Jesus was a man of brotherliness

JESUS WAS A MAN OF BROTHERLINESS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
CHARLES EDWARD JEFFERSON
THE BROTHERLINESSOF JESUS
"Firstbe reconciledto thy brother."
— Matthew v : 24.
We are trying to see Jesus as his contemporaries
saw hiiQi and desire to understand if we can the
secretof that fascinationwhich he exerted over those
that knew him, and to fathom if possible the heart
of that magic by which he has thrilled and held
nineteen Christian centxiries. We have found that
the secretofhis joy and strength lay in his implicit
trust in God, and now I wish to think with you about
another trait for which it is difficult for me to find
a satisfying name. I should say that it is the love
of Jesus were not the word "love " so ambiguous and
so liable to misinterpretation; I should say it was

the service ofJesus were it not for the fact that ser-
vice is rather cold and has long since been worn
into shreds ; I should saythe pity of Jesus, but pity
is love looking downward, and that does not convey
all the truth; I should call it the humanity of Jesus,
but that is a vague and indefinite word that does
not tell the story vividly ; I should say the kindness
of Jesus, but the word does not carry with it force
147
148 CHARACTER OF JESUS
enough. Possibly we cannot do better than to take
the word "brotherliness," forthis word contains
two elements, both of which are essentialif we
would understand the kind of man Jesus was.
Brotherliness carries in it not only a sense ofkinship
but likewise a dispositionto render help. There is
a relationship and likewise a helpfulness, and both
_^ of these blended into one constitute the quality to

which I invite your attention now.
} / That this trait in Jesus made a profound impres-
I I sion upon his contemporaries is evidencednot only
; by what his friends have saidabout him, but also
' by the criticisms and sneers which he drew from
his foes. It was a common taunt of the Scribes
and Pharisees thathe was a friend of Publicans and
sinners, and when he hung dying on the cross the
leading men of the Jewishchurch gatheredround
him saying with a jeer, "He savedothers, he can-
not save himself." Both of these accusations are
as devilish as anything to be found in the literature
of the world, but they are valuable to us in this that
they show conclusivelywhat impression this man of
Galilee made upon the people of his time. It had
been his practice all the way through life to help
men. He had been a friendly, brotherly man even
to the lowestand the basestofsociety. That was
a characteristic whichhad createda greatscandal
and made him hatefid to many of the respectable
people of his day. The same trait is characterized
in a famous phrase written by one of his dearest

HIS BROTHERUNESS149
friends, "He went about doing good." Whatmore
beautiful eulogy has ever been written about a man
than that? With what more lovely wreath of roses
could you covera man's career? In these three
sentences — "The friend of Publicans and sinners,"
"He savedothers, he cannotsave himself," "He
went about doing good" — we geteloquent testi-
mony to the fact that Jesus had a brotherly heart.
Let us look into this accusation, that he was the
friend of Publicans and sinners, and find out what C>
it meant. The word "publican" means nothing to
us because we have no class ofmen correspondmg
to the Publicans of Palestine. Theywere the tax-
gatherers of the coimtry, gathering taxes for the
Roman government. They were the hirelings of
greatcapitalists into whose hands it was necessary
to turn over a certain sxmi of money eachyear, and

by extortion and other dishonestmeasures they could
make as much more money for themselves. To
every pious Hebrew these men were traitors to their
coimtry, and wherever they went they were an object
of abhorrence, hatred, and scorn. Their money
was tainted money, it would not be acceptedin the
synagogue. Theiroath was absolutelyworthless,
they could not be a witness in any court of law. If
a man promised to do a thing for a Publican under
oath, he was not bound to keephis oath. They
were setup in the pillory of scornand execration,
and pelted with sneers by every passer-by. They
were lookedupon as wild beasts in human shape.
ISO CHARACTER OF JESUS
They were outcasts, vagabonds, worsethan the
homeless curs that roamed the streets. No decent
man would have anything to do with them,
no religious teachertook any interest in them.
They were simply the ofifscouring and dregs of

society.
But even with these Jesus made friends. Not
only did he speak to them but he ate with them,
went into their houses and sat down to the table
with them — the very climax of audacity 1 It is
one thing to throw money to depraved men as we
would throw carrots to bears in a bear pit, it is
another thing to eat with them. It is one thing to
talk down to bad men, giving them goodadvice,
and quite another thing to associate withthem. No
one found fault with PresidentRooseveltso long as
he spoke to negroes in the street; it was when he sat
down with a negro in the White House that the
South blazed with indignation. But this man Jesus
satdown and ate with Publicans, he crossedthe
chasm overwhich no man of his day or generation
was willing to pass. By doing this he lost his repu-
tation. In the words of an apostle he made himself
of no reputation, he took his goodname and tore
it into shreds and threw it awayand all because he
was determined to be brotherly. Notwithstanding
these men were so base he recognizedin them his

brothers. They belongedto him and he belonged
to them. They were members of the human race,
children of the greatfamily of God, and therefore
HIS BROTHERLINESS 151
in spite of all that they had done, and notwithstand-
ing all that they were, he treatedthem as brothers.
Not only did this conduct make a profound impres-
sion upon the men of Jesus'day, but it has made
such a deep impression on all succeeding generations
that it has blinded us to a fact that should never be
forgotten— that Jesus was the brother of every-
body.
Christianity has often been conceivedas a
religion that is interestedchiefly in the outcasts of
society, in the poor, the sick, the depraved. There
are many who always think of Jesus as the friend of
poor men, and of sick men, and of bad men, who
never think of him as the brother of those that are

rich and strong and good. It should never be for-
gottenthat Jesus was brotherly towardgoodmen
as well as bad men, rich men as well as poor men,
respectable men as well as disreputable men — he
was the brother of every man. For instance, a rich
man in Jericho once climbed into a tree in order
to see the prophet pass. Jesus atonce told him to
come down, and that he wanted to take dinner with
him. On a certain occasionnearthe end of his life,
while he satat meat in the home of one of his friends,
a member of the householdpoured five hundred
dollars' worth of ointment on his feetand head,
giving us proof that the family was by no means
poor. If more is said in the New Testamentabout
poor men than rich men, it is because Jesus was
able to come nearer to poor men than he was to
rich men. Rich men are always inaccessible. Here
in New York you can go into the homes of the poor

anywhere, but from the homes of the rich you are
barred out. Rich men alwa3rs surroimd themselves
by barriers, by cordons of servants, and therefore we
must not be surprised that in Palestine it was neces-
sary for this man of Galilee to deal largely with the
poor.
But it must not be forgottenthat he was just
as friendly toward the rich Nicodemus as he was
to the poor woman at the well; that he was just
as brotherly towardrich Zaccheus as he was to the
poor beggarin Jerusalem. Norwas he lacking in
brotherly interest in the respectable people of his
day. If the New Testamentmakes the impression
on us that he was more interestedin the outcastand
debased, it is because this interestin them was so
exceptionalthat it made a greaterimpression upon
those who wrote the story of his life than any other
feature of his conduct. A very large part of all his
work was done for respectable people, goodpeople,
the leading people of his day. The pious Hebrews
of Palestine were tied hand and foot with the cords
of tradition. They were bound roimd and roimd

with laws like an Egyptian mummy with embalming
cloths, but Jesus gave himself to the work of setting
them free. The cords were tied tight and he at-
tempted to untie the knots, but in his eCFortto give
men emancipationhe stirred up animosities and
awakenedhatreds which led speedily to his death.
HIS BROTHERUNESS153
It was in his effort to untie the knots that men seized
him, crying, "Crucify him!"
Let us notice a few illustrations of his brotherli-
ness. When John the Baptistwas baptizing in the
Jordan, Jesus came down from Galilee to be bap-
tized. John, when he saw Jesus approaching, cried
out : " O, no, I cannot baptize you, you are too good.
There is reasonwhy I should be baptized of you.
This baptism is intended for sinners. I will not,
therefore, baptize you." But Jesus would not
listen to him, he insisted upon being baptized. He

would identify himself with his brethren. "I want
to be counted," he said, "a man among men."
It was not a question whether he was goodor not,
it was a question of being brotherly. He refused
to hold alooffrom any movement that promised
goodto his country. He subjectedhimself to the
same ceremony of which his fellow-citizens were in
need. He took his place at the very beginning of
his ministry among his brethren. Nowhere does
his brotherliness come out more dearly than in his
treatment of the sick. He could not pass a sick man
without his soul going out to help him. Pain in its
every form appealed to him, misery drew virtue
from his heart. A large proportion of all the re-
corded miracles are miracles of healing. He could
not look upon the deaf or dumb, the palsied, the
blind, without putting forth his power to help them.
No finer illustration of this brotherliness is afforded
in the New Testamentthan that which St. John

gives in the story of the impotent man at Bethesda.
Here was an invalid who for thirty-eight years had
lain in helplessnesswithout a friend in all that great
city. He needed only a lift in order to bring him
within the reachof influences that were healing,
but no one would lend a lifting hand. No other
incident in the Bible throws such a strong light upon
the inhumanity of the world nineteen hundred years
ago. We are living in a day when the spirit of Jesus
is working everywhere. Everywhere there is an out-
stretchedhandy and everywhere human hearts are
beating in sympathy with the helpless and the sick.
Travelers through the Orient tell us that we people
of the Westhave no conceptionof the indiflFerence
of the Oriental heart to human woes and miseries.
Jesus, by being brotherly, has set an example after
which the life of the world is being patterned, and
in every land through which his name has been
carried the hearts of men are gentler and their hands
more eagerto render help.
His brotherliness is also manifested in his teach-

ing. He could not look into men's faces without
being pained by their confusion, their perplexity,
and their misery. He could not see men passing
on to the judgment day without telling them some-
thing about the greatGod in whose world they were
living. Whenever he saw men fainting and scat-
tered abroad like sheephaving no shepherd, his
heart was moved with compassionon them. When
he lookedinto the tired faces of the Galileanpeasants
HIS BROTHERUNESS155
his heart cried out, "Come unto me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
What a sob there is in the words, " O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem!" There is in the words the moan of a
brotherly heart. And not only was he brotherly
himself, but to him brotherKness is the very essence
of religion. Without brotherliness there can be
no religion that is pleasing unto God. The old law
had said that one man must not kill another, but

