Getting Along
By Tony Cooke

Every book of the New Testament has something to say about how we are supposed to get along with other people. Every single NT book has at least one (and some have several) verses about getting along.

1. How we are to love and treat each other (encouraging, edifying, etc.)
2. How to proactively build positive relationships with each other
3. We see individuals navigating through difficult relationships – sometimes well, sometimes not so well
4. We are challenged to overcome the inclination to rip each other apart.

Let’s do a quick scan of the books of the New Testament to see what they tell us about “getting along.”  Sometimes the reference is a commandment. At other times it’s an observation or a description, but how we relate to others, and the significance of our interpersonal relationships, is a major theme of the New Testament.
        
The Gospel of Matthew
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
5: 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
18:15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

The Gospel of Mark
9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.

The Gospel of Luke
17:1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him."

The Gospel of John
13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
17:20 (NLT) I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Acts
2:1 …they were all with one accord in one place.
2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house…
4:32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul
20:30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Romans
12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

1 Corinthians
3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
6:6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
11:18 …when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you…
13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

2 Corinthians
12:20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish… lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults…
13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace;

Galatians
5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."   15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Ephesians
4:1 …walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Philippians
1:27 …stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel…
2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
4:2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.

Colossians
3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

1 Thessalonians
5:12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

2 Thessalonians
1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because… the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other…

1 Timothy
1:4 …disputes rather than godly edification
5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. 3 Honor widows who are really widows.
5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
6:1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor…

2 Timothy
2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition…

Titus
3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Philemon
15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave — a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Hebrews
10:24 (Amp) And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.
12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

James
3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

1 Peter
3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;   9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

2 Peter
1:5 …giving all diligence, add to your faith… 7 brotherly kindness…

1 John
2:10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.
4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

2 John
5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.

3 John
5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Jude
16 (NLT) These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.
19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith…
Wilmington translates that, “Strengthen yourselves, and others as well.”

Revelation
2:4 (NLT) But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

The Bible recognizes that relationships are a two-way street. You may have noticed that Paul told the Romans, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (12:18). Even in relationships that don’t work well based on the decisions and actions of others, we can still keep our heart right, stay positive, and walk in love. The bottom line is that we can do the right thing and keep a good attitude even if another person does not. Our assignment is to do the best we can at cultivating and maintaining the best relationships possible.