How to Treat Your Brother (Part 1)

A believer puts the other members of the family first.

February 10, 2020

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."

Romans 12:10

Part 1

How should we believers treat the family of God?

“Be kindly affectioned one to another.”
These words “kindly affectioned”[1] help us to understand the term “brotherly love,” coming next in this verse.  Here’s how one preacher defined “kindly affectioned,”

“…the natural love of kindred, of people and king (the relation being regarded as founded in nature)… The word here represents Christians as bound by a family tie”[2] (Vincent).

This is speaking to how we treat each other as believers.  Those who are in the “family of God” we are to show “natural affection” towards.  We have a common concern for our family, and we care for each other.

“With brotherly love.”
“Brotherly love,” in ancient texts, means “brothers, kin by blood.”[3]  In the New Testament, it is used about believers who are united because of their love for Jesus Christ.  “Brothers” are those who are “from the same womb.”  And we who are “born again” fit that description, born as brothers and sisters in Christ, into His family.  Our love for the brethren should come naturally to us as His children.

“But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9).

Our love toward our family in God should never end but keep on serving the body.

“Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).

This enduring love should be a genuine, growing, stretching, intense love for each other.

“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” (1 Peter 1:22).[4]

The last part of our verse calls for us to show “honor preferring one another.”  What does this mean, and how can I do it?  Come back tomorrow as we look further into our duties as believers.

 

 

 

[1] “Kindly affectioned” is from a Greek compound word, phileo, “brotherly love,” and storgos, “natural affection.”  This is the only time it is used in the New Testament.
[2] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.  See what Robinson says in 1 Thessalonians 4:9 when speaking of “brotherly love.”
[4] The word “fervently” here in 1 Peter 1:22, is from a Greek compound word that means an “intense strain, feeling on the rack.”  This love is working hard for God’s children.