Jesus wentfar beyond the requirements of that law
— he said that calling a man names was also wicked
and would bring him into judgment. To use ad-
jectives that pierce and cut, to throw out mean
epithets full of contumely and scorn, to speak of
men in ways that degrade them — that is wickedness
and will bring the severestretribution. One of the
greatestofhis parables is the parable of Dives and
Lazarus. A rich man fares sumptuously every day,
and at his gate there lies a poor sick beggar, his body
coveredwith ulcers, with no friend to bring relief.
Only the dogs that prowl the streets lick the loath-
some man's sores. Jesus says whenthat thing
happens in this world, something happens in the
next world. You canalmost fed the heat of his
indignant soul. You can hear him asking, "Do
you suppose that inhumanity like that will go un-
punished in the universe of God?" It was not
because the rich man was rich and dressedin fine
raiment and fared sumptuously every day, that later
on he lifted up his eyes in torment. Abraham also

was rich and fared sumptuously every day, but
Abraham went to heavenbecause he had a brother's
heart. This rich man Dives went to hell because
his heart was not tender, his sympathy did not go
out to a brother's need.
And how did Palestine receive this brotherliness ?
It did not like it. Jesus was too brotherly, men
misunderstood him. They misinterpreted him, they
maligned him, they laid their plans to kill him; but
they could not make him anything else than brotherly.
In spite of all their ugliness and vindictiveness he
went on helping them all he could, and when they
laid their plots to kill him, he went bravely forward
giving help, saying : "If I cannot help them with my
life I wDl help them with my death. By dying I will
convince them that I wanted to do them good. I,
if I be lifted up, wiQ draw all men unto me. When
hanging on the cross they will imderstand me as
they cannot imderstand me now. When they hear

me praying for them with my dying breath, they vdll
be convinced that I am indeed their brother.''
Rabbi Kaufmann Kohler
October5, 2012 by admin
From Rabbis meet Jesus the Messiah – a collectionof24 biographies and
testimonies of Rabbis encounters with Jesus the Messiah
© MessianicGoodNews.
THE SYNAGOGUE AND THE CHURCH
The religious congresswhichwas held in connectionwith the Chicago Fairin
1893 brought togetherrepresentatives ofvarious religious persuasions from
many parts of the world, including many Rabbis from Europe and America.
The congresswas addressedalso by Rabbi Dr. Kaufmann Kohler, regardedat
that time the foremost exponent of Reform Judaism. The subject of his
address was ‘The Synagogue andthe Church,’ in which he was seeking to
prove how close Judaismand Christianity stand to eachother. The following
is that portion of Dr. Kohler’s address in which he dealt with the Person of
Jesus:
“Jewishscholarsare making a great mistake when they compare Jesus of
Nazarethwith Hillel the Elder, the tolerant Tanna, or Philo, the Jewish
philosopher from Alexandria. Jesus did not belong to any party. He was a
man of the people. In him the Essene idealof love and fellowship assume a
new and grand expression. In contrastto John the Immerser, Jesus felt
himself drawn with the powerof divine love to the lowestofhis fellow men.
Being filled with true greatness he communed with shepherds, publicans and

sinners, the very people whom the Essenes hadregardedas headedfor hell,
with whom they had no dealings for fear of becoming tainted by contactwith
them. He ate and drank with them, saying: ‘I came to save the lostsheepof
the house of Israel, not those who are well, but who are sick, needthe
physician. The heart which is filled with impure thoughts is unclean … Woe to
you Pharisees, you cleanthe outside, but the inside you leave uncleansedand
filled with evil. To you, hypocrites, are applicable the words of Isaiah:‘They
approachme only with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their
heart is far from me’. These are the words of a prophet, of a fearless
reformer.”
“With the same courage ofgenuine love with which he converted sinners,
Jesus also defendedthe woman in whom the Essenesonly saw an instrument
in the hands of Satan to entice men to sin, and he shatteredthe forces making
the woman’s lot lonely.”
“With the same freedom of his spirit, he broke the chains of the ‘Sabbath
law.’ ‘The Sabbath,’ he said, ‘was made for man and not man for the
Sabbath.’ We have here before us a great and profound thinker, a
tremendous personality, a religious genius … The Jewishpeople in general,
and its leaders in particular, have had no cause to hate the most noble and
most exalted of all the teachers ofIsrael.”
“It cannot be denied that the ideal of human life as set up by the Church is
unequalled in greatness andloftiness. Back ofall the teachings and dogmas of
the Church stands the enchanting figure of human goodnessand love: a more
lovely and more exalted figure than that of Jesus, mankind was not given to
honour. All features of the Greek philosopherand the saintly Jew are
harmoniously blended in the man who died on Calvary. No ethicalsystem, no
textbook on religion, are capable of exerting such a deep impression on us as
that greatpersonality of Jesus, standing, as none other, midway between
heaven and earth, equally near to God as to man.”
“Was he the ideal representative of the Essene brotherhood? No, he was the
embodiment of brotherliness of all mankind . . . Jesus, the helper of needy, the
friend of sinners, the brother of all sufferers, the comforterof the unfortunate,

the lover of mankind, the liberator of the woman, he won and conquered the
human heart.”
“Of what possible use was the proud philosophy of the wise men, and the
corrupt religion of the priests, to a world which hungered for God and
thirsted for redemption from sin and cruelty. The times of Jesus were ripe for
a socialupheaval, for the Messianic Age, when the proud will be brought low,
and the humble will be lifted up. Jesus, the most lowly of all men, the despised,
beyond comparison, by the despised Jewishnation, has ascendedthe world’s
throne to become the Great King of the whole earth.”
Filed Under: Rabbis who converted
About admin
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternallife. UA-1893141-1
James BrotherOf Jesus
Lesson2.17
James brother of Jesus is an interesting study because ofhis unique position
of Jesus'closestbrother. He was suspicious of Jesus, but came to believe in the
Son of God.
Please readJames 2:1-26 before starting GraspingGod.com's free Bible study
lessons, #2.17.
Previous lesson:TransfigurationOf Jesus #2.16.
Preliminary Bible Study Questions:

1) Did James always believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah?
2) Did James become a true believer in Jesus Christ as Lord of his life?
3) What did James mean when he said, "Draw near to God and he will draw
near to you?"
Greatto see you againtoday. Grab your Bible and let's start a Bible study
lessonabout one of Jesus'brothers. This important man was a pillar in the
establishment of Christianity - James, brother of Jesus.
James BrotherOf Jesus - Early Life
There are severalmen named James in the Scriptures: 1) James, the son of
Zebedee, the brother of John, and one of the 12 disciples;2) James, the son of
Alphaeus, and another of the 12 disciples (Matthew 10:3); 3) James the Less,
the brother of Joses(Matthew 27:56;Mark 16:1); 4) James, the father of
Judas (Luke 1:16; Acts 1:13); and finally, our man 5) James brother of Jesus.
Keep in mind that this James was NOT one of Jesus'12 disciples.
James, brother of Jesus was the oldestof his four step-brothers. You know
why I sayJames is Jesus'step-brother, right? Jesus'biologicalfatherwas
God, while James'biologicalfatherwas Joseph.
They did share the same mother, Mary and earthly dad, Joseph. James is
listed as one of Jesus'brothers in severalpassagesin the New Testament
(Matthew 13:55-56 for one example). There were probably about 2-3 years
separating the two in age.
We know there were no other children mentioned when Josephand Mary
departed Egypt after fleeing from Herod. Herod died soonafter the young
family arrived in Egypt. They eventually made their wayhome to Nazareth
with only Jesus (Matthew 2:19-23).

James BrotherOf Jesus
Please readJohn 7:1-13 before proceeding. James and his full brothers were
skepticalofJesus'lofty position as the Messiah(John7:5). They probably
grew wearyof their older brother's perfect behavior and subsequent
accolades.
The siblings would have experienceda difficult time following Jesus'
footsteps!Surely, their brother couldn't be God's Messiah, couldhe? Wow,
the confusionthey must have endured. Regardless, I'm sure they had a close-
knit family. Lots of evening devotions, Scripture reading and like today, fun
games with much laughter and togetherness.
The siblings matured into young men. So, it's time to put ourselves in James'
shoes. Whatwould we have thought of our older brother's teachings and
confrontations with the establishedreligious leaders?
Jesus was a lightning rod whereverhe went and James and his brothers must
have heard all about the commotion causedby Jesus and his messianic
message. Remember, James the brother of Jesus, was very close in age with
him and probably spent lots of time with him eachday. Imagine all of the
incredible wisdomJames gatheredfrom being close to Jesus for20+ years.
James, the brother of Jesus and his other siblings suggestedthat Jesus go to
his disciples in Judea and show them his greatmiracles (John 7:3). Jesus
would have none of it - they were speaking from the world's point of view and
he told them so (John 7:6). This was an edgy conversation, which revealedthe
time-table of Jesus (John7:8). He later did enter Judea at the Feastof the
Tabernacles,but kepthidden from the crowds.
These were the beginning days of Jesus'public rejection. His teachings were
getting strongerby the day and word was spreading about his works.

The Pharisees'were slandering him and the crowds were careful to speak his
name. People fearedretaliation by the religious leaders. John6:66 also reports
many of Jesus'owndisciples were leaving him during this period.
Time passed. Jesus spentmost of his time with his disciples by now. The day
came and Jesus was going to trial. James possiblywatched Jesus'crucifixion.
He at leastheard the breaking details. I can't imagine his emotionalswings
and the thoughts running through his mind about his older brother. There
had to be a strong love for Jesus, becausewe all look up to our older brothers,
don't we?
I'm sure James brother of Jesus greatlyloved him. However, until Christ's
crucifixion and resurrection, he was very leery of Jesus'claims.
James BrotherOf Jesus - A True Believer
The apostle Paulrecords that James was actuallya witness of Jesus'
resurrection. Paul later referred to James, brother of Jesus, as an apostle, but
not meaning one of the original 12 apostles (Galatians1:19).
James had become a true believer after the resurrection and he waitedon the
coming Holy Spirit in Jerusalemafter Christ's ascension(Acts 1:14). The
group became filled with the Holy Spirit.
While many of the new Spirit-filled believers went out to evangelize the world,
James remained in Jerusalemto establishthe Christian church. He worked
with the disciples, Johnand Peter(Galatians 2:9) and all three together
became knownas the pillars of the Christian church.
Remember earlierwhen I mentioned that James gatheredmuch wisdom from
his older brother? God planned that perfectly for this situation.

