“It is not good for man to be alone”
Okay. I’m taking that opening verse out of context. However, it establishes a principle echoed throughout Scripture.
Several Proverbs point out the value and wisdom of mutual learning.
- Proverbs 11:14 – “Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
- Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkens unto counsel is wise.”
- Proverbs 15:22 – “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established.”
You get the point. Wisdom is gained through our willingness to engage with others. We lead better when we surround ourselves with multiple voices.
The principle of mutuality and interdependence is a key thread in the New Testament. Jesus made disciples within a community of followers. While the rabbi was central to the teaching process, they gained much from their interaction with one another. This is part of the genius of Jesus’ plan, as he knew they would need to lean on each other when he was gone.
Paul emphasizes interdependence within the body of Christ in I Corinthians 12:12-27, making it clear that each part of the body needs every other part. No body part can stand or function on its own. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul explains the importance of certain people given to the church to build up and equip the body. At the end of this passage, he clearly indicates that all members are involved in the process of spiritual maturity. “From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
This interdependence moves beyond a particular body of believers. Autonomous churches do not operate in isolation. In Acts 15, the church at Antioch seeks help from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. In Acts 11:27-30, believers in Antioch send relief to believers in Judea. Paul invites churches to share resources with other churches in II Corinthians 8:1-15. The church at Antioch sends Barnabas and Saul to share the gospel and form new congregations. This results in an ongoing relationship between the leaders of these churches.
In the first century, the church moved forward because they worked together. They shared resources. They shared Scriptures. They prayed for one another and served one another. They worked together to accomplish a mission they could never complete on their own. Yes, they were autonomous. But they were also interdependent.
This spirit of interdependence lives on in most of the Global South, and other parts of the world where resources and trained leaders are scarce. For many, they have no choice. Their lack leads to their gain, as their cooperation breeds the broader unity Christ prayed for in John 17. This interdependence breeds mutual learning, prayer, encouragement, and sacrifice, which leads to reproduction, multiplication, and greater gospel impact.
In the West, we are duped by our loyalty to independence. It is one of our highest virtues. It proves we have what it takes to make it on our own. But therein lies the problem. God designed the church as a team sport: dependent on Him and on one another.
Because we have so many resources, we can do church on our own. We can isolate ourselves, compare ourselves, and congratulate ourselves on all we accomplish in Jesus’ name, without any concern for answering Jesus’ prayer. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Wow! Jesus prays that his followers will have the same interdependent relationship he has with the Father. Why? That the world may know and believe that Jesus came from God.
IMPLICATION: Interdependence is not a choice or a preference. Interdependence is not a fad or a new way of thinking. Interdependence is a mandate. It is central to Jesus’ mission and reflects the glory of the Godhead.
And when we function interdependently, we can leave this earth with a legacy like Jesus’s: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do.”
Maybe you can function and do “fine” on your own. But “fine” is not the goal. The goal is to glorify the Father by completing the work He gave us to do in a manner that brings glory to His name.
It is not good for man to be alone. It is not good for churches to be alone. Lead an interdependent church that seeks the health and reproduction of churches throughout your community, and in whatever other regions God allows you to influence. Don’t bury your talent. Invest it, and give everything that is gained back to the master who entrusted it to you.
