Keep “Building One Another Up”

1. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:11, what work do we all share in?

HAS your congregation ever built or renovated a Kingdom Hall? If so, no doubt you remember your first meeting in the new facility. You were so grateful to Jehovah. In fact, you may have been so choked up with emotion that you could hardly sing the opening song. Our well-built Kingdom Halls bring praise to Jehovah. But we bring even greater praise to him when we engage in another kind of building work. That work involves something more valuable than literal buildings. It involves building up the people who come to those places of worship. The apostle Paul had in mind this type of figurative building program when he wrote the words found at 1 Thessalonians 5:11, our theme text.​—Read.

2. What will we discuss in this article?

² The apostle Paul is an excellent example of someone who knew how to build up his fellow believers. He had empathy for them. In this article, we will consider how he helped his brothers and sisters (1) to endure trials, (2) to be peaceable with one another, and (3) to strengthen their faith in Jehovah. Let us see how we can imitate him and thus build up our brothers and sisters today.​—1 Cor. 11:1.

PAUL HELPED HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO ENDURE TRIALS

3. What balanced view did Paul have?

³ Paul loved his brothers very much. He was no stranger to hardship; thus, he could show compassion and empathy for fellow believers when they were going through trials. One time, Paul ran out of funds and had to find work to support himself and his companions. (Acts 20:34) He was a tentmaker by trade. When he arrived in Corinth, he at first worked with fellow tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla. But “every sabbath” he would preach to the Jews and the Greeks. Then when Silas and Timothy arrived, “Paul began to be intensely occupied with the word.” (Acts 18:2-5) Paul never lost sight of his main purpose in life, to serve Jehovah. Hardworking Paul was in a good position to encourage his brothers and sisters. He reminded them not to allow the pressures of life and the need to provide for the family to cause them to neglect “the more important things”​—all aspects of Jehovah’s worship.​—Phil. 1:10.

4. How did Paul and Timothy help fellow believers to cope with persecution?

⁴ Soon after the congregation in Thessalonica was formed, the new believers faced severe opposition. When a mob of vicious opposers could not find Paul and Silas, the mob dragged “some of the brothers to the city rulers,” crying out: “These men act in opposition to the decrees of Caesar.” (Acts 17:6, 7) Can you imagine how shaken those newly converted Christians must have been to find that the men of the city had turned against them? They could have slowed down in their service to Jehovah, but Paul did not want that to happen. Although he and Silas had to leave, they made sure that the fledgling congregation was well cared for. Paul reminded the Thessalonians: “We sent Timothy, our brother . . . , to make you firm and comfort you regarding your faith, so that no one might be shaken by these tribulations.” (1 Thess. 3:2, 3) Timothy very likely had firsthand experience with persecution in his hometown of Lystra. He had seen how Paul strengthened the brothers there. Having seen the outcome that Jehovah gave, Timothy could assure his new brothers and sisters that everything would turn out well for them too.​—Acts 14:8, 19-22; Heb. 12:2.

5. How did a brother named Bryant benefit from the help of an elder?

⁵ In what other way did Paul strengthen his fellow believers? On their return visit to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, Paul and Barnabas “appointed elders for them in each congregation.” (Acts 14:21-23) No doubt those appointed men proved to be a source of comfort to the congregations, as the elders are today. Note the comments made by a brother named Bryant: “When I turned 15,” he says, “my father left home and my mother was disfellowshipped. I felt abandoned and discouraged.” What helped Bryant to endure this difficult time? He says: “Tony, an elder, talked with me at meetings and at other times. He told me about those who had faced trials and yet were happy. He shared Psalm 27:10 with me and often spoke about Hezekiah, who served faithfully even though his father was not a good example.” What effect did this practical help have on Bryant? “With Tony’s encouragement,” says Bryant, “I eventually began a satisfying career in full-time service.” Elders, be alert to help those who, like Bryant, may need “a good word” of encouragement.​—Prov. 12:25.

6. How did Paul use life stories to encourage his brothers and sisters?

⁶ Paul reminded fellow worshippers that in Jehovah’s strength, “a great cloud of witnesses” had endured hardships. (Heb. 12:1) Paul understood how the life stories of those in the past who successfully endured all kinds of hardships could infuse his brothers and sisters with courage and help them keep focused on the “city of the living God.” (Heb. 12:22) The same is true today. Who has not been strengthened when reading about how Jehovah helped Gideon, Barak, David, Samuel, and many others? (Heb. 11:32-35) And what about modern-day examples of faith? At world headquarters, we often receive letters from brothers and sisters whose faith has been strengthened after they read the life story of one of Jehovah’s modern-day faithful servants.

PAUL SHOWED HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS HOW TO BE PEACEABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER

7. What do you learn from Paul’s counsel recorded at Romans 14:19-21?

⁷ We build up our brothers and sisters when we actively promote peace in the congregation. We do not allow differences of opinion to divide us. And we do not insist on our rights where no Scriptural principle is at stake. Consider an example. The congregation in Rome was made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. When the Mosaic Law was done away with, the restrictions it had placed on eating certain foods were no longer in force. (Mark 7:19) From that time on, some Jewish Christians felt free to eat all kinds of foods. Other Jewish Christians, however, could not bring themselves to do so. The congregation became divided over this issue. Paul underscored the importance of keeping peace and observed: “It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything over which your brother stumbles.” (Read Romans 14:19-21.) Paul thus helped his fellow believers to see how damaging such disputes were to individuals and to the congregation as a whole. He was also willing to change his own behavior to avoid stumbling others. (1 Cor. 9:19-22) We can likewise build others up and maintain peace if we refrain from making issues over matters of personal preference.