Acts 15:12-21 and Acts 21:18-25 highlight the important position James had
within the church. He was a leader, as can be drawn from the fact that his
name was the only one mentioned by Paul. Please take a moment to read the
passages.
James, brother of Jesus Christ and the other elders had to delicatelyhandle
the emerging issue of the Jewishand Gentile fusion into the Christian faith.
This was no small matter, but the work James and the other leaders did
proved brilliantly effective.
The Bible Book Of James
James brother of Jesus wrote anepistle (aka letter) that is included in the
Holy Bible. You canreally getto know James by reading this critical sermon.
James hits you hard with the gospel's practicaltruths.
The book is loaded with challenges to one's faith, and the resulting obedience
and gooddeeds that prove your faith. He uses bold illustrations and pointed
reminders that are meant to motivate the believer to perform goodworks. He
brings to light Jesus'messagethat "A tree is known by it's fruit" (Matthew
12:33).
The book of James highlights three things: First, the tests of faith that people
endure. He tells us about God's purposes for the challenges we face and even
the source ofthe temptations we encounter.
Next, James reveals the characteristics ofour faith. This includes how true
faith: 1) obeys the Bible; 2) proves itself by goodworks;3) produces wisdom
and humility; 4) makes us rely on Christ alone;and, 5) faith triumphs in the
end. Our faith in Jesus Christalone endures til the end and it longs for Jesus'
return.
James finished by informing us that realfaith prays for our brothers and
sisters in Christ, and that it boldly confronts erring believers.

Daily Discipleship
James brother of Jesus, pennedone of my favorite verses in his book:James
4:8 reads, "Draw nearto God and he will draw near to you." The command
energizes seekersand believers to continually grow their faith, obedience, and
works in God.
At no time in our lives are we to become passive spectatorsofJesus Christ and
his Kingdom.
You and I are to DAILY meet Jesus in the Bible, DAILY pray to him, DAILY
work for him, and DAILY seek his perfect will for our lives. Your real
discipleship keeps you obeying Jesus on a daily basis. Godwants our hearts, in
full, forever.
GraspThis!
I fear that we Christians have so zealouslytried to protectthe doctrine of
salvationby faith alone, that we have seriouslyerred. I'm in the middle of
reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classicbook, The Costof Discipleshipand my
eyes have been reopenedto our error.
Our gospelmessage to the outside world has been: Pray to receive Jesus by
faith alone and you are saved. The idea is far too simplistic and shallow. It
leads to cheap grace and false faith.
Let me explain. The word of God never tells us to evangelize a person quickly,
by means of a short prayer. A personmust have prior knowledge ofthe gospel
of Jesus Christ. Humans are lazy and we defer to our laziness in regards to
evangelism.
Leading someone to Christ begins with the person following Jesus. In other
words, being discipled in the Bible and life by a Christian. That, my friends, is
our job. To disciple followers of Jesus.
Discipleshipis hard work.

God's costly grace canbetter be explained like this: The Holy Spirit draws the
person closerto God by opening their hearts and minds. Jesus then tells the
person to "Come, and follow me." Jesus expects the personto come and
follow him.
We Christians, as a church or sometimes individually, then disciple him or
her through providing the necessary knowledgeofthe Scriptures. The person
finally is empoweredto make a sound decisionfor Jesus Christ. Their decision
is made only after counting the true costs ofdiscipleship.
Obedience to God is very, very costly. God's process leads a personto real
faith, which is obedient and service oriented. I pray you start your journey
today.
Next lesson:St Paul the Apostle #2.18
Bible Study Questions:
1) I am personallyamazed of the truth that Jesus'family all came to be true
believers in Jesus. He once stated, "A house divided will not stand" (Luke
11:17). It's no coincidence that God the Father planned for Jesus to be born
into Josephand Mary's family. Therefore, the question can be asked, "Does
the belief of Jesus'family give supporting evidence for predestination?
(Ephesians 1:3-14). Why, or why not?
2) Many people contrastJames'book of the Bible with Paul's teaching of
salvationby faith alone. Compare and contrastRomans 3:28 with James
2:24,26. You are encouragedto expand on these passagesto discoverthe full
truths of their messages. The question pits "Salvationby faith alone" with
"Faith without works is dead."
3) What spiritual issue is James brother of Jesus really addressing with the
following teaching? "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the
demons believe that — and shudder" (James 2:19).

Inspirational Bible Verses:
Watch out! Don’t do your gooddeeds publicly, to be admired by others, for
you will lose the reward from your Fatherin heaven. When you give to
someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do — blowing trumpets in the
synagoguesand streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the
truth, they have receivedall the rewardthey will ever get. But when you give
to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will
reward you. Matthew 6:1-4
Beware offalse prophets who come disguised as harmless sheepbut are really
vicious wolves. You canidentify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they
act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? A goodtree
produces goodfruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A goodtree can’t
produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce goodfruit. So every tree that
does not produce goodfruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes,
just as you canidentify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their
actions. Matthew 7:15-20
Faith Quotes!
I would put it to you, my dear hearer, have you been fruitful?
Have you been fruitful with your wealth?
Have you been fruitful with your talent?
Have you been fruitful with your time?
What are you doing for Jesus now?
Martin Luther Quotes

Do what goodyou can, and do it solelyfor God's glory, as free from it yourself
as though you did not exist. Ask nothing in return. Done in this way, your
works are spiritual and godly. MeisterEckhart
Prayers of Thanksgiving:
DearHeavenly Father,
I've let you down so many times
My mouth speaks faith
but my actions oppose the claims.
I'm tired of the hypocrisy, my Lord
You should discipline me
and show me the door.
I've been hearing the call, though
Light shining through my darkness
leading to repentance and renewal.
There you are, my God!
always faithful and true
Giving me one more chance, to prove my love to You!
In Christ's Name,
Amen
Readmore: http://www.graspinggod.com/james-brother-of-
jesus.html#ixzz66JMa9oPv

Referencesin classic literature
Anne thought she left great happiness behind her when they quitted the
house; and Louisa, by whom she found herself walking, burst forth into
raptures of admiration and delight on the characterofthe navy; their
friendliness, their brotherliness, their openness, their uprightness; protesting
that she was convinced of sailors having more worth and warmth than any
other set of men in England; that they only knew how to live, and they only
deservedto be respectedand loved.
View in context
It was always his way to turn the point back upon an opponent, and he did it
now, with a beaming brotherliness of face and utterance.
View in context
He has been a secondFenelon, unknown beyond the narrow limits of a
country parish, and by some secretof his own has infused a spirit of
brotherliness and of charity among these folk that has made them almostlike
one large family.
View in context
The older generationcannotsit back while the uninformed youths and some
South African public officials in their quest for inordinate populism destroy
what we collectivelyachievedoverseveraldecades ofsacrifice and
brotherliness.
Xenophobic Attacks, Failure Of Leadership In Nigeria, South Afr
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/brotherliness
Brotherly Kindness

2 Peter1:7a
It is evident from previous articles in this series that growing in the knowledge
of Jesus Christ involves a spiritual constructionproject. By adding to our
faith such graces as virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance,and
godliness, we are slowlybecoming more like our Lord. This is in keeping with
God's predetermined plan that we be conformed to the image of His Son(cf.
Ro 8:29). Equally important to spiritual growth is the development of
brotherly kindness. Togetherwith love, it adds a focus to our spiritual
maturity that is outward (and not just inward and upward), for it affects how
we act toward other people.
The Definition Of Brotherly Kindness
The Greek wordfor brotherly kindness is transliterated"philadelphia," a
compound involving two words:"phileo" (love) and "adelphos" (brother). It
literally means "the love of brothers." As used in the New Testament,
"philadelphia" describes the love which Christians cherish for eachother as
brethren (Thayer). Romans 12:10 reveals that it is through brotherly kindness
that we can have "kind affection" toward one another. It is brotherly
kindness, therefore, that provides a true sense offamily in our associationas
members of the Lord's body.
The Demand Of Brotherly Kindness
Without sincere love for brethren, the apostle Johnwrote that any claim to
love God or even to know Godis impossible (1 Jn 4:7-8,20-21).If we truly
desire to grow in our knowledge andlove of God (including our knowledge of
Jesus Christ, the focus of this series), then it is essentialthat we develop
brotherly kindness. Jesus also made love for brethren an identifying mark by
which the world can know we are His disciples (Jn 13:34-35). Rightdoctrine is
certainly important (2 Jn 9), but the world pays little attention to what they

may perceive as minor doctrinal differences. What people do notice is love in
a world filled with hate, especiallywhen such love is observedamong
individuals who come from various social, economic, and racialbackgrounds.
Any attempt to proclaim New TestamentChristianity, therefore, will fail to
appeal to those in the world unless it is accompaniedby a visible
demonstration of true brotherly kindness among Christians. Unity among
brethren is also very important as indicated in the prayer of Jesus (Jn 17:20-
23). The unity made possible through the cross ofChrist is maintained as we
endeavorto keepthe unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ep 4:3). Crucial
to that endeavoris "bearing with one another in love" (Ep 4:2). There will be
times when brethren sin againstone another, but where brotherly kindness
prevails there will also be forbearance and forgiveness. This provides time for
repentance and reconciliationnecessaryto remain united. Unless we develop
brotherly kindness, churches will be prone to split at the earliestindication of
conflict.
The DevelopmentOf Brotherly Kindness
As implied in our text, brotherly kindness is a virtue that must be developed.
Fortunately, we have assistancefrom God Himself. When we first obey the
gospel, our souls are purified so that sincere and fervent love of the brethren
is now possible (1 Peter1:22-23). We are then taught how to love one another
by God Himself (1 Th 4:9-10). The Father teaches us the meaning of love by
the manner in which He offeredHis Son as the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn
4:9-10). The Son also demonstratedtrue love by freely offering His life for us
(1 Jn 3:16). The more we reflectupon the love and sacrifice ofJesus, the more
we are able to understand the true meaning of brotherly kindness. As Jesus
said, "as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (Jn 13:34). I find
two other things are helpful to developing brotherly kindness. First, spend
time with your brethren. The more I am around people, the more I come to
know them personally, the more I share experiences (both goodand bad), the
easierI find it to "fall in love" with them. It is not much different than with
one's own physical family. I had no choice who my three physical brothers
would be. But as we experience life togetherour love and appreciationfor one

