Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

The Joy Of Companionship

One of the basic needs of a man is a desire to be valued and recognized. Babies come into the world needing the bond of a mother. Children seek connections with their peers. Adulthood is an adventure of relationships where the soul seeks comfort, security, and peace in the companionship of others. The family is created from a need to spend life with another human being. Children become blessings to fill the joy of a couple to enjoy a family together. From the beginning of time, God created man to find the reward of sharing life with another. There is great reward in the union of two souls united together as one. A man alone finds it hard to navigate the uncertain paths of life. When God first created the man He recognized the need that man should not be alone and so made a helper comparable to him. The woman fills that need but this desire for companionship stretches into many other parts of life. Solitary confinement is used as a punishment because being alone is not the nature of man. To be alone and without companionship makes for a meaningless and depressing life. Two people are better than a man alone so they can help the other succeed. When one falls the other can help the fallen stand again. If there were no one there to help, it would be difficult for the man alone to find his strength. People need people. That is the way God created man. His command for Adam and Eve was to multiply and fill the earth. Imagine how lonely and stark the world was when the first man and woman stepped out the Garden of Eden into a world empty of human beings. Their real joy came when children were born and then their children had children and the earth filled with the sounds of humanity. Cities were built, commerce and industry established and the world became a planet of inhabitants. God was pleased with the design He created where men were not alone. Sadly the Lord had to destroy the world save eight souls because men used their unity of companionship to fill the earth with wickedness. It was here the lesson of how to use what God has given is learned. The generation of those who called upon the name of the Lord companioned with those who followed the way of Cain and soon the world was corrupt and destitute. Noah and his family remained alone in a world filled with all unrighteousness but they had one another. Spending over a year in the ark was bearable because the family of Noah had each other.

The joy of companionship is told by Solomon to be of great value because when one is stricken, a companion can help restore the afflicted. Two people lying close to one another will help warm the other when a man alone may freeze to death. A single braid of cord is easily broken but when combined with two other cords creating a triple-braided cord, it cannot easily be broken. So it is with having someone to bind your strength together to withstand the pressures of life. Friendship affords the opportunity to carry burdens, share troubles, enjoy happy times, create lasting memories and find completeness through the life of another human being. There is a stronger spirit when joined with others. Left alone the heart of the discouraged cannot be regained. All men need the spirit of another soul to bind their hearts in the union to find courage as they face danger. Jesus sent His disciples out two by two in large part to bear the burdens of one other. There would discouragement and the disciples would face rejection and persecution but united with another soul they could rejoice in the strength drawn from companionship. Peter and John went together to the Temple to pray and were later imprisoned together. Their spirit refreshed the souls of the other as they faced an uncertain future. Paul and Barnabas did much work (along with others) in establishing churches throughout the Roman Empire. Later Paul and Silas continued that work of evangelizing the world. Bound together in prison, Paul and Silas sang praises to God during the night. Two are better than one because so much more can be done.

When Jesus established the church He followed the will of His Father’s plan for its design. A key element of the New Testament church is the communion of fellowship in the body of Christ. The Hebrew writer alludes to this union of spirit when he speaks of the assembly as a time to exhort and encourage the other. When the disciples forsake the assembly they deny the union of companionship the Lord desired for His people. The music of the early church was not patterned after the Law of Moses but rather souls singing to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as they made melody in their hearts to one another. This cemented the souls of the saints together as one body. The taking of the Lord’s Supper is a part of the unified pattern of souls joining together to examine the death of Jesus Christ and to share together the remembrance of His suffering. Preaching has no message if no one shows up to hear. The value of companionship is how the church thrives and grows into the image of God’s will. Assembling together is helping for tired souls to become strong and cold hearts to become warm. In part, the purpose of singing is to teach and admonish one another – the company of companionship. Communing together in the supper of the Lord binds hearts together as one body of Christ. Listening to preaching together creates a strong bond of faith through the word of God. Sharing life together with brethren is imperative to strengthen the church. The weak members are necessary and need the help of the stronger. When one brother sees another brother fall, he will lift him up. While one soul may be overpowered by the wiles of the devil, three souls united under the flag of righteousness will gain the victory. The joy of companionship is needed for every home and for the church of the Lord.