The First Week in a New Class
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
Romans 15:7 KJV
Being new can make ordinary things feel difficult. You do not know where the supplies belong, which door to use, or whether the empty seat is really available. A person who knows the routine can make the whole day easier.
Paul tells believers to receive one another as Christ received them. His instruction concerns the church, but the kindness it teaches should shape our conduct elsewhere too. We should not make people earn basic courtesy by being useful, popular, or familiar.
Explain the rule instead of laughing when someone misses it. Offer a seat without making the invitation feel like a favor that must be repaid. Introduce the person by name. Welcome does not require approving every belief or choice. It does require recognizing another person as someone worthy of patient attention. You may remember a small kindness like that from your own first week.
Bring the truth into your day
Welcoming someone requires attention after the first greeting. Explain what is happening, invite the person into an appropriate activity, and avoid private jokes that leave everyone else outside. Paul grounds the church's welcome in Christ's welcome of His people. That gives a deeper reason for care than choosing only those who are easy to like. Receive others with kindness while keeping the truth and sensible boundaries that any healthy group needs.
Keep the passage in context
Paul calls believers to receive one another in view of Christ's welcome, within a discussion of unity among Jewish and Gentile believers. Receiving others does not mean approving sin.
Read further: Romans 15 in the King James Bible.