another deepens. I find it to be the same with my brethren in Christ. The
secondthing is to pray fervently for your brethren, especiallythose with
whom you may have a personality clash. It is hard to remain angry or
maintain a strong dislike for someone whenyou spend time praying for them.
As you pray seeking God's love and forgiveness foryourself, it becomes so
much easierto love and forgive others.
The Display Of Brotherly Kindness
In our relationship as brethren in Christ, brotherly kindness will manifest
itself in various ways. A brother who is strong will be considerate of his
brother who may be weak (Ro 15:1). Where a brother may have liberty in
Christ, he is willing to limit that freedom if it is beneficialto the spiritual well-
being of his weak brother (1 Co 8:13; Ga 5:13). It is also brotherly kindness
that will leadone to be cautious about judging a brother or what they say
about them (Ja 4:11-12). Brotherly kindness will also lead Christians to truly
care for one another, to warn the unruly, to comfort the faint-hearted, to
uphold the weak, to be patient with all (1 Th 5:14). Yes, it is brotherly
kindness that will prompt us to pursue the things that make for peace and the
things by which we may edify one another (Ro 14:19). As we give thought to
what it means to grow in the knowledge ofJesus Christ, what it means to
grow spiritually, may we appreciate the importance of developing that Christ-
like spirit of love for the brethren! "Let brotherly love continue." (He 13:1)
Editor's note: The preceding expository article comes from "Bible Insight"
edited by CareyDillinger and is a part of a series by him and other writers.
Careycontactedme severalweeks agoand suggestedthat we might be
interestedin publishing these articles. The series is quite goodand Lord
willing, Expository Files will be using these articles in future issues. Careyand
the other writers have given their permission.

By Mark Copeland
II PETER 1:7
BereanStudy Bible
and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
BereanLiteral Bible
and into godliness brotherly affection, and into brotherly affectionlove.
Brotherly Kindness
A. Maclaren, D. D.
2 Peter1:5-7
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge;…
I. OBSERVE HOW IN THE VERY NAME OF THIS GRACE THERE LIE
LESSONS AS TO ITS FOUNDATION AND AS TO ITS NATURE. The word
is all but a coinage ofChristianity, and the thing is entirely so. The gospel
bridged over all the divisions, and brought bond and free, Jew and Gentile,
man and woman, into a greatunity, so deep, so real, that all antagonism
vanished. "The mystery hid from ages"was revealed — that a common
relation to a Divine Fathermade all the men who partook of it one. But let us
think of what instruction this word contains in reference to the foundation of
this Christian unity. We go deep down into the very heart of Christianity

when we talk about all Christians being "brethren." It is not a mere
sentimental expressionto convey the idea that they ought to love one another,
but it is a declarationof the deep reasonwhy they ought thus to love one
another; and it links on to that greattruth, that in Jesus Christall they that
love Him and trust to Him do receive direct from God a real communication
of a new and supernatural spiritual life, which makes them no more merely
sons of God by creationand after the flesh, but sons of God through the
Spirit. The lonely pilgrim travels to the Cross, and when he comes there he
finds that he is "come unto the generalassembly and church of the firstborn
which are written in heaven." This unity is a far deeperthing than mere
identity of opinion. Christ's Church is no voluntary associationinto which
men may pass or not, as they please, but you are born into it, if you are
Christian people, as much as you are born into your mother's house. And you
can no more denude yourselves of your relationships to the other men who
possessthe same life, than you can break the tie of brotherhood which hinds
you to all them that have receivedcorporeallife from the same source as you.
II. OBSERVE THAT THE PLACE WHICH THIS VIRTUE HOLDS IN THE
SERIES TEACHES US THE ONE-SIDEDNESSOF A CHARACTER
WITHOUT IT, HOWEVER STRONG AND SELF-CONTROLLED. Unless
the rock be crownedwith a coronet of wild flowers it is savage andblack. And
unless to our strength that fronts the world, to our quick discernment of duty
that looks through illusions and clearlysees duty, to our self-control, that is
severe to ourselves, andto ourselves alone;to our patient persistence that
bears and does and hopes on and ever, we add the supreme beauty of
sympathetic gentleness and Christlike tenderness, all these other lovelinesses
will lack their lasttouch of poignant exquisiteness that makes them complete.
On the other hand, it is a very real danger in earnestChristian culture, that
we shall concentrate our attention far too much on the self-regarding virtues,
and too little upon those which refer to others. The place which this brotherly
kindness occupies in our series, may further teachus that it is a great mistake
for goodmen to cultivate the gentler graces atthe expense of the sterner and
the stronger. Christian love is no mere feeble emotion, but a strong and
mailed warrior, who beareth all things, and can do all things.

III. THE OCCURRENCEOF THIS GRACE IN OUR SERIES TEACHES
US THE LESSON THAT IT IS A DUTY TO BE WON BY EFFORT. It is
just as much your duty to cherishbrotherly love to all professing Christian
people as it is to govern your own passions, orto do any of these other things
that are enjoined upon us here. The introductory clause ofthis whole series
covers them all. "Giving all diligence, add to your faith." The hindrances are
strong and real enough to make effort to overcome them absolutely essential.
There is our own selfishness. Thatis the master-devil of the whole gang that
come betweenus and true Christian charity to our brethren. And then,
besides that, there is in our day a wide distinction among Christian people, in
station, in education, in generaloutlook upon life, in opinion. In addition there
is that most formidable hindrance of all, our wretched denominational
rivalries.
IV. THE PLACE WHICH THIS GRACE HOLDS IN OUR SERIES
TEACHES US THE BEST WAY OF MAKING IT OUR OWN. "In your
godliness supply brotherly love." The more we realise our dependence upon
God the more we shall realise our kindred with our brethren. The electric
spark of love to Christ will combine the else separate elements into one.
Cleaving to the one Shepherd, the else scatteredsheepbecome one flock, held
together, not by the outward bonds of a fold, but by the attraction that fastens
them all to Him.
(A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Brotherly Kindness
Thos. Adams.

2 Peter1:5-7
knowledge;…
I. THE CONNECTION. The apostle joins brotherly kindness to godliness.
1. Becausebrotherly kindness is the daughter of godliness. The river of
charity springs from the fountain of piety.
2. Becausebrotherly kindness is the moderator of godliness. Godloves not
such mad zeal, that so fixeth the eyes on heaventhat it despiseth to look on
their poor brother on earth.
3. Becausegodlinessis proved by brotherly kindness (1 John 2:9).
II. THE DEFINITION. It is a love to the faithful; to such as possessthe same
faith with us, and by that faith are adopted heirs to the same God, through the
brotherhood of the same Christ. It is distinguished from charity by nearness
and dearness. Bynearness, I mean not localbut mystical. Charity hath a great
latitude, and is like the heaventhat covers all; brotherly kindness like the sun
that shines upon the one half at once. The firmament sends influence to more
than the sun, but the sun comes nearerto that objectit blesseththan the
firmament. By dearness;for the bond of nature is not so strong as the bond of
grace. Our creationhath made us friends; our redemption, brethren.
III. THE DISTINCTION.There are three sorts of brethren.

1. By race;and that either by birth, or by blood.
2. By place, such as are of the same nation.
3. By grace.
IV. THE CONCLUSIONS.
1. The necessityis great.
(1) It is worthy in itself; that virtue which is rankedwith godliness must needs
be honourable.
(2) We are apt to neglectit; therefore St. Peterurges it severaltimes (1 Peter
1:22; 1 Peter2:17; 1 Peter 3:8, and here); St. Paul thrice (Romans 12:10; 1
Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1).
2. The practice.
(1) What it forbids as opposites to it, and murderers of it.
(a) Contentious litigation (1 Corinthians 6:6, 7; Proverbs 6:19; Genesis 13:8).

(b) An inveterate hatred. God loves all His children; wilt thou hate him that
God loves? (1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:15).
(c) Even anger itself is a traitor to this virtue; for as hatred is a long anger, so
angeris a short hatred; malice is nothing else but inveterate wrath (Matthew
5:22).
(d) Oppression(1 Thessalonians4:6).
(e) A proud contempt of one's brethren (Psalm50:20).
(2) Positively.
(a) This brotherly kindness is shownin reprehending those we love (Leviticus
19:17).
(b) Helping their poor estates.
(c) Praying for them.
(Thos. Adams.)
Brotherly Kindness

W. R. Williams.
2 Peter1:5-7
knowledge;…
I. This same apostle has, in his earlier epistle, enjoined ii upon the disciples of
Christ to "LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD."And whom has the Saviour
taught us to regard as being thus our kindred and our brethren? We turn to
the Gospels forthe needful light in interpreting the Epistles.
1. When our Lord was celebrating with His apostles, the last religious
ordinance of His life on earth, He said to them, "A new commandment I give
unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one
another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love
one to another" (John 13:34, 35). This law was new in its authorship. The
Decalogue onSinai had been given through Moses. The SonHimself was now
come to speak, face to face, that law of Love which crownedand solved all the
earlier commandments. It was, again, novelin its motives. To intimate His
equal Deity, the Sonhere makes love to Himself, the motive of holy obedience.
As it was new, too, in its evidence. It would become, before the world, the
badge and public pledge of Christian discipleship.
2. But whilst I am required to cherisha brother's warm regard for these, are
none but these my brethren? We answerto this question: Spiritual ties, whilst
overriding, do not annul all natural bonds. And who are our brethren, by
these earlier and human ties? We suppose all who are near to us — those
attachedand grappled to us by the domestic charities;those, again, with
whom we are united of our free choice by the bonds of friendship; and those,
lastly, who are our countrymen, one with us by the law of patriotism.

