@ Iron Sharpens Iron: Day 2

Elective Seminar Session 2: The "One Another's" in John's Writings
George Farber

While I was excited to take a class that was essentially a word study, I had a little trepidation because such sessions can easily turn into dry theological discussions, and miss the practical completely. They word study itself was almost painfully brief: The commands that contain "One another" in John are either "Love one another" or emerge directly from "Love one another." And the "Newness" that John says is a quality of the command is one of quality, not time (which I think I knew, but had forgotten.)
Thankfully, the part was much fuller, and more enlightening, which is the way it should be. The first thing that was pointed out was that walking in the light (another of John's favorite phrases) is a prerequisite to loving.
Farber offered a number of tests for understanding how much we love, all of which were at least a little convicting:

• How much do I love an individual after they have failed?
• Do I regret it when schisms occur?
• Do I seek reconciliation?
• Am I willing to take a loss rather than "win" the argument?

Farber concluded by pointing out that in John 3:16, the word "so" forces the 2nd phrase.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Without "so" we could end the verse at world. God loved the world. Period. And in his righteous anger sent them all to hell. But the "so" forces an explanation - He gave his only Son. Use that same phrase as a test for your love:

I so love my fellow believers that I _____________________. What do you do out of love for your fellow believers? John indicates that our love for one another is the primary evidence the world has of the truth in us. How good of a witness are you?