Brotherly Love (2)

Please take your Bible and turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 as we consider what Paul had to say about brotherly love.

On the night of His betrayal Christ emphasized the importance of sacrificial love being expressed among and between His followers. Christ’s followers are to love each other in the same way that Christ loved them. This will produce both a loving faith community, and a powerful witness to the world of unbelievers.

Sadly, however, it seems to be a rare thing in which this type of love is found. Often within local churches there is more fighting and back-biting found than expressions of love. (I’m grateful that I have not found that to be the case for this local assembly).

As is typical of Paul’s epistles, and this was one of the earliest of his epistles, he begins by dealing with doctrinal truths, and then he shifts to a focus on Christian ethics — living out the doctrines that have been taught. Many get the idea that when Timothy brought Paul a report about the spiritual welfare of the Thessalonian church, that he also brought questions with which the church was struggling. And it seems that Paul is addressing specific questions in this ethical portion of this epistle. The questions addressed in this chapter seem to be regarding:

Sexual Fidelity

Brother Love

What Happens When Believers Die

Last week we looked at sexual fidelity, this week we’ll look at brotherly love, and next week we hope to look at what happens when believers die.

Furthermore, there seems to have been an issue of misunderstanding regarding the imminent return of Christ. It appears from various comments in both this epistle and from 2 Thessalonians that in light of the teaching about the return of Christ some folks had given up their earthly occupations and were passively waiting around for the coming of Christ. And their idleness appears to have created problems for others. Their idleness did not reflect the brotherly love which is supposed to be a part of the Christian life.

Because all believers in Jesus Christ have been adopted into the family of God, there is a God-given family-like bond that exists among them; this bond needs to be nurtured and evidenced in their daily practice, which, in turn leads to living a peaceable, diligent life and a provocative witness to those outside of Christ.

As we look at this passage we will consider the source, practice, expressions, and outcome of brotherly love.

Let’s read our passage together.

1 Thessalonians 4:9–12 NASB95PARA

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

Let’s look first at

The Source of Brotherly Love (vs. 9)

I imagine that in Timothy’s report he mentioned how the church was displaying acts of love, not only toward their own assembly but towards newly founded works of Christ in other Macedonian communities as well. We know that their faith had been broadcast throughout all of Greece, and beyond.

1 Thessalonians 1:7–8 NASB95PARA

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

And so, in our passage for today Paul shifts from the arena of lustful passions to the arena of the inherent love which exists among family members. Let’s look at verse 9.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 NASB95PARA

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

In this one verse we find the two most common terms for love that are used in the Greek NT.

Two Terms for Love:

philadelphia

agapao

The first term sounds like the name for a couple of cities, one in the U.S. and the other in Asia Minor: philadelphia.

Thayer Definition: philadelphia

1) love of brothers or sisters, brotherly love

2) in the NT the love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren

I remember hearing a preacher once state that this love is a “I scratch your back, and you scratch my back” kind of love. In other words, it was related to an act of love which required a return action. Many have presented this as a lower form of love than is agapaō, which is the second term for love which is used in this same verse. I think this is an over-simplification of the distinctions between the two terms.

This brings us to the second term for love used in this verse: agapaō.

Thayer Definition: agapaō

1) of persons

1a) to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

Regarding the distinction between the two terms for love, F. F. Bruce points out that φιλαδελφία is more restricted than ἀγάπη, which is to be extended “to all.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12 NASB95PARA

and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

About philadelphia, Paul states that you have no need for anyone to write to you. If we ended with that statement we might conclude that the reason no one needs to write to them about brotherly love is that Paul had already taught them about it when he founded the church. But as we continue on we read that the reason Paul didn’t need to write about it is that they had been taught by God to agapaō one another.

This begs the question: when did God teach them to love one another? Was it an OT teaching that is referred to? Was it the teaching of Jesus that is referred to?

Certainly the OT did teach the children of Israel to love one another.

Leviticus 19:18 NASB95PARA

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

And certainly Jesus did teach the same on many occasions, with a higher priority being on loving one another within the faith community.

John 13:34 NASB95PARA

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Just a few hours after Jesus spoke these words He demonstrated the love of God on the cross of Calvary. For He laid down His life for His friends. He died on the cross as a substitute for them as well as for all who by faith embrace Him as their Lord and Savior. And this is the example of the self-sacrificing love which believers are to show for one another.

Though both the OT writers, and Jesus had taught about love, what Paul has in view here probably refers back to the giving of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in verse 8.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 NASB95PARA

So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

To the Romans Paul referred to a connection between love and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5 NASB95PARA

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Though there is a form of sacrificial love which is common to all people, this particular love is exclusively found in those the Holy Spirit indwells. It is of Divine origin. Therefore it is taught of God.

