This is one of the few Togethers of Scripture that occurs in heaven. We will teach one another there in heaven just as we do now. Those whose spirit is prone to teach and be taught by those in their Christian Inner Circle will learn more about God, His holy nature, His ways, His home heaven, and many other aspects of God’s physical and spiritual universe. Now, before death, a little about these things can be learned if we put our heads together, but in heaven what we can learn will explode into infinity.

It will be great to enter heaven with the spiritual skills developed earlier by teaching truth to one another. First, we will hit the ground running with the propensity to seek out new things about God and his heaven. Second, we will have a deep desire in our spirits to show others what we are finding out.

Needless to say, those who do not now pass on spiritual truth to other Christians and do not diligently seek to learn from others, will go to heaven with spirits weak in the ability to take in all there is in heaven about God and all He has to reveal to us.

Some may think that when we get to heaven we will know everything. But, when the fog of sin is gone in heaven, we will not know everything but finally be able to see things clearly. We will not know everything. That belongs to God alone.

However, God will take great joy in revealing things to us, just as He does now – just so much more in heaven. We all know the joy of revealing something exciting to our children or our spouse or our friends. Now is the time to expand the sense of joy in our spirits in passing on things we learn about God and spiritual life with Him.

Col 3:16 passes instruction on to us about teaching about Jesus and helping grow one another’s faith:
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”

God’s truth is too large for any one person to grasp. Two things make it necessary for us to teach one another. First, God is infinite – there is just too much to learn. Second, God’s ways are higher than our ways, as Isaiah 55:9 puts it. God’s “IQ” is infinite; each of ours is limited. Therefore, Christians must actively and assertively share their understanding of God and more fully teach one another the Scriptures in that way. Christians must pool their knowledge of the Bible as well as check out one another’s comprehension of the Scriptures.

The various careful understandings of Scriptural passages of those in your Christian Inner Circle can teach more complete truth. The Greek plural in these words from 1 Cor 2:16 make it clear that only together do we have the ability to comprehend the truth of the Bible: “We have the mind of Christ”, meaning that “together we have the mind of Christ”. It is a mistake to think we can lead our lives without the scriptural input of those Christians closest to us, those most invested in the success of our lives. Various perspectives will bring out the maximum understanding of what God has said in His Word. We should listen to each other to learn more about God’s various perspectives. Independent thinking can only take us so far. We need one another to see as much as we possibly can in God’s Word.

To a very limited extent, Christians can teach one another in larger gatherings of the church. Sunday Schools and small group Bible studies have a place in fulfilling this command. But, they are not fluid with what is happening “right now”.

On the other hand, it is in our closest Christian relationships that we can teach one another – related to what is happening “right now”. Christian friends, Christians in families, and married Christians not only have contact with one another more often, they know what is going on in each other’s lives. They have the opportunity to consider what from the Bible needs to be taught for the current challenges of life.

This Together of teaching one another requires special dedication to God. He wants our conversations to not be only superficial and polite. He wants us to pay attention to two things: (1) what is happening in our friend’s life, our parent or child’s life, or our spouse’s life, and (2) what from the Bible and our experience walking with the Lord might be helpful in light of those circumstances and challenges.

Even though at first it might seem awkward, Christians in close relationship need to use conversation and dialogue instead of preaching or lecturing, which are usually rude in close relationships and typically ineffective. Ample time, easy accessibility and more transparency make Christian Inner Circle relationships the most powerful venue for teaching.

Sharing with one another what we are learning from the Bible is the easiest way to start relationships off in teaching scriptural principles. The next step is for Christians in their closest relationships to begin asking questions for clarification about what is being shared. This communicates openness to what God might be teaching the friend, family member or spouse. It will require acceptance of different views as well as trust in the Holy Spirit to do any correction needed. Disagreement needs to be expressed without attack or defensiveness. Friends, family members, and married couples can ask the Lord in prayer to answer any confusion.

The goal is to get to the point in our Christian relationships where we can insert teaching into conversations about what is happening in life as it is occurring. If agreement to seek this level of helping one another live successfully for God is established, then many mistakes from a spiritual perspective can be avoided.

If we can escape the grip of individualistic Christianity and realize that others can help us in hundreds of ways, teaching us to better live for God, life will blossom for us. If we can escape the grip of individualistic Christianity and realize that we must help those Christians we are close to and really care about, life will blossom for them. Surely, we want more of God’s treasure for ourselves – and for those with whom we are close.

Here is a fictional story that might help.
Emily has just moved into her third new home in seven years. Terri, Emily’s best friend of many years, has come to realize that Emily enjoys having ever more luxurious houses built and does not take enough time to help her kids with their school work or to show them much attention otherwise. Terri has noticed that Emily’s 14-year-old daughter is spending more and more time at other kids’ homes and might be getting into things she shouldn’t.

So, Terri realized that she needed to help Emily reset her Christian values and priorities. She understood that Emily needed to be taught that God wants her to place the good of others in her family higher than her own enjoyments and projects. Over the next few months Terri intentionally mentioned principles from the Bible that she and Emily needed to think about and adopt. Even though Terri was more compliant to these scriptural priorities, she dealt with each topic with the understanding that she herself could also improve.

Terri was pleasantly surprised when Emily sighed and remarked, “I think that this is the house we will stay in for a long time. I need to be more available to my kids.” Terri had no need to receive recognition for helping take Emily to this realization. She taught Emily for Jesus and knew He noticed. She was completely satisfied.

We need to teach those we are close to and with whom we interact regularly because there is much evil with which we must deal. I hate to admit it, but because I am still a sinner, even though saved, I can all too easily see what the devil can do to defeat others. My new self still remembers the schemes of my old self. And, I am not blind to how people hurt others. Therefore, when I purposely think about each of my close Christian friends, my Christian family members, and my Christian spouse, I can guess with a bit of accuracy what would take them off their path of faith.

