____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ August 24, 2008 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Brotherly Kindness (2 Peter 1:7a) (Mark Copeland) 2) Making Your Own Orange Juice (Steve Klein) ____________________________________________________ -1- Brotherly Kindness (2 Peter 1:7a) by Mark Copeland It is evident from previous articles in this series that growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ involves a spiritual construction project. By adding to our faith such graces as virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness, we are slowly becoming more like our Lord. This is in keeping with God's predetermined plan that we be conformed to the image of His Son (cf. Ro 8:29). Equally important to spiritual growth is the development of brotherly kindness. Together with love, it adds a focus to our spiritual maturity that is outward (and not just inward and upward), for it affects how we act toward other people. The Definition of Brotherly Kindness The Greek word for brotherly kindness is transliterated "philadelphia," a compound involving two words: "phileo" (love) and "adelphos" (brother). It literally means "the love of brothers." As used in the New Testament, "philadelphia" describes the love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren (Thayer). Romans 12:10 reveals that it is through brotherly kindness that we can have "kind affection" toward one another. It is brotherly kindness, therefore, that provides a true sense of family in our association as members of the Lord's body. The Demand of Brotherly Kindness Without sincere love for brethren, the apostle John wrote that any claim to love God or even to know God is impossible (1 Jn 4:7-8,20-21). If we truly desire to grow in our knowledge and love of God (including our knowledge of Jesus Christ, the focus of this series), then it is essential that we develop brotherly kindness. Jesus also made love for brethren an identifying mark by which the world can know we are His disciples (Jn 13:34-35). Right doctrine is certainly important (2 Jn 9), but the world pays little attention to what they may perceive as minor doctrinal differences. What people do notice is love in a world filled with hate, especially when such love is observed among individuals who come from various social, economic, and racial backgrounds. Any attempt to proclaim New Testament Christianity, therefore, will fail to appeal to those in the world unless it is accompanied by a visible demonstration of true brotherly kindness among Christians. Unity among brethren is also very important as indicated in the prayer of Jesus (Jn 17:20-23). The unity made possible through the cross of Christ is maintained as we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ep 4:3). Crucial to that endeavor is "bearing with one another in love" (Ep 4:2). There will be times when brethren sin against one another, but where brotherly kindness prevails there will also be forbearance and forgiveness. This provides time for repentance and reconciliation necessary to remain united. Unless we develop brotherly kindness, churches will be prone to split at the earliest indication of conflict. The Development of Brotherly Kindness As implied in our text, brotherly kindness is a virtue that must be developed. Fortunately, we have assistance from God Himself. When we first obey the gospel, our souls are purified so that sincere and fervent love of the brethren is now possible (1 Peter 1:22-23). We are then taught how to love one another by God Himself (1 Th 4:9-10). The Father teaches us the meaning of love by the manner in which He offered His Son as the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn 4:9-10). The Son also demonstrated true love by freely offering His life for us (1 Jn 3:16). The more we reflect upon the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the more we are able to understand the true meaning of brotherly kindness. As Jesus said, "as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (Jn 13:34). I find two other things are helpful to developing brotherly kindness. First, spend time with your brethren. The more I am around people, the more I come to know them personally, the more I share experiences (both good and bad), the easier I find it to "fall in love" with them. It is not much different than with one's own physical family. I had no choice who my three physical brothers would be. But as we experience life together our love and appreciation for one another deepens. I find it to be the same with my brethren in Christ. The second thing is to pray fervently for your brethren, especially those with whom you may have a personality clash. It is hard to remain angry or maintain a strong dislike for someone when you spend time praying for them. As you pray seeking God's love and forgiveness for yourself, it becomes so much easier to love and forgive others. The Display of Brotherly Kindness In our relationship as brethren in Christ, brotherly kindness will manifest itself in various ways. A brother who is strong will be considerate of his brother who may be weak (Ro 15:1). Where a brother may have liberty in Christ, he is willing to limit that freedom if it is beneficial to the spiritual well-being of his weak brother (1 Co 8:13; Ga 5:13). It is also brotherly kindness that will lead one to be cautious about judging a brother or what they say about them (Ja 4:11-12). Brotherly kindness will also lead Christians to truly care for one another, to warn the unruly, to comfort the faint-hearted, to uphold the weak, to be patient with all (1 Th 5:14). Yes, it is brotherly kindness that will prompt us to pursue the things that make for peace and the things by which we may edify one another (Ro 14:19). As we give thought to what it means to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, what it means to grow spiritually, may we appreciate the importance of developing that Christ-like spirit of love for the brethren! "Let brotherly love continue" (He 13:1). -- Via The Expository Files, November 2000 ____________________________________________________ -2- Making Your Own Orange Juice by Steve Klein Leroy Eims writes the following about driving with his family from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, Florida: "As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When we stopped for breakfast, I ordered orange juice with my eggs. 'I'm sorry,' the waitress said. 'I can't bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken.' At first I was dumbfounded. We were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen -- orange slices garnished our plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it. Christians are sometimes like that. They may be surrounded by Bibles in their homes, but if something should happen to the Sunday morning preaching service, they would have no nourishment for their souls. The problem is not a lack of spiritual food -- but that many Christians haven't grown enough to know how to get it for themselves." Keeping your Bible study skills in good working order is indeed a lot like maintaining the ability to squeeze oranges to make your own juice. If you don't use the skill, you'll lose the skill, and you may forget that you ever even had it (cf. Hebrews 5:12-14). Here's what studying the Bible for yourself has in common with making your own hand-squeezed orange juice: * You are sure of the source. When you are brought a glass of orange juice at a restaurant, you have no idea where it came from or what kind of oranges were used to make it. Even so, when you merely read or hear what someone says about the Bible, how can you be certain that God is the source? But when you read the words of an inspired apostle or prophet for yourself, you know that you are getting divine truth direct from the source. In Ephesians 3:3-4, the apostle Paul points out that the Scriptures he wrote came by "revelation" from God; he promises that "when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." In 1 Corinthians 14:37 Paul declared, "The things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord." * You know its purity. A lot of orange juice that you buy is actually made from concentrate. Water and other things are added to it. It's not really PURE orange juice. A lot of so-called "truth" that has been reconstituted by preachers isn't pure either; it has been mixed with human error. But God's word (like fresh squeezed OJ) is 100% pure. The Psalmist declares, "Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it" (Psalm 119:140). Proverbs 30:5 states, "Every word of God is pure." We are to desire God's word in its pure and unadulterated form (see 1 Peter 2:2). * You can take your time and enjoy the product with confidence. Like enjoying a glass of fresh squeezed juice to the last drop, when we study for ourselves, and know that we've got God's pure word, we can savor it thoroughly -- like the Psalmist who said, "I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes" (Psalms 119: 47-48). * It takes work. Squeezing oranges by hand is a lot of hard work; so is studying your Bible for yourself. In all reality, that is why a lot of people do neither. It's too much work. But if we want juice and truth that are from the right source, 100% pure, and can be enjoyed with confidence, we'll put forth the effort. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). My hope is that none of us will forget how to squeeze oranges or study God's word for ourselves! -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, August 3, 2008 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________