and let us consider one another for provoking to love and good works;
This verse closes a long argument. Christ has opened the way into God's presence, and now the writer turns our eyes sideways — to each other — with a task that sounds odd at first: to stir others up, or as older translations put it, to provoke.
The order matters. The believer settles everything with Christ first. Only then does attention move to fellow Christians.
Samuel RidoutNow he urges, "Let us consider one another to stir up love and good works." All this time the eye has been on Christ… Notice it comes at the close, not at the beginning. You cannot get your salvation from your fellow Christians, or your assurance. You cannot get your freedom to worship from them, or your perseverance to the end. Keep your eye fixed on Christ alone for all these things. Once you have all that in your soul, settled there by the Spirit of God, you can turn your eye to your fellow believers.
The same order protects "good works" from being misunderstood as a way of earning anything.
Leslie M. GrantProvoking to love and good works is done by showing such character cheerfully in our own lives, and encouraging others in such things. But let us notice that good works are not considered until after the great work of the Lord Jesus is seen to be the only resting place of the soul, the only real foundation of blessing. After that, good works have their true, real value, as a proper result of the knowledge of eternal salvation.
Once God has met every personal need, self-attention becomes pointless.
C. H. MackintoshThe grace of God has so richly met all our personal need… an opened heaven — a torn curtain — a crowned and seated Saviour — a great High Priest — a perfectly cleansed conscience — boldness to enter — a hearty welcome. We have all these marvellous blessings in full possession. So what have we got to do? Consider ourselves? No indeed; that would be unnecessary and sinfully selfish. We could not possibly do as well for ourselves as God has done for us… What remains? Simply to "consider one another"… to be on the lookout for opportunities of doing good; to seek in a thousand little ways to make hearts glad.
Considering can easily turn into inspection.
G. C. WillisSadly, too often we provoke one another to hard and bitter thoughts, by fault-finding and unkind, perhaps even unfair, criticism. It is so easy to find fault with fellow believers. But spirituality and the love of Christ in our hearts will see their graces and good points. Then we will think of them as loved by the Father and given by Him to Christ, as accepted and beautiful in His sight. And let us remember there are some unlovely things in ourselves.
The way to do it is to pour in what you want to see come out.
W. T. P. WolstonYou may be able to see very little of Christ in me, but you are told to provoke me to greater devotion. How can you do this? You must lavish your love on me. How would you fix a pump if it were dry? Pour a few buckets of water into it. Soon the sparkling water will flow out in refreshing, continuous streams. Now this is how you are to deal with the sleepy, half-dead brother or sister. Let such a person see in you what you long to find in him. Then by your love you will provoke him to renewed energy in the divine way.
The phrase is one another. Some writers see the task as shared by all believers, since all alike are priests.
The Bible TreasuryThe expression is remarkable — "consider one another." Only One, the Lord Himself, stands in the authoritative place of Priest to the saints; therefore we are to consider one another… We can only do this as we stand in grace ourselves, and recognise others as standing in the same grace and the same nearness to God… There is no room for rivalry now — all are priests. But there is plenty of room for love. The love that has brought us where we stand is the measure of our love for each other.
This is not a duty bolted on from outside. It grows out of attention to Christ Himself.
C. H. MackintoshThe more carefully we consider Him, the more we shall be fitted and inclined to consider all who belong to Him, whoever and wherever they may be. Show us a man full of Christ, and we will show you a man full of love, and care, and interest for every member of the body of Christ. It must be so.
You cannot stir up people you hardly know.
Frederick W. GrantExhortations often fall flat because we do not know each other. How seldom are we near enough to each other in our inner lives to encourage or urge one another on! Yet as children of God and members of Christ, we are in a relationship to one another that is nearer and more lasting than any other can be.
- Christ first. Salvation, assurance, worship and perseverance come from Him alone. Settle that, then turn your eye to fellow believers.
- Then self drops out. God has left nothing undone for us. Considering ourselves is pointless; considering one another is what remains.
- Consider, don't inspect. The same close look that finds faults can see graces instead. Fault-finding provokes bitterness; love provokes love.
- Provoke by supplying. Let the sleepy believer see in you what you long to find in him — pour water into the dry pump.
- Stay near. Encouragement falls flat without real knowledge of each other, so stay close.
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom [is] with some; but encouraging [one another], and by so much the more as ye see the day drawing near.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.