Becoming a Community of Disciples

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Becoming a Community of Disciples

for all of us? No matter our personal opinions when it comes to how we relate to others, all of us have to live our lives, to some extent, connected with others. And I would say that this is even truer for Christian believers than it is for others. The Bible assumes that Christians will be united to one another. The earliest Christians modeled it for us when “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer . . . All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:42, 44–45; NIV). And when the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth he said “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor 1:10; NIV). So, as Christians, we take these passages seriously and we try to be in good relationship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We live in community with one another in the power of the Holy Spirit who unites us to one another in love (Eph 4:1–7). We are quick to forgive when we sin against one another (Eph 4:32). In short, we strive to live together as a family, having been brought into this family through our adoption as sons and daughters of God (Gal 4:4–7). But like any family, there will be seasons when we do not get along well with others in the family. To do things well and to honor God best we need to be taught how to be in good relationship with one another, both our sisters and