8. How did Paul respond when an important issue threatened the peace of the congregation?

⁸ Paul set a good example in maintaining peace with those who disagreed about important matters. For instance, some in the first-century congregation insisted that Gentile converts be circumcised, perhaps to avoid criticism by outsiders. (Gal. 6:12) Paul strongly disagreed with that viewpoint, but rather than insist that his way be followed, he humbly referred the matter to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. (Acts 15:1, 2) As a result, his conduct helped those Christians to maintain joy and peace in the congregation.​—Acts 15:30, 31.

9. How can we follow Paul’s example?

⁹ If a serious dispute does arise, we promote peace by seeking guidance from those whom Jehovah has appointed to care for the congregation. Often, Bible-based direction can be found in our publications or in guidelines provided by the organization. If we focus on following those instructions rather than on promoting our personal views, we will contribute to the peace of the congregation.

10. What else did Paul do to promote peace in the congregation?

¹⁰ Paul promoted peace by highlighting the positive qualities of his brothers and sisters, not their negative traits. For example, in closing his letter to the Romans, Paul mentioned many people by name and in most cases added a positive comment or a personal detail about them. We can imitate Paul by freely mentioning the good qualities of our brothers and sisters. When we do, we give our brothers and sisters added reason for drawing close to one another, which builds up the congregation in love.

11. How can we restore peace when differences arise?

¹¹ At times, even mature Christians may disagree or argue with each other. That happened to Paul and his close friend Barnabas. These two men strongly disagreed about whether to take Mark with them on their next missionary trip. There was “a sharp burst of anger” between them, and they parted ways. (Acts 15:37-39) But Paul, Barnabas, and Mark mended the rift in their relationship, showing that they placed value on the peace and unity of the congregation. Paul later spoke well of Barnabas and Mark. (1 Cor. 9:6; Col. 4:10) We too need to resolve any differences we might have with others in the congregation and then continue to focus on their good qualities. In that way, we will promote peace and unity.​—Eph. 4:3.

PAUL STRENGTHENED THE FAITH OF HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS

12. What are some of the challenges that our brothers and sisters face?

¹² We build up our brothers and sisters when we strengthen their faith in Jehovah. Some are ridiculed by unbelieving family members or by workmates or schoolmates. Others are dealing with serious health problems or are struggling to overcome hurt feelings. Still others have been baptized Christians for years and have been waiting a long time for this system of things to end. These situations can be a test of faith for Christians today. Members of the first-century congregation faced similar challenges. What did Paul do to strengthen his brothers and sisters?

13. How did Paul help those who were ridiculed for their beliefs?

¹³ Paul used the Scriptures to build up the faith of his brothers and sisters. For example, Jewish Christians may have felt at a loss to answer the criticisms of unbelieving family members who claimed that Judaism was superior to Christianity. No doubt Paul’s letter to the Hebrews greatly strengthened those Christians. (Heb. 1:5, 6; 2:2, 3; 9:24, 25) They could use his powerful reasonings to silence their accusers. Today, we can help fellow believers who face ridicule to make use of our Bible-based publications to explain the reasons for their convictions. And if our young ones are made fun of for believing in creation, we can help them find information in the brochures Was Life Created? and The Origin of Life​—Five Questions Worth Asking to show why they believe that life was created.

14. Even though Paul was busy preaching and teaching, what did he do?

¹⁴ Paul encouraged his brothers and sisters to show love through “fine works.” (Heb. 10:24) He helped his brothers and sisters not only by what he said but also by what he did. For example, when fellow believers in Judea faced a famine, Paul helped distribute relief to them. (Acts 11:27-30) In fact, even though Paul was busy preaching and teaching, he always looked for ways to help those who needed material assistance. (Gal. 2:10) By so doing, he built up his fellow believers’ confidence that Jehovah would care for them. Today, when we volunteer our time, effort, and skills to help with disaster relief, we too build up the faith of our brothers and sisters. The same happens when we regularly donate toward the worldwide work. In these and other ways, we help our brothers and sisters to trust that Jehovah will never abandon them.

15-16. How should we treat those whose faith has become weak?

¹⁵ Paul did not give up on those whose faith had become weak. He showed compassion for them and spoke to them in a warm and positive way. (Heb. 6:9; 10:39) For example, throughout his letter to the Hebrews, he often used the words “we” and “us,” thereby recognizing that he too had to apply the counsel he gave. (Heb. 2:1, 3) Like Paul, we do not give up on those whose faith has become weak. Instead, we build them up by showing genuine interest in them. In this way, we confirm our love for them. Our warm and gentle tone can be just as upbuilding as anything we might say.

¹⁶ Paul reassured his brothers and sisters that Jehovah was aware of their good works. (Heb. 10:32-34) We can do something similar when assisting a fellow believer whose faith has grown weak. We might have him recount how he came into the truth or encourage him to think back on occasions when he felt Jehovah’s support. We can use the opportunity to assure him that Jehovah has not forgotten past acts of love and that He will not abandon him in the future. (Heb. 6:10; 13:5, 6) These conversations may stir up in these dear ones a desire to continue in His service.

“KEEP ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER”

17. What skills can we continue to develop?

¹⁷ Just as a construction worker improves his skills over time, we too can become more effective in building one another up. We can help others gain strength to endure trials by sharing with them examples of those who endured in the past. We can promote peace by mentioning the good we see in others, preserve peace when it is threatened, and restore peace when differences arise. And we can continue to build up the faith of our brothers and sisters by sharing with them important Bible truths, by providing practical help, and by supporting any who have become weak spiritually.

18. What are you determined to do?

¹⁸ Those who work on theocratic building projects feel happy and content. We can experience happiness and contentment when we help with the spiritual building work in the congregation. Unlike physical buildings that will eventually decay, the results of our work can last an eternity! May we be determined to “keep encouraging one another and building one another up.”​—1 Thess. 5:11.