Stirring One Another to Love and Good Deeds – Hebrews 10:19-25

The apostle supposeth,— (1.) That those unto whom he wrote had a deep concernment in one another, their present temporal and future eternal state. Without this, the mere consideration of one another would only be a fruitless effect of curiosity, and tend unto many evils. (2.) That, they had also communion together about those things without which this duty could not be rightly discharged. For it was not then in the world as it is now; but all Christians, who were joined in church societies, did meet together for mutual communion in those things wherein their edification was concerned, as is declared in the next verse. (3.) That they judged themselves obliged to watch over one another as unto steadfastness in profession and fruitfulness in love and good works. Hence they knew it to be their duty to admonish, to exhort, to provoke, to encourage one another. Without this, the mere consideration of one another is of no use. On these suppositions, this consideration respects the gifts, the graces, the temptations, the dangers, the seasons and opportunities for duty, the manner of the walking of one another in the church, and in the world. For this consideration is the foundation of all those mutual duties of warning, or admonition and exhorting, which tend to the encouragement and strengthening of one another. But these duties are now generally lost among us; and with them is the glory of the Christian religion departed. – John Owen