (Gal 5:13)
- “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph 4:32)
- “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Eph 5:18–19, 21)
- “With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3)
- “Encourage one another and build up one another.” (1 Thess 5:11)
- “Live in peace with one another…. Always seek after that which is good for one another.” (1 Thess 5:13, 15)
- “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” (Heb 10:24–25)
- “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another.” (Jas 5:16) “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” (1 Pet 4:9)
Living out the one anothers means more than just showing up to church on Sunday morning. It means actually gathering to minister to one another, not simply to be ministered to (1 Cor 12:7; Phil. 2:1–4). It means staying committed to one another even when you feel inconvenienced or even offended (Col 3:12–23). God gave our individual spiritual gifts for building up one another (1 Cor 12:7). Spiritual gifts are not simply what God gives to you; spiritual gifts are what God gives through you to all the one anothers in your life.
So, as radical as it may sound to those of us raised singing “read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow,” we need to add another verse to that old Sunday School song. We need to add the Bible’s teaching about the one anothers. Maybe that missing verse would sound something like this: “Embrace one another, gather to pray, and you’ll grow, grow, grow.”
About the Contributors

Michael J. Svigel
Besides teaching both historical and systematic theology at DTS, Dr. Svigel is actively engaged in teaching and writing for a broader evangelical audience. His passion for a Christ-centered theology and life is coupled with a penchant for humor, music, and writing. Dr. Svigel comes to DTS after working for several years in the legal field as well as serving as a writer with the ministry of Insight for Living. His books and articles range from text critical studies to juvenile fantasy. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children, Sophie, Lucas, and Nathan.