BROTHERLY LOVE
Friday – July 27, 2018, Av 15, 5778
Greetings my brothers and sisters and welcome back to this faith building, if you choose to build your faith, Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. As you are well aware we are drawing near the end of this wonderful Book of Hebrews. I do not know yet which Book the Lord might have me teach from next but He will make that clear to me I am sure in the next few days. Now let’s turn our attention to our primary text taken from the thirteenth (thirteen has to do with rebellion and depravity) chapter of Hebrews and let’s read aloud.
Hebrews 13:1-5 (KJV)
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
From the Greek language several words with somewhat different meanings are translated to English as love. In this case the English modifier ‘brotherly’ helps us know the kind of love. The Greek word is transliterated to English as philadelphia according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary meaning brotherly love. Brotherly love is what some might call friendship with or an affection for another person. It is not Godly love which is agape nor is it a sexual love, erotica. In addition, all of these is different than the love one has for their children. In English we use the one word ‘love’ whether we are talking about ice cream or God. It seems that as we study this we are being told to not only love our fellow Christian as God loves them but to also have an affection for them as fellow believers. Let’s look at a couple of passages as we establish a firm foundation upon which to walk with one another.
1 Peter 1:21-23 (KJV)
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 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:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
In verse twenty-two above we find the English word “love” twice however in the Greek the first is philadelphia and the second is agape. We have all seen fake love, you can feel it a mile off however there are times the enemy (spiritual, demonic) uses people with great deception to feign love (brotherly) toward us with a hidden agenda. That is strictly forbidden! So, we are to develop a true affection for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I know that you and I both know that this is not as easy as it might appear on the surface. This will only happen on purpose and with the exercise of faith. There are some folks that when you first meet them you just plain don’t like them. The second use of the English word “love” is agape, God’s love, or Godly love. We are told that we are to have this love from a “pure heart” and it is to be earnest. Wow, what a tall order. I am quite sure we can all think of perhaps several people that we just do not want to do this with. The Apostle Peter by the Anointing of God tells us plainly that we are all of the same body born of the same incorruptible seed which is the Word of God and this obligation is not negotiable. We have an obligation of philadelphia and agape toward our fellow Christians. I think about now we are all crying out fervently for God’s help. Remember, decree the thing, thank Him for it, the light will shine upon our path, and we can then walk it out. As I close for today let’s take a look at the following similar passage.
Romans 12:9-10 (KJV)
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
In verse nine above we are told to have Godly (agape) love without any disguise or faking it. Faking Godly love towards the brethren is evil. We are to eschew the evil and adhere to the good which is to love as God loves without any dishonesty. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians at Rome then goes on to tell them and us to be kindly affectionate, honoring and preferring one another with brotherly love. Brother and sister, I don’t know about you but this is a tall order, however, it is the Word of God and if we want victory in our lives we must get about doing it exactly as commanded.
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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