"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
“But as touching brotherly love.”
Our Love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is one of the “tests” for salvation (1 John 3:14). It is such an important but basic topic, that believer’s need to be reminded of. This word “brotherly love” [philidelphia] in the ancient language is interesting. In ancient Greek writing, and even in the Greek Old Testament (LXX 1), this word is used of blood-related kin. In the New Testament it is used of the love brothers and sisters have who are related in Christ, “it is the kinship in the love of Christ,”2 (Robertson).
“Ye need not that I write unto you:”
The Thessalonian Christians were told by Paul that he didn’t need to teach them how to love each other. It was such basic information that they already knew what God expected of them, and they were already loving each other as God had instructed them.
“But now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you,” (1 Thessalonians 3:6).
“Their charity; they loved one another, and lived in unity and harmony,”3 (Clarke)
“For ye, yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
There are some lessons that the Holy Spirit teaches the believer that are best learned from Him.
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me,” (John 6:45).
“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him,” (1 John 2:27).
There is no more excellent example of how to love others than that of Jesus Christ.
“Only those taught of God keep on loving one another, love neighbours [sic] and even enemies as Jesus taught (Matthew 5:44),”4 (Robertson).
Paul knew that we have short memories sometimes and so he reminds us of our love for each other. Believers let’s be great examples of Jesus’ love so that others will see His love in us, and it may draw them to Him.
1. The Septuagint (LXX) is the Old Testament translated from Hebrew to Greek for the Hellenist Jews during and after the time of Alexander the Great. Since Alexander demanded all his captives speak Greek, in time many Hebrews lost their language and in the third and second centuries BC the OT was translated so the Greek-speaking Hebrews could read the OT.
2. A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
3. Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
4. Robertson, ibid.