II. HOW, THEN, IS IT THAT GODLINESSNEEDSTHE ADDITION OF
BROTHERLYKINDNESS?
1. Faras the range of worldly brotherhood extends, in our relations to the
home, to the circles offriendship, and to our countrymen generally, godliness
should be guarded by this grace of human sympathy, to counteractan unjust,
but common imputation againsttrue piety. The monk, fleeing to the
wilderness;the spiritualist, overlooking his engagements to societyand the
household, in the care of the closetand his soul, are answerable for an error
here. Their godliness lacks brotherly kindness. So, too, the hostility of the
worldly to true piety, venting itself of old by statutes and penalties; venting
itself in our times, rather in derision and cruel mockery, may easilyprovoke
in the minds of the truly godly an alienationthat would, unchecked, issue in
utter isolation. But this is rather natural than justifiable. It is not so much the
strength of the Christian's godliness, as the human weaknessintermingled
with, and diluting that piety, which thus teaches him to withdraw, because he
has cause ofcomplaint.
2. But not only may the bonds of worldly and human brotherhood, thus, with
or without the Christian's fault, be seeminglysundered by his godliness;a
man's piety may seemto hinder his recognitionat times of the ties of spiritual
brotherhood also. If it be asked, how this can be, let it be remembered in
reply, that a man of eminent devoutness may easilybecome absorbedand
abstractedin manner.
3. But a more disastrous barrier to this brotherly kindness is the existence and
range of controversyamong Christians.

III. We now reachthat division of our subjectin which we consider now THE
CHRISTIAN GRACE OF BROTHERLYKINDNESS IS TO FILL UP THE
SPHERE OF WORLDLY BROTHERHOOD,EMBRACINGAS THAT
DOES, FRIENDSHIP, KINDRED, AND COUNTRY.
1. As to the powerof religionto adorn and cement friendship, the history of
the Church speaks emphatically.
2. As to the effects of religionon those who are our brethren because our
countrymen, the topic of Christianity in its relations to the nation is too vast
and complicatedto be at this time discussed. It is evidently a duty of Christian
patriotism, to urge thoroughly the work of Home Missions, andto send the
Bible and Sabbath-schooland ministry on the very crestof the westward
waves of emigration.
IV. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE CHRISTIAN GRACE, WHICH THE
APOSTLE HERE ENJOINS, SHOULD BE DISPLAYED IN THE
DISTINCT SPHERE OF SPIRITUALBROTHERHOOD.
1. Within the same church, then, the disciples of our Saviour need to be more
and more given to mutual intercession.
2. Christians in this day need, againto ponder the warnings of James as to
socialand terrestrial distinctions, unduly dwelt upon in the intercourse of
fellow-disciples. Fraternityamong Christians, again, requires that we do not
abandon merely to the care of the State, the poor and dependent of our fellow-
disciples.

(W. R. Williams.)
Brotherly Kindness
D. J. Hamer.
2 Peter1:5-7
knowledge;…
Now, one of the first impulses of the heart when men are thrown togetheris to
lay hold at once of points of contact, to recognise identity of interests,
community of feeling, to getrid, as far as possible, of those things which are
exterior and accidental, orelse to pierce through these and find how, in all
essentialand unalterable things, the human heart is at one with its kind. I
know that society, and commercialsocietynot least, manifests contending
interests, that the motto seems to be — "Everyman for himself, and
(sometimes not very reverentially added, by the way) God for us all"; that it
appears almost necessarythat a man should harden his heart against
considerationfor his brother man; that he is afloatupon an angry sea;that
the struggles ofothers often dash the water in his face, and threaten his own
existence, and that evenif he abstain from retaliation, he scarcelydare reach
out a hand to help a brother for fear of being draggeddown. I know these
things from presentobservation; but still it is true that all such circumstances
are an after-growth, and that under the earliest, simplestconditions of human
society, "brotherly kindness "is an instinct, an irresistible impulse. You may
see it, if you like, springing forth again, with all its early strength and
freshness, onoccasions suchas when men, few in number, and with all
differences of position destroyed, have to form among themselves society
anew;in any case ofshipwreck, say, when some are castupon uninhabited

land. The brotherly instinct is at work againat once, and only expires when
simplicity is corrupted, and artificialism blots it out. Now, is it not the wish of
the bestmoments of every man, that this feeling could be maintained, that all
contending interests should signa truce of brotherhood? And I suppose the
best of men, as they find the hopes which their fancy had kindled die away in
the light of fact, say, "The thing is impossible: while I have to deal with such
men as so-and-so, I can afford little room for the exercise,in this relation, of
such a virtue as 'brotherly kindness.'We must be living under a different
condition of things from the present, all societymust be made afreshbefore
this canbe." Exactly so, and that is the root of the whole matter. Men must be
renewed, redeemed, and then "brotherly kindness" may have its full and
perfect exercise. Is not this announced as the mission of gospeltruth in this
world? It reveals our own nature to us; it shows us in what points we are akin
one to another. And now another question meets us; the answerto which will
engage ourattention. Peteris writing to Christians, "to those," he says, "who
have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness ofGod
and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Why does he think it needful to insist upon the
exercise ofthis virtue, "brotherly kindness"? Is not this the messagethat we
"have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another?" What
need, then, for specialexhortationas to the mingling of this with the other
elements of Christian character? If we think for a moment, the answerto such
question will readily occur. Christianity, the religion of faith and love, is the
law of the heavenly life, but it is sent to us here, and now, for the ordering of
this earthly life. I shall now point out what seem to me the grounds on which
the seclusive, meditative, form of piety might be judged likely to manifest
itself unduly, and then remind you of one or two facts which show that such
judgment is wellfounded. Gospeltruth teaches us this one thing of all most
clearly — the individual relation betweeneachhuman heart and God —
personal, not representative, nor corporate religion — the impossibility of
vicarious love, of deputy service. Personalsusceptibility, personalaction are
necessaryif the soul is to make any way toward heaven. This revelation gives
him not only new light concerning his ownnature, it gives him new ideas of
God. This Infinite Being is revealedas standing in near relationto our spirit,
as having made sacrifice for our soul's redemption, so that our life is lifted out
of all its appearance oflittleness, sublimed by the ordering of His perfect will,

sanctifiedby the might of His Holy Spirit. May not a man, when thoughts like
these possesshim, when his godliness takes its truest, intensestform, well be
wishful to stand in some "quiet place" apart from interruptive society, where
he may fathom, in some measure, the vastness of what has been revealed. But
there is more; this Divine relation is to be an abiding one: death is no
destroyerof it, but rather a casterdown of what has been a hindrance to the
closerunion. These highestdelights are, in one sense, solitaryones, we can
communicate no idea of them in words, and we are tempted to leave that
societyin which none can fully know us and have sympathy in our joy, and
wait in communion with Him who sees alland knows all, and accepts the
silent homage of our hearts. Now, such tendency as this towards seclusionhas
manifested itself in time past, and it is seento this day. We know it in the
experience of those who are calledMystics, men of the German schoollike
Tauler, men of the French schoollike Gerson. We see it in the seclusionof
hermits, and monks, and nuns. But has the idea no force with us? We are
social, but is it Christian or worldly socialitythat we practise? Do we not
seclude our religious life too much within ourselves?
(D. J. Hamer.)
Brotherly Kindness
JosephP. Thompson.
2 Peter1:5-7
knowledge;…
I. THE CHARACTERISTICSOF BROTHERLYLOVE.

1. This love is basedupon the evidence of a Christly character, and is
prompted by love to Christ Himself. It is not the doctrine of a universal
fraternity which the text inculcates, but brotherly love betweenthe members
of the body of Christ. This brotherly love rests primarily upon a character
recognisedand approved as the basis of fellowship; it is the love of a friend of
Christ for another in whom also he discerns a friendship for, and a likeness to
Christ. The professionof love to Christ is not enough to command this
brotherly love. We do not then bestow this brotherly affection
indiscriminately upon all who callthemselves by the name of Christ. We must
have evidence that they are His disciples. But, on the other hand, we may not
withhold this love from any who show truly the spirit of Christ. The love of
Christ will prompt to this. That love is the most potent of moral affinities. Not
more surely does the magnet searchout and draw to itself particles of steelin
a heap of sand, than does the love of Christ in the heart draw to itself, by its
sweetand potent magnetism, whateverhas a real affinity for Christ. It is not
an external and formal fellowship, not the spirit of sector party, not alliance
in a particular Church, which generates andfeeds this love; but an inward
affectionfor Christ Himself, which causes us to delight in whateveris like
Christ or is pleasing to Christ. Our very love for Christ forbids that we should
love as brethren those who do not, above all errors and faults, clearly evince
their love for Him.
2. This brotherly love does not require in Christians an entire agreementin
opinion or coincidence in practice.
3. This brotherly love does not forbid Christians to controvertthe opinions or
reprove the faults one of another.

4. True brotherly love does not require the same marks of outward
considerationtowardall Christians. This love is neither a vague
sentimentalism nor a levelling radicalism.
II. THE GROUNDS OR REASONS OF THIS MUTUAL AFFECTION OF
THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. We have seenthat this brotherhood of
believers is founded originally in their common relations to Christ.
Descending now from this generalsurvey, we may note more particularly —
1. That brotherly love is the only realbond of union in a Church of Christ.
What is a Church? A body of professedbelievers in Christ, associatedunder a
covenantfor mutual watchfulness and help in the Christian life, and for
maintaining the ordinances of the gospel. Its basis is a covenant. A covenant
differs herein from a constitution. A constitution is a system of rules and
principles for the government of persons united under it. But a covenant, as
the term is used in Church affairs, is "a solemnagreementbetweenthe
members of a Church, that they will walk togetheraccording to the precepts
of the gospel, in brotherly affection." Now it is obvious that this covenant
cannot Stand one moment without love. Love is its essence;its vital element.
In the normal structure of out churches, we have nothing to hold us together
but the simple bond of love.
2. Brotherly love is the truest evidence of a regeneratedand sanctified heart.
The heart of man is by nature selfish and proud. It carethfor its own things
and not for the things of others. The gospelmakes the souland its interests
paramount USDo all temporal distinctions; it puts the spiritual infinitely
above the physical; it honours characterabove all rank, and station, and
wealth, and power; it honours all men as the offspring of God; and it looks
upon the renewedman in Christ as the image of Christ, to be receivedand
loved for His sake. "One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are
brethren."