Note that:

The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit teaches the believer to love their fellow believers in a Christ-like fashion.

Let’s look next at

The Practice of Brotherly Love (vs. 10)

Look at verse 10.

1 Thessalonians 4:10 NASB95PARA

for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,

This verse is so similar to the first of this chapter.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 NASB95PARA

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

Notice that in verse 10 we have both a commendation and an admonition.

Commended for Brotherly Love

Paul recognized them for their present actions which flow out of brotherly love. They did not receive a scathing rebuke for their lack of love such as the Corinthian church seems to have.

In writing to the church in Corinth some years later Paul rebuked them for many issues, and one them seems to be a lack of love. They were so focused on spiritual gifts, especially seeking to speak in tongues, that they neglected the weightier matter of love. Therefore, Paul wrote these immortalized words:

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NASB95PARA

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Unlike the Corinthians, the Thessalonians had love for one another.

But Paul didn’t want them to be content with their past and present actions of love. So, he

Admonished to Excel in Brotherly Love

Peter once asked Christ how many times he had to forgive his brother, up to seven times? And Jesus’s reply was to always forgive. In the same way, we can never say that we have loved enough. We are always to show love. There is to be no limit to our love for one another.

How can we excel in love?

The first requirement of brotherly love is a proper attitude.

It requires patience

It requires kindness

It requires rejoicing in others triumphs

It requires courtesy and respect

It requires endurance

The second requirement of brotherly love is active engagement.

1 John 3:18 NIV84

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

So far we’ve looked at the source and practice of brotherly love. Now let’s look at

The Expressions of Brotherly Love (vs. 11)

Look at verse 11.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 NASB95PARA

and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,

It should be noted that some translators and commentators believe that Paul begins a new thought in verse 11. The NIV reflects this by leaving out the conjunction “and.” But since the conjunction is in the Greek text there must be a connection with what was just written and what is about to come. Therefore, my view is that the things we are about to consider are expressions of brotherly love.

The first expression of brotherly love is to lead a quiet life.

There is an odd paradox to the Greek phrase translated: make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. J. B. Phillips translated it this way: “Make it your ambition to have no ambition.” Leon Morris proposed it this way: “Seek restlessly to be still.”

The next couple of expressions seem to be addressing the idleness of those who had given up their occupations to wait for the return of Christ.

The second expression of love relates to minding your own business.

Since certain folks had stopped working to passively wait for Christ’s return, they had nothing better to do with their time than to meddle in other’s affairs. Understand that there is a difference between helping to bear the burdens of another, and meddling in their affairs.

The third expression of love relates to manual work.

Paul had set an example about being diligent in manual work while he was ministering in Thessalonica. You will recall that he worked night and day as a tent maker so that he would not create a financial burden to this newly founded church.

It is interesting to note that while the Jewish community looked favorably upon manual work, the Greeks despised it. They bought slaves to do the manual work on their behalf. The knowledge of this leads many to think that they majority of the church in Thessalonica was made up of those who belonged to the slave class.

So far, we’ve looked at the source, practice, and expressions of brotherly love. Let’s turn our attention to

The Outcome of Brotherly Love (vs. 12)

Look at verse 12.

1 Thessalonians 4:12 NASB95PARA

so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

When believers lead a quiet life, mind their own business, and diligently work to provide for their families, they win the respect of outsiders.

Leon Morris wrote:

1 and 2 Thessalonians: An Introduction and Commentary d. Earning One’s Living (4:11–12)

In one sense the Christian must live without regard to the opinion of the world, for his standards are those of his Master, not those of the community in which he lives. But in another sense he must always have in mind the opinion of the world, for he must not bring discredit on the faith by being careless of appearances.

This morning we’ve looked at the source, practice, expressions, and outcome of brotherly love within the faith community. We see that this love is not limited to the local assembly but expanded to all who share the same faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

Because all believers in Jesus Christ have been adopted into the family of God, there is a God-given family-like bond that exists among them; this bond needs to be nurtured and evidenced in their daily practice, which, in turn leads to living a peaceable, diligent life and a provocative witness to those outside of Christ.

Let’s pray.

Father,

We bow before You this day, thanking You for adopting us into Your family. We acknowledge that though we have an inherent love which was poured out in our hearts from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, we often do not excel in this brotherly love. We commit ourselves this day, and from now on, to seek to love our brothers and sisters in Christ more and more. We desire that the world will notice this love and recognize it as a gift from You.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Closing Song: #429

They’ll Know we are Christians By Our Love