Brotherly Love
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:11 pmHi Oasis Family I found something that I would like to share with you all as it speaks truth, and has a lot of information that effects us as chrisitans
I found this on the net and thought it would be great to share with my brothers. The topic this evening is Brotherly Love, Love in general takes a big part in our walk with God. You will not only use love toward christians but towards all people in general.
The love we are required to have for our brothers in Christ is no different in quantity or kind than the love we should show to all men. But the Bible, recognizing that our social life will center on the church, gives special attention to brotherly love, offering many practical hints on how to maintain a loving atmosphere among believers. The hints fall in two categories: warnings and prompting's
Warnings: The New Testament sternly warns against three kinds of sin within the body of Christ. These are especially dangerous because they may cause wounds that heal slowly or never at all. The damage they do to the fabric of the church may be irreparable.
Lying (Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:25). It is not necessarily difficult to forgive a brother for lying. But we know from experience that someone who lies is probably a habitual liar. Therefore, when a brother lies to others in the church, it may take years before they regain confidence in his word. The offense is serious, because mutual trust is the backbone of harmony and cooperation.
Sexual immorality. The New Testament repeatedly insists on purity within the church (1 Tim. 5:1-2; 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:3). It says that immorality should "not be once named among you, as becometh saints" (Eph. 5:3). In other words, the standard of purity should be so high among believers that no reasonable person would even suspect them of immorality.
Immorality is a grave offense for many reasons. One is that it may create a victim (a cheated spouse perhaps, or an exploited young person) who then boils with desire for retribution. To forgive such an offense is extremely difficult (Prov. 6:32-5). It may require more love than the victim is capable of. Therefore, immorality within a church can do irreversible harm.
To deter this kind of sin, God threatens to avenge any victim (1 Thess. 4:3-6), giving us the impression that the judgment will be swift and severe, as it was with David. Such judgment may be the best way for God to release the victim from the ill effects of his experience.
1. Wrath. Wrath is but a step from hatred, and hatred is the engine of murder. It is so harmful to the church that the Bible frequently warns against it (Eph. 4:31; Psa. 37:8; Eccles. 7:9; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:8; James 1:19). Unjustified anger is another sin that God vows to judge (Matt. 5:21-2).
The judgment may only be a leanness of soul (Psa. 106:15). On the outside the angry person may still look good, but on the inside he is shriveling up. The forms of wrath include bitterness, contention, and evil speaking. Evil speaking is using words to cut people down, whether to their face or behind their back. Contention is verbal conflict with a strong component of anger.
Bitterness is anger seething below the surface. If it becomes chronic, it produces a sour, crabby person. The irony is that bitterness destroys self while it does nothing to harm the object of wrath. If the object is an actual enemy who has injured self, a reaction of bitterness gives the enemy another weapon, allowing him to compound the injury while escaping any penalty.
Prompting's: Six expressions of brotherly love are especially important
Friendliness. It was customary in the early church for the saints to greet each other with a kiss (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14). This was called a "holy kiss," to distinguish it from a kiss of carnal affection. Exactly what kind of kiss it was, we are not sure, although we are fairly certain that men kissed only men and women kissed only women.
The number of times that New Testament writers urge a kiss of greeting shows that they regarded it as important. Paul was especially concerned that the custom not be neglected in the Corinthian church, which was torn by factional feuding. Yet any attempt to revive the custom today probably would not succeed. The cultural difference is too great. But the commandment remains in force.
How can we satisfy it if we decline to kiss each other? The only way is to greet each other in a manner that is equally warm and affectionate. The minimum acceptable greeting is a cheerful hello. To make greetings a tool of some personal agenda Âfor showing who stands in favor and who stands out of favor, for instance Âis inappropriate.
Courtesy. The Greek word for "courteous" in 1 Peter 3:8 has much the same meaning as the English word. Its roots suggest the translation "thoughtful friendliness." To treat a brother with courtesy means to yield in his favor Âto let him go first in line or take the better seat or go first through a door, for example.
It means also to use the conventions of polite speech, such as "please," "thank you," "pardon me," "sir," and "ma'am." And it means to be a good listener. To be always monopolizing the conversation is rude and self-centered.
Hospitality. Brotherly love should not stop at the church door. Your relationship with a brother will never reach below the surface until he spends time in your home and you spend time in his home. A conversation at church never extends beyond a few minutes. Outings and retreats furnish a greater opportunity for sharing, but the sharing generally occurs within a group. One-on-one fellowship requires hospitality.
