One Anothers #7: "Edify One Another” Series

One Anothers #7: “Edify One Another”

The One Anothers: The Church's "Body Builders"

Chuck Sligh

July 17, 2022

TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do.”

INTRODUCTION

Opening Illus. – One of the most inspiring people I ever knew was my pastor in White House, Tennessee, whom we called Brother Bob. After being around him, you just wanted to serve God more than you did before. He built you up and inspired you to go for God with all your heart. He modeled better than anyone I have ever met what God commands us to do at the end of our text, where he commands us to “edify one another.”

The Greek word translated edify here is oikodoméo (????d?µ??, #3618) which literally means “to build a house, erect a building; to build (up from the foundation); or to restore by building, to rebuild, repair.” From that basic concept, the New Testament utilizes the word to mean “to build up or promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, and blessedness.” So what Paul was instructing the Thessalonians to do in our text, and us as well, was to build up, not tear down, one another; to strengthen, not weaken, one another; to promote Christian growth and virtue and righteousness in one another.

In fact, EVERYTHING we do should be to build up others, to promote their spiritual growth and welfare.

In a way, all the other “one anothers” we’ve studied so far can be included in this final “one another” command to edify one another, for each one builds up and strengthens one another and promotes growth in holy wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness.

• To understand that WE’RE MEMBERS one of another, is to promote edification.

• To LOVE one another is to edify one another.

• To BE LIKEMINDED with one another is to edify one another.

• To GREET one another is to edify one another.

• To ACCEPT one another is to edify one another.

• And to SERVE one another is to edify one another.

So, this last “One Another” command of Paul undergirds and reinforces them all. How can we carry out this command to edify one another? What are some practical, hands-on ways that we can edify one another in our church? To answer that question, let’s look at specific passages of Scripture where this term is used:

I. FIRST, WE EDIFY ONE ANOTHER BY NOT QUARRELLING OVER “DISPUTABLE ISSUES.”

This reminds us of Paul’s command to “accept one another” which we examined a couple of weeks ago. Note the following verses, where Paul is talking about the issue of meat offered to idols, which is the PARTICULAR application Paul makes to the GENERALIZED principle of how to respond when good Christians honestly disagree on the so-called “gray areas”—that is, issues not specifically dealt with in the Word of God:

• In Romans 14:19 he says, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things by which one may edify another.” – As you can see, when talking about how we should accept one another, Paul ties it in with edification.

• In Romans 15:2, Paul is summarizing his teaching and he says, “Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.”

• And in 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul says, “Now concerning things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but lobe edifies.”

Paul repeatedly says that who is right in disputable issues is not the real issue. The real issue is: Do we love our brothers or sisters enough to not judge them and to agree to disagree on the non-essentials and to accept them in full fellowship. Paul says that arguing and judging one another over about these issues do not edify. They don’t build up or strengthen people or a church. They tear down and destroy and divide.

II. THE SECOND WAY THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT EDIFICATION IS BY CHURCHES MAKING SURE THINGS ARE CONDUCTED DECENTLY AND IN ORDER.

In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul repeatedly talks about this to the Corinthian believers who had let their services become chaotic through the unrestricted use of the sign gifts: In verse 26 he says, “How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” Paul continues the same theme verse 33: “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Then in verse 40 he says, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” So, in the same context, Paul ties doing things decently and in order with edifying.