3. This law of Christian brotherhood declaredby our Lord, not only secures
to eachand every disciple the same rights and privileges in His kingdom; it
forbids any relation betweenChristians which is inconsistentwith their
absolute equality before Him, and their fraternal love for eachother.
4. The fraternal love of Christians gives to the world the highest and most
convincing proof of the reality and the powerof Christian faith, and is the
necessarycondition for the advancementof Christianity in the world. Forthe
spread of Christianity, therefore, it is not enough that we found schools and
colleges, build churches, establishmissions, multiply tracts and Bibles; all this
apparatus is neededfor the work;but they who would reform and save the
world, must above all things have fervent charity among themselves.
III. HOW SHALL THIS LOVE BE DEVELOPED AND CHERISHED?
1. Whereverthis is possible, Christians must cultivate a familiar acquaintance
with eachother. How often a Church is rather an aggregationofindependent
units than the coalescing ofcongenialfervent hearts!
2. We must cherish brotherly love by dwelling in our thoughts and speech
upon the excellencesof. brethren rather than upon their infirmities and
defects.
(JosephP. Thompson.)

Treasuryof Sermons
2 Peter1:7 - Cultivating Brotherly Kindness
By Rev Charles Seet
Preachedat Life BPC 8am & 1045amService, 2013-09-01
Text: 2 Peter1:7
I would like to begin by asking what you think we are as a church. Do you
think we are merely a group of people who happen to share the same beliefs,
and gathertogetherevery week forworship? Some of us live very far from
here. What makes us come all the way here to GilsteadRoadon Sundays
when there are other Bible-believing churches that are much nearer to our
home? Is it just because we canreceive a certain kind of teaching here that
cannot be found elsewhere, oris it because we all happen to like the preaching
or singing that is found here? Does that make us then like any other group or
associationofpeople who meet regularly because they share a common
interest?
No, we are actually much more than that. God has placedus here togetherso
that we should be part of a family. This is the biblical way of viewing
ourselves – not merely as a group that shares the same interests or beliefs, but
as a closely-knitfamily of God. In Ephesians 2:19 the church is describedas
the householdof God. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
The word “household” here means “family.” We are supposedto function as a
specialfamily where we relate to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
And when we come here every Sunday it is for a blessedfamily reunion at
God’s throne of grace.
Viewing our church as a family adds a dimension of warmth, tenderness, care,
concernand loyalty to our interaction with other worshippers. These are the
things we expectto find in a close-knitfamily. But family life does not happen
automatically. In some families today the members hardly communicate with
one another. The busy lifestyle of most Singaporeans has reducedfamily
interaction to a minimum. Father, mother and children all lead their own

separate lives. Some do not even have any meals togetherbecause eachof
them comes home at a different time. Family life needs to be cultivated and
every family member has to do his or her part.
The same thing is true of our church family. We need to put in effort to
cultivate our family life. We have to make a consciouseffortto regardone
another as brothers and sisters, and to show brotherly kindness to one
another. This cannotbe treatedas something optional, because it is essential
for our spiritual growth. That is why brotherly kindness is included in the list
of essentialvirtues we have been studying, as given in 2 Peter1:5-7. The
Greek word used in v.7 for brotherly kindness is “philadelphia”. It has a
strongermeaning than kindness. This is the only instance in the NT where this
word is translated as “brotherly kindness.” In all other instances philadelphia
is translated as “brotherly love.” E.g. 1 Thessalonians4:9 – “But as touching
brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught
of God to love one another.”
The keyto understanding this virtue is found in the word, “brotherly”. This
distinguishes it from the kindness or love that friends, colleagues or
acquaintances share with one another. This word tells us that it is all about
the mutual caring affectionthat siblings normally have for one another. There
are many heart-warming stories about tender affectionbetweensiblings. For
instance, you may have heard about how someone willingly donated his
kidney to his brother or sisterwho needs a kidney transplant.
I read one report recently about a boy who savedhis sister’s life 22 times after
she was born with a condition which could stop her breathing at any time.
This 8-yearold boy named Harry Flynn learned how to resuscitate atthe Red
Cross Teddy Bears club. His sister Isabelle was born 3 months early, and
suffers from a condition calledapnoea of prematurity that causes her to stop
breathing suddenly and without warning. Harry has performed mouth-to-
mouth resuscitationonher while watching TV, during visits to the
supermarketand on family days out. Isabelle would have died if not for her
caring big brother. I am sure she will be very thankful for his brotherly
kindness as she grows up.

Do you know that we too have a big brother who is like that? One who cares
enough for us to save us from death? – He is none other than our Lord Jesus
Christ! (Romans 8:29) Cultivating brotherly kindness therefore makes us
more Christ-like in characterthan any other virtue. You will notice that this
virtue is placedalmost at the end of the list in 2 Peter1:5-7. All the virtues
that came before it have to do with the inward and upward aspects ofgrowing
into the image of Christ. The upward aspectof Christlikeness is built up
through faith, virtue, knowledge, andthe devotion of godliness. The inward
aspectof Christlikeness is developedthrough self-control, perseverance, and
the discipline of godliness which we focusedon last Sunday. As we now come
to the lasttwo virtues of brotherly kindness and charity (or love), we realize
that Christlikeness is not only inward and upward, but also outward. Growing
into His image must affectthe way we act and respond toward other people.
Hence they are sometimes referred to as ‘socialvirtues’ as they make an
impact on others.
As Jesus loved all men, and even those who crucified Him, so must we learn to
love all others without distinction – even our enemies. This point will be the
expounded in greaterdetail in next week’s sermonon Cultivating Love. But
our focus this morning is on the love we ought to have for fellow Christians –
those who are in God’s family. In order to cultivate brotherly kindness, we
need to understand three things:
I. The Common Bond that NecessitatesBrotherlyKindness
What is it that causes difficulties to arise in human relationships? It is the fact
that people are different. God did not make us all alike. Eachpersonhas his
or her own unique personality, likes and dislikes. Some people have rather
strong and aggressive personalities.Others are quiet and timid. And yet
others are highly-strung and very easily agitated. Eachpersonalso has his
own opinions and his own way of doing things. This variety of personalities
and opinions makes life very interesting (‘Variety is the spice of life’), but it
can also become a big source of problems. How canwe then overcome these
differences in order to be in agreementwith one another and love one
another?

We who are fellow believers have something that others do not have – We
have a common bond that unites us to one another. Though we may be
different in many ways, we all share ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one
God and Fatherof all, who is above all, and through all, and in [us] all’
(Ephesians 4:5,6). We are different in superficial ways, but we are the same in
essentialways. There is more that joins us than divides us.
In fact, this principle is found right at the beginning of the chapter in which
our passageis found. Look at v.1–“SimonPeter, a servantand an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with usthrough
the righteousnessofGod and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” We have obtained
the same precious faith as what Peterand the restof the apostles have
obtained. This precious faith binds us with them and with one another in a
spiritual union which is as real as the blood-relationships that keeps family
members together. This is why Peteraddresses allhis readers as ‘brethren’
(adelphoi) in v.10 (“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make
your calling and electionsure…”)This term, which means “brothers and
sisters,” is used 230 times in the Bible to address no one but God’s people.
And it literally means “from the same womb.”Since no one canenter God’s
kingdom except by being born again (John 3:3,5,7), all true believers are
inseparably joined to eachother through a common spiritual birth.
The word ‘brethren’ is also found in Psalm 133, where Godsays, “Behold,
how goodand how pleasantit is forbrethren to dwell togetherin unity.” Why
does God take such greatdelight in seeing us dwell togetherin unity? The
answeris found in the prayer that Jesus made shortly before He went to the
cross – “Holy Father, keepthrough thine own name those whom thou hast
given me, that they may be one, as we are.” (John 17:11; cf. vv.21,22)From
this we know that the common bond that we share as believers is actually a
reflectionof the specialbond that is shared by the three persons within the
Godhead. We ought to love one another because the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit love one another. What a glorious thought this is!
All this means that we must treat eachother with care, according to the
common bond that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ. However
different you may be from others – in age, gender, or abilities, in educationor

socialstatus – you must regard every fellow Christian as someone for whom
Christ died and in whom Christ dwells. How canyou treat a Christian
brother as a strangerif God loves him as much as He loves you? How canyou
ignore the needs of a sisterin Christ if she is as precious in God’s sight as you
are? Everyone who is in Christ must be precious to you, someone who
deserves your attention, interest, love and devotion.
Our Lord Jesus made this the distinguishing mark by which the world would
know that we truly belong to Him. He saidthis in John 13:34-35 – “A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Brotherly love was the hallmark of
the early church. Acts 2:44 tells us that “…allthat believed were together, and
had all things common.”
Tertullian who lived in the 2nd century AD, records what the pagans of his
time were saying about the Christians: “See how they love one anotherand
are ready to lay down their lives for eachother.” (Apology 39)This kind of
testimony has causedmany people to turn to Christ for salvation. Art Lindsey
wrote a book entitled, Love – the Ultimate Apologetic, in which he
demonstrated that love is the heart of Christian witness. Francis Shaeffer, a
Christian philosopher and theologian, believed that the ‘final apologetic’is the
speciallove that Christians have for one another. This is something that we all
can have and should have, because ofthe common bond that we share in
Christ. We only need to put in the necessaryeffortto cultivate it in our lives.
To do this we need to adopt…
II. The Attitude that Produces BrotherlyKindness
This attitude is to put others before self. The more we focus on others rather
than self, the easierit becomes for us to cultivate brotherly kindness. This is
mentioned in Romans 12:10– “Be kindly affectionedone to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul
teaches us to get rid of our self-centredattitude, and become others-centred
instead – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of
mind let eachesteemotherbetter than themselves. Look not every man on his