To see a man at home, in the private world he has created as a refuge from the world of public role-playing, is to see the real man. To talk to a man at home is to discover his true feelings. The New Testament underscores the importance of hospitality by marking it as an obligation of anyone who wishes to exercise leadership in the church (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:8).
By implication, inviting guests into the home is an important tool of ministry that church leaders cannot afford to neglect. Yet hospitality is the duty of other believers also (Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9). When Peter says "without grudging," he doubtless means that we should not grudge all the work necessary to be a good host or hostess.
Kindness. Brotherly love is notable for its concern to please others and respect their feelings. The New Testament uses various terms to express this dimension of love, such as eusplanchnos ("tenderhearted" in Eph. 4:32), chrestos ("kind" in the same text), and chresteuomai ("kind" in 1 Cor. 13:4). Kindness requires empathy, which is both to understand how others feel and to care how they feel. Another term for empathy is "sensitivity."
Sympathy. If we love our brothers in Christ, we will show concern when they are going through difficulties. The Bible urges us to visit the sick (Matt. 25:34-36), bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), and share the sorrow of those who are grieving (Rom. 12:15).
Moreover, it defines true religion by giving one outstanding example of brotherly love as well as one outstanding example of holiness (James 1:27). The former is visiting "the fatherless and widows in their affliction." No doubt the phrase is referring mainly to visits for the purpose of taking them material assistance.
A widow in those days had no means of support outside her own family. Yet also within the compass of this phrase are visits for the purpose of showing sympathy and relieving loneliness.
Help. If we simply look through the texts commanding us to supply the needs of a poor brother, we find that charity of this kind is the most basic and indispensable obligation of brotherly love (James 2:15-6; 1 John 3:17; Acts 20:35; Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:10; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 13:16; Matt. 5:42; Lev. 25:35). From these texts we learn that charity is a special obligation of the rich and that brothers in Christ have first claim upon charity.
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). The love that worldlings see in the church should be so distinctive and superior that they will recognize it as coming from God. Yet there are non-Christians who are friendly and courteous, who entertain freely in their homes, who perform good deeds, and who have caring and sympathetic hearts. What then is special about Christian love? In four respects Christian love can excel all other loves.
Impartiality. Wherever people assemble outside the church, they form special interest groups and cliques. It is sad that cliques also spring up in the church. But God intends the church to be a place where all manner of people can mix together and yet no one becomes marginal, much less a misfit or an outcast; where there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female (Gal. 3:28); where any random selection of people is as happy in each other's company as any other random selection.
Paul cautions us not to hobnob with the wealthy and important, but to give as much attention to little people (Rom. 12:16). James declares that it is a serious breach of love to offer a more enthusiastic welcome to the rich than to the poor (James 2:1-9). Our model of impartiality is God, who is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).
Fervency. When fully realized, Christian love is unique simply in its intensity of feeling (1 Pet. 1:22; 4:8). It emulates the ardent love that God has for His children (Jer. 31:3). Love between lovers or between close relatives or friends may reach such a high pitch of intensity that we would call it fervent.
But to love someone fervently who just happens to come to the same church would be humanly impossible. Nothing approaching fervent love ordinarily appears within a club, a team, or any other social group similar to a church. It appears within a church by a miracle of God, showing the world that believers are His authorized representatives on the earth.
Forgiveness. There are many nice people outside the church. But if you step on their toes hard enough, they will not easily forgive you. They will likely carry a grudge. The ability to forgive is one of the distinctive marks of a true Christian and sets Christian love apart from any natural love. Our example is Christ, who prayed that God would forgive the men crucifying Him (Luke 23:34). As the saying goes, "To err is human, but to forgive, divine."
Self-sacrifice. Many natural loves are sacrificial. A mother will risk her own life to save her children. A lover will go through dark peril to save his beloved. But Christian love is greater than all others, because it accepts pain and loss to help those who give no love in return.
A missionary takes the gospel to a foreign land, knowing that he may meet rejection, persecution, and death. Yet he goes because he wants to save souls from hell. Paul declared that he was willing to "spend and be spent" for the Corinthians, even though the more he loved them, the less they loved him (2 Cor. 12:15). Love of this kind, after the pattern of God's sacrificial love for our unworthy race, exists only among those who know God. It is a powerful testimony to the truth of Christianity.
