Let Brotherly Love Continue

“Let brotherly love continue” Hebrew 13:1

Several weeks ago I preached a message entitled “If you want to change the World – Continue”. Brotherly love must continue!

It seems as if the early church started with intensive love one for another.  They had all things in common, and sold all their earthly possessions to insure that everyone’s daily needs were met. Scripture bears this out, “there was not a needy person among them…”. (Acts 4:34)  The love that existed among the early believers was a special kind of love that binds sister and brothers together in a familial clan, a bond not easily broken.  A brotherly love that knows deep affection and binds them together in an unbreakable union.  It nurtures that family bond.

The english words translated “brotherly love” comes from Greek words “brother” (adelphos) which means from the same womb, and the word “love” is (phileo) which means deep-seated affection and care, deep and warm feelings within the heart.

How can people possibly love one another like this when they are not true blood brothers and sisters? Here is how, we have been born again by the Spirit 

into the same family.  When we received the Holy Spirit, a new spirit, our hearts and minds are melded together into the family of God.  Our heavenly father is Love – so his family will be known by…..Love! (John 13:5)

The book of Hebrews is written between A.D. 60 – 70, several decades have now passed since the start of the church and the brotherly love had begun to wain.  The love of those earlier years was cooling off.  Some of the early christians had backslidden and slipped away(Heb 10:25), and false teaching had seeped in and pulled away others(Heb 13:9).  So the exhortation was “let brotherly love continue”!

That word is for us today!

John writes extensively about love in his letters to the church. He writes, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”(1 John 3:18)   Our love has to be more than just words and intentions, but rather let it be actions and deeds.  

New Life Napa is a Church of brotherly love – May it Continue…

Pastor Bledsoe