own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Without having this
others-centredattitude, it is absolutelyimpossible to cultivate brotherly
kindness.
If you are spiritually strong, having this others-centredattitude will make you
considerate towarda brother who is spiritually weak (Romans 15:1 – “We
then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, andnot to please
ourselves.”). Ratherthan insisting on the freedom you have in Christ to enjoy
all things, you willingly limit your freedom for the sake ofyour brother’s
spiritual well-being.
If you were to visit a church in a third world country, you may find yourself
with brethren who hardly have any education, and who may seemto be
shabbily dressedto you, even though what they wearto church is their
‘Sunday best’. After the worship service they invite you to join them for a
fellowship meal with the most unpalatable food you can imagine on the table.
Someone smiles warmly at you and offers you the best piece of bread or meat
with both hands (VIP treatment). You look at it and wonder whether he had
washedhis hands before holding it, and whether you will get sick aftereating
it. But the thought that he is a precious soul for whom Christ died, will
remove every barrier that keeps you from accepting his love and enjoying
goodChristian fellowship with him.
When I was a missionary in the Philippines I joined a localchurch which I
had been serving for a 3-day Eastercamp. It was a new experience for me and
my family as we really had rough it out – very different from our recent
church camp in Bintan. There are only a few rooms at the campsite and only
one toilet for everyone to share. Eachroom has to accommodate two or three
families (very crammed!). Formost of the meals we ate only rice with roasted
fish. But despite all these inconveniences, I thoroughly enjoyed the meaningful
time of Christian fellowshipand the opportunity to minister God’s Word to
them. Why? because I saw them as my own brothers and sisters in Christ!
We must learn to do the same thing here in Life Church. We must adopt the
right attitude – the attitude that puts others before yourself. And adopting this
attitude means having pure selfless motives in all that we do for others. The

apostle Peterinsists that we must have this in 1 Peter1:22 – “…seethat ye
love one anotherwith a pure heart fervently.” Without a pure heart, the
brotherly love we show to others becomes a sham. Outwardly, we seemto be
very goodand nice towardothers, but inwardly we are expecting to receive
some favours in return. Let us therefore be watchful againstimpure motives,
and always be carefulto ensure that we love one another with a pure heart
fervently. As we adopt the right attitude towardour fellow brothers and
sisters in Christ, we will then be able to carry out…
III. The Actions that DisplayBrotherly Kindness
There is no point spending hours talking about it if this does not lead to
action. Action must be our ultimate goalfor cultivating brotherly kindness. As
God’s Word says in Galatians 6:10– “As we have therefore opportunity, let us
do goodunto all men, especiallyunto them who are of the household of faith.”
It is the goodthings we do for others that make us bear the likeness ofChrist.
If you were study the life of our Lord Jesus Christ in the 4 gospels youwill
observe that He did many things for His disciples. Here are 6 of them: He
admonished them (Matthew 16:8-11 cf. Romans 15:14 – “admonish one
another”). He comfortedthem (e.g. Matthew 14:27 cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 –
“comfortone another”). He caredfor them (Mark 6:30,31 cf. 1 Corinthians
12:25 – “have the same care one for another”). He prayed for them (John 17:9
cf. James 5:16 – “pray one for another”). He served them (John 13:5 cf.
Galatians 5:13 –“serve one another”)and He forgave them (John 21:15 cf.
Ephesians 4:32 – “forgiving one another”).
Did you notice something interesting in all six of them? The things that Jesus
did for His disciples correspondvery closelyto the ‘one another’ commands
given in the New Testament. These andmany other ‘one another’ commands
teachus what it means to display brotherly kindness. This helps us now to
better understand why Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (v.35) The more that we love one
another the way that Christ loved His disciples, the more we will bear His
likeness in our lives, and the more that people around us will be able to see
Christ in us and recognize that we are truly His.

Thus we have seenthat brotherly kindness is (1) Necessitatedby the common
bond that we all share in Christ; (2) Produced by the attitude of putting
others before self, and (3) Displayed by the actions that we do to and for one
another. The question we face now is, ‘How do we put this into practice?’The
problem is always in the application!
We must realize that it is impossible to do this on our own. No amount of self-
will and personalresolve will work. Our sinful nature works againstus, and
causes breakdowns in our relationships with others. This sinful nature makes
us cold and indifferent even towards our own family members. It breeds
brotherly rivalry instead of brotherly love. It made Cain murder his own
brother. It made Jacobscheme to obtain his brother’s birthright and blessing.
It made Joseph’s brothers sellhim into slavery. It made the ProdigalSon’s
elder brother refuse to come into the house to rejoice overhis return.
Therefore the very first thing you need to do is to deal with this sinful nature
within by making sure that you are truly saved.
1. Make sure that you are truly saved.
We need to be restoredto a right relationship with God before we canbe
restoredto a right relationship with our brothers. As 1 John 4:7,20 tells us,
“love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth
God…he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how canhe love God
whom he hath not seen?”Pleaseexamine yourself – Are you truly born of
God? Have you truly receivedJesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? It is
only when you are born againthat you can be assuredthat God is working in
your life to transform you. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:9, God Himself will
teachyou to love others (“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I
write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”)
2. Reflecton your actualunion with fellow Christians
Keep reminding yourself that Jesus has made us children of the Father and
brothers and sisters of one another. Let the Bible’s teaching on this sink deep
into your mind until it influences your attitude towardothers.
3. Evaluate your attitudes towards them

What are your feelings towardChristian brethren? Are there any barriers or
hindrances that hold you back from demonstrating love toward them? Are
you fearful of being hurt either by someone who coldly refuses to receive your
love, or worse still by someone who abuses your love? Please rememberthat
the majority of Christians will not let you down if you take the initiative to
reachout to them with brotherly kindness. All of us who are truly in Christ
should be able to trust one another with our love and have no fear at all that
the love we share will be refused or abused.
4. Seek reconciliationwith those you have wronged
There will be times when we sin againstone another, but where brotherly
kindness prevails there will also be forbearance and forgiveness. If you have
said something hurtful to others or wrongedthem, please take the initiative to
approachthem and seek to restore the damagedrelationship. Matthew 5:23-
24 says, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest
that thy brother hath ought againstthee;Leave there thy gift before the altar,
and go thy way; first be reconciledto thy brother, and then come and offer
thy gift.”Doing nothing about your damaged relationship with a fellow
brother or sisterin Christ will affectthe whole church! In the Philippian
church there were two very committed Christian women, Euodias and
Syntyche. They had workedcloselytogetherwith Paul and both of them were
very dear to him. And both of them were probably goodfriends before.
But because ofsome disagreementthey were not on talking terms with each
other. They would come to church every Sunday refusing to greetone
another. One would sit in one corner and the other would sit at the other
corner. And after the service, they would leave at different entrances so that
they would not meet eachother. The news about their disagreementreached
the apostle Paul, who was far awayin a Roman prison. And in his letter to the
Philippians, Paul pleaded with both of them to be reconciledand he even
askedothers to help bring them back togetheragain (Philippians 4:2,3). This
shows that such disagreements cannotbe overlookedorignored. The fact that
Paul under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration consideredit to be important enough
to mention here, teaches us that we must seek reconciliationwith those we
have wronged.

5. Respondto the needs of others
Think about what you cando after hearing this message to reachout more to
others. Get to know more church members and interact with them. Enlarge
your circle of friends here. Getinto the habit of being more attentive, more
alert, more sensitive to people around you. Be interested to know how they are
getting on – whether some are retrenched, sick or discouragedand respond to
them. And this must become a habit, as Hebrews 13:1 says, “Letbrotherly
love continue.” May the Lord help us as we seek to cultivate brotherly love for
one another.
https://www.lifebpc.com/resources/treasury-of-sermons/74-1-2-peter/634-2-
peter-1-7-cultivating-brotherly-kindness
Treasuryof Sermons
2 Peter1:7 - Spiritual Growth: Brotherly Kindness
By Rev Charles Seet
Preachedat / Published Life BPC 10.30amservice, 2004-03-21
Text: 2 Peter1:7
The New TestamentGreek wordfor brotherly kindness used in this passageis
'philadelphia'. You may remember that 'Philadelphia; is also the name of one
of the sevenchurches that was addressedin the book of Revelation, and today
there is also a city on the easternboard of the U.S. by the same name. One
might imagine how nice it would be to live in a city or church called'brotherly
kindness.'But it should not be surprising to find that those who live there
have their share of conflicts, becauseofthe depravity of the human heart!
Actually 2 Peter1:7 is the only instance in the NT where this word
(philadelphia) is translatedas 'brotherly kindness' The word is found four

other times in the NT and in all these four instances it is translatedas
'brotherly love.'Romans 12:10 - 'Be kindly affectionedone to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;' 1 Thessalonians4:9 - 'But
as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves
are taught of God to love one another.' Hebrews 13:1 - 'Let brotherly love
continue.' 1 Peter1:22 - 'Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the
truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love
one another with a pure heart fervently:'
Since the meaning of the word philadelphia is actually love for the brethren,
and not just kindness, what makes this quality different from the the last one,
charity (agape)?
The keyto understanding the difference and the specific meaning of the word
philadelphia is found in the qualifier, 'brotherly' that is attachedto it. This
qualifier shows us that it is attitude of warm affectionate devotion that can be
shared by brothers and sisters in a close-knitfamily. This was apparently
something that characterisedchurch life in the early Christian church. Each
localcongregationwas just like a close-knitfamily, where the members
treated one another lovingly and warmly as if they had very close bloodties
with eachother.
This explains why the biblical writers often addressedthe Christians in the
churches as 'brethren.' This term means 'brothers and sisters.'It is used in
the Bible approximately 230 times, and it literally means 'from the same
womb.' This implies that Christians are vitally relatedto eachother. How?
Through a shared Christian heritage and a common birth and more precisely,
the common experience of being born againof the Holy Spirit. The word
'brethren' is also found in the Old Testament, e.g. in Psalm133, where the
psalmist describes 'how good and how pleasantit is for brethren to dwell
togetherin unity.' It brings greatjoy to the heart of our Lord to see His dear

children togetheras one. Another term is used in 1 Peter2:17. Here the
command is given to us to 'love the brotherhood.' The term 'brotherhood'
refers once again to the church as a closely-knitfamily.
I trust that eachof you have had your ownunique experience of tender
affectionand mutual love with brothers and sisters in your own families.
Being part of a family is something that most of us can identify with. This is
why biblical writers like Peterchose to use the family term, 'brotherly
kindness'when they wrote about the way that believers should relate to one
another. We should not think of our church just as a group of people who just
happen to believe in the same God, and who just happen to gathertogetherin
the same place once or twice a week to worship Him. We should think of one
another as being members of the same family, and that there are family ties
that bind us together. When we apply this concept, it will add to us a
dimension of warmth, tenderness, care, concernand loyalty to our church life.
And so we have seenthat the Bible teaches very clearlythat the church is a
family. But family life does not just happen automatically or effortlessly. In
some families today (and sad to say, even Christian families) the members
hardly talk with one another. Father, mother, sons and daughters all lead
their own lives separatelyand do not even share mealtimes togetherbecause
eachcomes home at a different time. Family life has to be cultivated. The
same thing is true of the church family. We need to cultivate our family life.
We need to keepon functioning as a family and loving one another as a
family. There must be a conscious effortto regardone another as brothers
and sisters in Christ, and grow in our love and devotion toward one another.
This is why the Bible constantlyrepeats the specific commandment for
Christians to love one another. Some of these commandments are even
accompaniedwith a reasongiven for us to love one another. We have already
seenthe first reason- that brotherly love is what being in God's family is

