Agreement

Being of one mind with others, whether for good or evil purposes. Agreement among believers is commended as a means of enhancing unity and peace, and building up the people of God.

Agreements made by deliberate choice

Agreement to do good

Job 2:11 See also Nehemiah 5:9–13

Now when Job’s three friends— Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite— heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him.

Agreement to do wrong

Daniel 6:7 See also Jeremiah 7:18; Luke 22:5–6 parallel Mark 14:11; Acts 5:1–2, Acts 23:20–21

All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.

Legal agreements

Between witnesses

Deuteronomy 17:6 See also Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 19:15; Ruth 4:9–11; Matthew 18:16

On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.

Treaties

1 Kings 15:19–20 parallel 2 Chronicles 16:3–4 See also Genesis 21:27, Genesis 26:28–31; Joshua 9:15, Joshua 11:19; 1 Kings 5:12, 1 Kings 20:34

“Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth.

Ways of making agreements

By accepting terms offered

Genesis 23:16 See also Genesis 30:31–34, Genesis 34:24; Joshua 2:21; Judges 15:12–13, Judges 17:10–11; 1 Samuel 20:16–17

Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.

Through mutually acceptable terms

Genesis 37:26–27 See also Genesis 13:8–9, Genesis 26:19–22; Acts 15:28–29

Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.

Agreement reached by persuasion

Daniel 1:12–14

“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearances with those of the young men who are eating the royal food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he consented to this and tested them for ten days.

Agreement commended to believers

Agreement enhances unity

Ephesians 4:3 See also 2 Chronicles 30:12; Psalm 133:1; John 17:11, John 17:21–23; Romans 15:5

and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Agreement avoids division

1 Corinthians 1:10 See also Romans 12:16; Philippians 2:1–3, Philippians 4:2

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.

Agreements made before God

Agreement in prayer

Matthew 18:19 See also 1 Kings 1:36; Acts 1:14, Acts 4:24, Acts 12:12; Romans 15:30–31

Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.

Agreement in praise

Nehemiah 8:6 See also 1 Chronicles 16:36 parallel Psalm 106:48; Psalm 41:13, Psalm 72:19; 1 Corinthians 14:16; Revelation 5:13–14

Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Agreement with God's terms

Exodus 24:3 See also Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15–26; 2 Kings 23:3 parallel 2 Chronicles 34:32; Jeremiah 11:1–5

When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.”