Lewisburg Church of Christ

"Love the Brotherhood"

There is no question that the Bible speaks of our responsibility to "love the brotherhood," as quoted from 1 Peter 2:17. The word, Peter, used to tell us to love one another is a word derived from a familiar word, in the noun form, agape. We have heard much about this word, how it is a willful intention to act with another's interests in mind above our own-it is a sacrificial love. Thus, this word expresses the kind of love which acts, not on a basis of attraction or good feeling, but it simply acts because it is the right thing to do, without judgment on the one being loved.

Because of the emphasis placed on the sacrificial intent of agape, some have been led to make statements concerning loving others that we have probably heard before. "We don't necessarily have to like our brethren, but we do have to love our brethren." We sometimes mean by this that the most important thing is that we put their needs above ours, not necessarily that we have to agree and be friends, etc. However, the apostle Peter, in another passage, seems to have another idea. After writing of Christian duties of individual groups, he summarizes every Christian's duty by saying: "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous..." (1 Peter 3:8).

Notice some of the words, used to describe our relations with our brothers and sisters-compassion, tenderheartedness, courtesy, and loving as brothers. That last one says a lot because it isn't the word for love, agape, used in the first passage. This is an entirely different word, philadelphia. This word is more than just sacrificing, but "more nearly represents 'tender affection'...cherishing the object [the person being loved] above all else...manifesting an affection" (Vine 382). In fact, all four of the terms mentioned above are about close connections between brothers and sisters.

In other words, we are talking about actively doing something to build relationships with those brothers and sisters around us, even the ones with whom we disagree or do not get along. Sometimes, when we have these people, we feel it best to avoid them or not speak to them, etc. We ask, however, is it really the best thing to do? According to Peter, with all our brethren, we should desire to develop a warm, tender affection, allowing relationships to grow.

Notice that he didn't say that we always have to agree, or that we couldn't differ in some things. Remember from a few weeks ago, Christianity provides us the opportunity to look past those differences, and focus on what is important-the fact that we are brothers and sisters. That fact alone, that we are all washed in the blood, should provide enough motivation to do our best to build solid, warm relations with our brethren. To be settled on the fact that "we don't and never will get along" is simply not a Christian attitude. Let us learn not only to love (agape) our brethren, but also to love (philadelphia) our brethren, building lasting, strong, life-changing relationships with all of God's children, whether we get along with them now or not.

-Adam B.