While much of the conversation around cooperation in the New Testament occurs in descriptive language, John’s third epistle raises cooperation to the level of imperative: “we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth” (3 John 8, emphasis added).
The conviction that independent churches should work interdependently with one another to plant new churches drove the Association of Irish Baptist Churches to form. In 1895, 27 Irish Baptist churches formalized themselves into an association after siding with Spurgeon and breaking from the Baptist Union amidst the Downgrade Controversy. Now 125 years later, that Association has grown by over 100 churches because of cooperation and sharing resources to establish new works.
Sometimes cooperation can be difficult among brothers. I grew up with three brothers and no sisters. We fought all the time. My poor mom basically lived in a male dormitory filled with WWF wannabes. I cannot help but wonder if my mom’s favorite passage was an adaptation of Psalm 133, “How good and sweet it is when the Akin brothers dwell in unity.” Now, though, I am incredibly close with my brothers, and we communicate almost every day. They are all involved in gospel ministry. Though
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