I found this on the net and thought it would be great to share with my brothers. The topic this evening is Brotherly Love, Love in general takes a big part in our walk with God. You will not only use love toward christians but towards all people in general.
The love we are required to have for our brothers in Christ is no different in quantity or kind than the love we should show to all men. But the Bible, recognizing that our social life will center on the church, gives special attention to brotherly love, offering many practical hints on how to maintain a loving atmosphere among believers. The hints fall in two categories: warnings and prompting's
Warnings: The New Testament sternly warns against three kinds of sin within the body of Christ. These are especially dangerous because they may cause wounds that heal slowly or never at all. The damage they do to the fabric of the church may be irreparable.
Lying (Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:25). It is not necessarily difficult to forgive a brother for lying. But we know from experience that someone who lies is probably a habitual liar. Therefore, when a brother lies to others in the church, it may take years before they regain confidence in his word. The offense is serious, because mutual trust is the backbone of harmony and cooperation.
Sexual immorality. The New Testament repeatedly insists on purity within the church (1 Tim. 5:1-2; 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:3). It says that immorality should "not be once named among you, as becometh saints" (Eph. 5:3). In other words, the standard of purity should be so high among believers that no reasonable person would even suspect them of immorality.
Immorality is a grave offense for many reasons. One is that it may create a victim (a cheated spouse perhaps, or an exploited young person) who then boils with desire for retribution. To forgive such an offense is extremely difficult (Prov. 6:32-5). It may require more love than the victim is capable of. Therefore, immorality within a church can do irreversible harm.
To deter this kind of sin, God threatens to avenge any victim (1 Thess. 4:3-6), giving us the impression that the judgment will be swift and severe, as it was with David. Such judgment may be the best way for God to release the victim from the ill effects of his experience.
1. Wrath. Wrath is but a step from hatred, and hatred is the engine of murder. It is so harmful to the church that the Bible frequently warns against it (Eph. 4:31; Psa. 37:8; Eccles. 7:9; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:8; James 1:19). Unjustified anger is another sin that God vows to judge (Matt. 5:21-2).
The judgment may only be a leanness of soul (Psa. 106:15). On the outside the angry person may still look good, but on the inside he is shriveling up. The forms of wrath include bitterness, contention, and evil speaking. Evil speaking is using words to cut people down, whether to their face or behind their back. Contention is verbal conflict with a strong component of anger.
Bitterness is anger seething below the surface. If it becomes chronic, it produces a sour, crabby person. The irony is that bitterness destroys self while it does nothing to harm the object of wrath. If the object is an actual enemy who has injured self, a reaction of bitterness gives the enemy another weapon, allowing him to compound the injury while escaping any penalty.
Prompting's: Six expressions of brotherly love are especially important
Friendliness. It was customary in the early church for the saints to greet each other with a kiss (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14). This was called a "holy kiss," to distinguish it from a kiss of carnal affection. Exactly what kind of kiss it was, we are not sure, although we are fairly certain that men kissed only men and women kissed only women.
The number of times that New Testament writers urge a kiss of greeting shows that they regarded it as important. Paul was especially concerned that the custom not be neglected in the Corinthian church, which was torn by factional feuding. Yet any attempt to revive the custom today probably would not succeed. The cultural difference is too great. But the commandment remains in force.
How can we satisfy it if we decline to kiss each other? The only way is to greet each other in a manner that is equally warm and affectionate. The minimum acceptable greeting is a cheerful hello. To make greetings a tool of some personal agenda Âfor showing who stands in favor and who stands out of favor, for instance Âis inappropriate.
Courtesy. The Greek word for "courteous" in 1 Peter 3:8 has much the same meaning as the English word. Its roots suggest the translation "thoughtful friendliness." To treat a brother with courtesy means to yield in his favor Âto let him go first in line or take the better seat or go first through a door, for example.
It means also to use the conventions of polite speech, such as "please," "thank you," "pardon me," "sir," and "ma'am." And it means to be a good listener. To be always monopolizing the conversation is rude and self-centered.
Hospitality. Brotherly love should not stop at the church door. Your relationship with a brother will never reach below the surface until he spends time in your home and you spend time in his home. A conversation at church never extends beyond a few minutes. Outings and retreats furnish a greater opportunity for sharing, but the sharing generally occurs within a group. One-on-one fellowship requires hospitality.