Because of this ability to predict, it is a mistake to wait to teach Scriptural truth until a problem confronts a friend, family member, or spouse. Why wait when perhaps the problem can be avoided? Proactive rather than reactive teaching is most valuable. It can become quite natural in close Christian relationships where sharing the Bible in light of present circumstances can become a habit.

We Christians need to be aware enough of this Together as instructed by God so that we (1) agree to make pre-emptive biblical teaching and counsel something desirable to be given and received often, (2) expect one another to study the Bible for all of our good, not just individual edification, and (3) give one another permission to bring up biblical truth that just might be of help in light of what life is presently putting on our plates. We need to be able to look forward to learning from one another’s teaching and feel rejected if it is not forthcoming very often.
Teaching one another in friendships must be made higher priority. Christians should never see a friendship as merely for fun. Friends are always traveling a road of faith together, with attacks from a sinful culture and challenges from God.

For example, a friend takes a new job. She is excited. We think, “No problem here. I am glad for her. She will do okay. She knows how to do that work.” Such an attitude is okay for the members of her small group Bible study or the pastor and other acquaintances at church. But, a close friend might know that her marriage is not satisfying. What if a man at the new job finds her attractive? She can be fortified for this understandable and predictable temptation from Satan. There must be a conversation about some biblical truth and God’s great love that will strengthen her commitment to Jesus and her husband.

When we leave our bodies behind in death and awake in heaven, we will have a lot to learn. Earth is far more limited than heaven and the universe.

Don’t we want to enter heaven with an accelerated curiosity to learn about God and all that there is in eternal life? Everyone will enter heaven with bulging eyes and will take an interest in comprehending all that surrounds them. But, some will be more ready to pounce on the opportunity to learn. They will come to heaven with a head start because they often taught others as well as learned from them.

It does not seem likely that God would steal from us the joy of discovery (the “ah-ha!” experiences) by having us automatically understand everything once we step through the Pearly Gates. Before death, God did not have us automatically understand Himself, salvation, and the Christian life instantaneously upon accepting Christ. Instead, He gave us the Bible to spend years learning and discovering more and more amazing truth. And He made it so that we would need to teach one another. Since God is the same yesterday, today and forever, we will most likely learn in heaven little by little. More important than the learning will be the continual awe-struck praise that we will feel each time we learn a little more. Each such moment will be part of the worship of heaven.

Before death there is so much to learn about God. More than any one of us can cover. We each are drawn by God’s Spirit to some small part of God’s revelation. We can settle for just that one peek into the glory of God. But, why would we want to do that? It would be so much better to gather with our Christian friends, Christian family members and Christian husband or wife – and see what portion of God’s wonder the Holy Spirit has directed to us. Instead of one peek into the nature, glory, grace and mercy of God, we would have 3 or 10 views of things to which we otherwise would pay less attention.

The joy of showing others something about God in heaven will be magnified a thousand times over the joy in doing so now. Those listening will not be sin-distracted by pride (“I know that!”), from competition (“I’ve got to know more than that person.”), or self-focus (“I’m not interested in that.”). Nothing will distract us from the joy of telling about God. Others might add observations, and we will be thrilled to have such contributions. Yes, in heaven, teaching one another will be pure joy.

Let’s get busy teaching truth in depth to one another patiently over time with the words the Holy Spirit will give us. Let’s prepare ourselves to be assertive learners who then teach others in heaven. Let’s get into our Bibles and in prayer listen to what God is saying to us. Then, let’s pass that truth on in our closest Christian relationships.

Pool your understanding of Scripture and check out one another’s comprehension of the Bible. Teach one another for the sake of spiritual growth.

Prov 9:9-10; Col 1:28; Col 3:16

Prayer to Embrace this Together

God of All Truth, help me to not shy away from speaking of You and Your truth with Christians with whom I come in contact often, especially those in my Inner Circle, but also strangers on the road of my life. Empower me to let the Holy Spirit give me gentle, non-judgmental words of wisdom to season my speech.
Provide more and more opportunities to do this so that I can relate, however little, to what you have done in trying to get your point across to us.
And, please help me to look forward to what others have to teach me in the way of truth. Help my Christian friends, my Christian family members, and my spouse to seek truth to teach me and others, and not to be shy about it.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Your Spirit is most easily transformed in community. The tools below can facilitate your growth as you gather together with those you are in close Christian relationship with.

These are some of the possible benefits in heaven we will be seeking today by opening our minds to the Holy Spirit regarding teaching one another.
We will enter heaven ahead in knowing more about God, His holy nature, His ways, His home heaven, and many other aspects of God’s physical and spiritual universe.

We will when we get to heaven hit the ground running to seek out new things about God and his heaven not revealed before. We will enter heaven with an accelerated curiosity to learn about God and all that there is in eternal life. Earth is far more limited than heaven and the universe.

We will react with greater awe-struck praise each time we learn a little more. Worship moments will increase exponentially.

We will have spirits experienced to show others what we are finding out in heaven and greater joy in seeing others learn about God and spiritual life with Him.

Sanctification Booster #1:

What kind of questions might a Christian consider in her or his mind to determine what might be good to teach another specific Christian?

Sanctification Booster #2:

What gets in the way of Christian friends, husbands and wives, and family members teaching one another? What attitudes in the relationships could make it easier? What ways of teaching are more threatening than others?

Sanctification Booster #3:

How will a Christian’s life change if that person is willing to be taught by other Christians? How will a Christian’s life change if she or he teaches other Christians?​