1 Thess. 4:9-10; 1 John 2:24-29, Brotherly Love

The Church is a family, the family of God.  This is seen in references to the Church as a household (Gal. 6:10; Eph. 2:19; 3:15; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pt. 2:5; 4:17; Hb. 3:6).  It is seen in the instructions to leaders in the Church who have managed their own house well so that they can also manage the Church of God.  And it is seen in the many references to Church members as brothers (c. 235 times in Acts-Revelation).

·        Brotherly love defined, v9a.  The Greek term refers to family love and to friendship.  Strong’s definition includes our idea of simply liking someone.  But in the NT we see agape (unconditional love, the love of sacrifice) extended to the love we are to have for our spiritual family.  Christians were to greet each other with a “holy kiss”; it was not the passionate kiss but what would be used in a family.  You can clearly see agape in the phileo love for brothers in these passages:

o   Laying down one’s life for his brother (1 John 3:16).

o    Sharing to meet the basic needs of brothers (1 John 3:17; Gal. 6:10).  The Acts of the Apostles illustrates this on several occasions (Ac. 3-5: pooling resources to care for the poor; 6: care for the widows; 12: famine relief for the church in Jerusalem; 15: Lydia’s hospitality and the jailer cleaning the wounds of Paul and Silas; 24-28: people providing for Paul while in jail; 28: the men who met Paul outside Rome and walked with him).

o   Acts of goodness and kindness extended to brothers (1 John 3:18).

·        Brotherly love taught, v9b-10.

o   By God.  They already knew brotherly love because it was part of who they became when they were born again.  At the point of salvation God’s love was shed abroad in their our hearts by the Holy Spirit He has given to us (Rom. 5:5).  The Holy Spirit bears witness to us that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:15-16).  This is clearly taught in 1 John 2:26-27.  One reason love of the brethren is such an evidence of true saving faith is that the Anointing (the Holy Spirit) abides or is at home in us.  This is what we are by nature!  Note the following passages from 1 John if you want to see how love is evidence of true faith (3:10,14-15; 4:7-8,16; 5:1-3).  Is this not what was promised in the New Covenant?  I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; … No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me (Jer. 31:33-34).

o   By Paul.  What Paul does is to encourage them to increase in love.  We must not lose patience or become insensitive to those around us.  Either of these will lead to disobedience.  This was Jesus command to His disciples.  And it is what the Holy Spirit leads us to do day by day.

Let us take this to heart.  The command is to love one another, love being the unconditional agape love.  Perhaps phileo reminds us how practical our love must be.