about. We will look at two other reasons that are found with other instances of
the same command.
In John 13:34,35 Jesus Himselfsaid, 'A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.'
Then the reasonis given: 'By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples,
if ye have love one to another.' In this instance, the reasonis evangelistic.
When brotherly love is evident in our church, then those who are outside
Christ who are able to see this love will identify us as Disciples of Christ.
What they see happening here in our midst must not be the same as what they
see happening in the world. We all know that the world is characterisedby
hatred, hostility, backstabbing, criticism, envy, competition, and exploitation.
Church life should not be characterisedby these things at all, but rather by
mutual love, giving, serving, and generous expressions ofsincere appreciation,
thanksgiving and praise for one another. This will provide a visible testimony
to the world that we truly belong to Christ.
Another instance of this commandment is found in 1 Peter1:22 and here we
find the third reasonfor brotherly love - 'Seeing ye have purified your souls in
obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see
that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.' This verse teaches us an
important principle, the principle that if we have been genuinely saved, we
now have the ability and powerto love one another. We have no excuse for
not showing brotherly lovee. Before we were saved, we had an excuse, because
it was not possible for us to show sincere love for the brethren, since our lives
were controlled by self and sin then. It is only through the Gospelof Christ,
that we now have the powerthat comes from the Holy Spirit who indwells us,
to love the brethren fervently.
And so dearly beloved, we have now seenthree goodreasons whywe should
cultivate brotherly love to one another: Firstly, because it is what it means to

be in the family of God. And secondly, because having by this love for one
another, the world may know that we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ.
And thirdly, because we now possess the ability to love one another, by virtue
of the salvationwe have receivedin Jesus Christ. But now comes the hardest
part of all - How do we put this into practice? It is easyjust to give lip service
and say, 'Yes, I fully agree with that. We ought to love and show brotherly
kindness to one another.' But how do we carry out this commandment in
actualterms? Let me outline some steps. The first step is to:
I. Take SeriouslyWhatGod's Word Says about Loving One Another.
Carefully considerall the verses where commandments of brotherly love are
found. Let God speak to you about this, and let it develop into a personal
conviction. Then commit yourself to do it. Make it your fervent prayer to God
that you really want to have this quality of brotherly love for Christians
around you. Ask Him to help you apply what you have learnt from His Word.
When you have done this, proceedto the secondstep which is to:
II. Evaluate your present attitudes and actions towardbrethren in Christ.
What are your present feelings towardChristian brethren? What are the
barriers or hindrances that hold you back from demonstrating more
brotherly love toward them?
1. Forsome of us the greatesthindrance may be self-love.

A love for self makes it difficult and even impossible to have unselfish
affectionfor others. In Philippians 2:3,4, Paul said, 'Let nothing be done
through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness ofmind let eachesteemother
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man
also on the things of others.' These verses make it quite clearthat Christians
should not be self-centredpeople, thinking only of themselves or loving
themselves alone. There is one way that you can tell if you are self-centredor
not. What do you usually pray for in your personalprayers eachday? Do you
find yourself only praying for yourself that God will give you the things that
you want for yourself? Are your prayers always self-centred?
If you have made the diagnosis that self-love is the main cause for your lack of
love for others, how do you deal with it? The cure for self-love is to see
yourself only as a sinner who is savedby grace alone. If not for what God has
done in your life, you would not be what you are right now. You must realize
how graciouslyGodhas dealt with you to give you eternallife and a glorious
home in heaven, when what you really deservedfrom Him is eternaldeath in
hell.
When you can understand how much you have been loved and savedby God,
then you will become more willing to show that same love to those who are
around you.
2. Another hindrance to brotherly kindness the fear of being rejected.
Some of you may have gone through the unpleasant experience of being
misunderstood or deeply hurt by people. Then you may feel tempted to
withdraw yourself from others and to be afraid to show any love toward
others again. Such fearcauses you to keepyourself at a safe distance from
them. But doing this would cause you to go againstGod's commandment to

you, to love one another. So, in order to be obedient to God's commandments,
we need to overcome suchfears.
Now, listen carefully to this: It is true that there is a risk involved whenever
you endeavourto show love to others: the risk that someone will let you down,
or take advantage of your kindness. Whenever you show love, you are bound
to make yourself vulnerable to being hurt either by someone who coldly
refuses to receive your love, or worse still by someone who abuses your love.
But please remember that this will not happen very often. The majority of
Christians will not let you down if you will take the initiative to reachout to
them with Christian love and brotherly kindness. If we are not able to trust
one another with our love, then something must be terribly wrong with us. All
of us who are truly in Christ should be able to trust one another with our love
and have no fear at all that the love we share will be refusedor abused.
3. A third hindrance to brotherly kindness is having an inaccurate estimate of
the worth of fellow Christians.
If we do not regardone another as being precious, valuable and worthy of
your love, it will be immensely difficult for us to love one another. How should
you then see others? Exactlyhow valuable are the lives of people around you?
The Word of God teaches us that eachand every person has priceless value
because eachpersonis createdin the image of God. Each and every person
also receives life, health and sustenance from God and if God considers them
as being worthy enough to receive all of these things from Him, you would be
insulting God if you did not value them too.

But Christian brethren should have even more value in your eyes than that.
This is because Godhas consideredthem to be precious and valuable enough
to send His only begottenSon to die for them. They have been bought with the
precious blood of Christ. They are therefore very, very precious in God's
sight. Are you able to see them as such? Let us learn to appreciate the infinite
worth of every one who is a fellow brother or sisterin Christ, and regard
everyone as an important, specialpersonwho deserves our attention, interest,
love and devotion.
When you have evaluated your presentattitudes and actions toward others
then you cango on to the third step in carrying our the commandment to love
one another, which is to
III. Act upon these things.
Do not stop at just resolving to be more loving, and identifying the hindrances
in your life. Nothing more will come out of all that, if you do not begin to act
upon them. You must getyourself to begin applying these things immediately.
God's Word in 1 John 3:18 tells us, 'My little children, let us not love in word,
neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.' You cando practicalthings like
distributing material help to brethren who are in need (Romans 12:13),
showing care and hospitality (Romans 12:13), You canalso rejoice with those
who rejoice, and weepwith those who weep(v.15 - e.g. visiting those who are
sick or bereaved).
There are brethren in our church who are physically unwell. There are also
brethren who are undergoing severe trials. The prayer bulletin mentions some
of them. Please readthis weeklybulletin to find out who needs help. The
Christian life is not free from trials. Sometimes we have to bear heavy
burdens which are unpleasant to endure. This may include emotional trauma,

loss of security, loss of loved ones, sickness andinjury or retrenchment. The
failure to cope well with these experiences canleada person into depression
and even cause him to doubt God's goodness. It becomes the duty of other
Christians to help such a brother. They need to take time to visit him or call
him, comfort him, encourage him and pray for him.
But sometimes excuses are found for not doing these. Someone might say, "I
do not want to help because I already have enough burdens of my ownto
bear." Someone else might say, 'I do not want to help because I do not want to
be nosy to pry or meddle in the affairs of others.'Have we sometimes usedthe
same excuses too, whena brother in Christ we know is facing problems in
life? If we allow excuses like these to keepus from helping to bear one
another's burdens then we are not showing Christian love.
Instead of love, we would be showing a self-centred, attitude, thinking that our
own burdens are much heavier than what others have to bear. Let us rather
be willing to considerthe heavy burdens that others are bearing instead of
focusing all the time on our own burdens. One dearbrother in our church
shared with me sometime ago that when he was facedwith imminent
retrenchment, he was tempted to feelvery depressedabout his situation. But
when he beganto minister to others he realisedthat many people were facing
problems that were much worse than his own. That kept him from feeling
greatly upset.
In fact sometimes the Lord may choose to lay heavy burdens on us for the
purpose of equipping us to help others to bear their own burdens. We are then
able not only to sympathise, but also to empathize with them. Recentlythere
was an email prayer request from a sisterin our church who is due to give
birth to her first child at the end of this month and she was feeling worried
about going through childbirth. When the prayer request went out, another
sisterin our church responded immediately and offered to help her, because

she had given birth about a month ago and said that she could empathise with
the plight of this sister.
One who has suffered loss, can better understand the pain of others who are
suffering loss. One who has gone through failure canunderstand better the
disappointment of others who are going through failure. One who has been
sick canbetter understand better the predicament of others who are sick. One
who has been stressedwith tremendous work pressures canbetter understand
the feelings of others who were similarly stressed. Whenthe words of comfort
and assurance to a suffererare given by a fellow-sufferer, they can mean so
much more and are treasuredmuch more than words given by anyone else!
And this canlead to mutual encouragement. The one who receives
encouragementwill be willing to return encouragementto the one who gave it
to him, when he realises that he is a fellow-sufferer. And as they help to bear
one another's burdens, they are themselves strengthened. In a hospital ward
one day there were two patients on adjacentbeds. Both were Christians and
both happen to be suffering from the same illness. And they encouragedone
another. When one was going through a particularly painful procedure, the
other prayed for him fervently, because he knew exactlywhat he was going
through.
Dearly beloved, actually we are all fellow sufferers in our trials here on earth.
So, instead of thinking only of your own troubles and trials, learn to love one
another in the family of God and to bear one another's burdens. Take some
time now to think about what you can do after this service is over, that will
enable you to reachout more to others in church. Get into the habit of being
more attentive, more alert, more sensitive to people around you. Get to know
more church members. Enlarge your circle of friends here.

Jesus was a man of brotherliness

Jesus was a man of brotherliness

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