To see a man at home, in the private world he has created as a refuge from the world of public role-playing, is to see the real man. To talk to a man at home is to discover his true feelings. The New Testament underscores the importance of hospitality by marking it as an obligation of anyone who wishes to exercise leadership in the church (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:8).
By implication, inviting guests into the home is an important tool of ministry that church leaders cannot afford to neglect. Yet hospitality is the duty of other believers also (Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9). When Peter says "without grudging," he doubtless means that we should not grudge all the work necessary to be a good host or hostess.
Kindness. Brotherly love is notable for its concern to please others and respect their feelings. The New Testament uses various terms to express this dimension of love, such as eusplanchnos ("tenderhearted" in Eph. 4:32), chrestos ("kind" in the same text), and chresteuomai ("kind" in 1 Cor. 13:4). Kindness requires empathy, which is both to understand how others feel and to care how they feel. Another term for empathy is "sensitivity."
Sympathy. If we love our brothers in Christ, we will show concern when they are going through difficulties. The Bible urges us to visit the sick (Matt. 25:34-36), bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), and share the sorrow of those who are grieving (Rom. 12:15).
Moreover, it defines true religion by giving one outstanding example of brotherly love as well as one outstanding example of holiness (James 1:27). The former is visiting "the fatherless and widows in their affliction." No doubt the phrase is referring mainly to visits for the purpose of taking them material assistance.
A widow in those days had no means of support outside her own family. Yet also within the compass of this phrase are visits for the purpose of showing sympathy and relieving loneliness.
Help. If we simply look through the texts commanding us to supply the needs of a poor brother, we find that charity of this kind is the most basic and indispensable obligation of brotherly love (James 2:15-6; 1 John 3:17; Acts 20:35; Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:10; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 13:16; Matt. 5:42; Lev. 25:35). From these texts we learn that charity is a special obligation of the rich and that brothers in Christ have first claim upon charity.
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). The love that worldlings see in the church should be so distinctive and superior that they will recognize it as coming from God. Yet there are non-Christians who are friendly and courteous, who entertain freely in their homes, who perform good deeds, and who have caring and sympathetic hearts. What then is special about Christian love? In four respects Christian love can excel all other loves.
Impartiality. Wherever people assemble outside the church, they form special interest groups and cliques. It is sad that cliques also spring up in the church. But God intends the church to be a place where all manner of people can mix together and yet no one becomes marginal, much less a misfit or an outcast; where there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female (Gal. 3:28); where any random selection of people is as happy in each other's company as any other random selection.
Paul cautions us not to hobnob with the wealthy and important, but to give as much attention to little people (Rom. 12:16). James declares that it is a serious breach of love to offer a more enthusiastic welcome to the rich than to the poor (James 2:1-9). Our model of impartiality is God, who is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).
Fervency. When fully realized, Christian love is unique simply in its intensity of feeling (1 Pet. 1:22; 4:8). It emulates the ardent love that God has for His children (Jer. 31:3). Love between lovers or between close relatives or friends may reach such a high pitch of intensity that we would call it fervent.
But to love someone fervently who just happens to come to the same church would be humanly impossible. Nothing approaching fervent love ordinarily appears within a club, a team, or any other social group similar to a church. It appears within a church by a miracle of God, showing the world that believers are His authorized representatives on the earth.
Forgiveness. There are many nice people outside the church. But if you step on their toes hard enough, they will not easily forgive you. They will likely carry a grudge. The ability to forgive is one of the distinctive marks of a true Christian and sets Christian love apart from any natural love. Our example is Christ, who prayed that God would forgive the men crucifying Him (Luke 23:34). As the saying goes, "To err is human, but to forgive, divine."
Self-sacrifice. Many natural loves are sacrificial. A mother will risk her own life to save her children. A lover will go through dark peril to save his beloved. But Christian love is greater than all others, because it accepts pain and loss to help those who give no love in return.
A missionary takes the gospel to a foreign land, knowing that he may meet rejection, persecution, and death. Yet he goes because he wants to save souls from hell. Paul declared that he was willing to "spend and be spent" for the Corinthians, even though the more he loved them, the less they loved him (2 Cor. 12:15). Love of this kind, after the pattern of God's sacrificial love for our unworthy race, exists only among those who know God. It is a powerful testimony to the truth of Christianity.