Sermonette: Be Kindly Affectionate

Love Toward the Brethren
#626s
Martin G. Collins
Given 16-Aug-03; 12 minutes

I was telling the people in Trinidad when I stood up to speak to them, when I looked out into the audience, what I saw was family. I saw children, and I saw fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. And when we go to the Feast that is what we see all together. We see family. And it is a wonderful thing that God has provided for us so that we can learn more about His Family as well.

We see throughout almost 2,000 years of church of God history a special people—the people of God who are scattered throughout the world. And in reference to these special people, the apostle Paul says in

Galatians 3:26-28 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are all one family. We are one in Christ, unified in Spirit, marked by Christ's love produced in us.

In examining the principles governing Christian conduct, we find that love is of primary importance. However, if it is not sincere, it is not real love. These are things that we are very familiar with. We know this. Love is pretense if it is not genuine, and if it is not sincere.

Remember that Paul paused in his summary of spiritual gifts in I Corinthians to infuse a chapter on love. It is I Corinthians 13. He also did this in Romans 12 following his synopsis of spiritual gifts there as well.

Turn to Romans 12, verse 10. The apostle Paul called for God's church to love, but in case this is construed simply as an ideal, he put it into living context in Romans 12:10. This section of Romans 12 presupposes that we have a dedicated life that enables us to discover and demonstrate the will of God. We know that God is love, and the will of God is that we show love toward one another.

In verses 9-13, our relationship with fellow Christians is described first. And then in verses 14 to 21, our proper interaction with those who are outside the church is mentioned.

Now love should be displayed to others as a way of life, not just spoken of in an eloquent way as we so often hear from the Christian churches of this world. Paul describes the outward expression of love that brethren must have toward one another:

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

So, he simplified the act of love that we should have toward one another.

The Greek word, philostorgos that Paul uses here, is translated kindly affectionate in the New King James. It is translated kindly affectioned in the King James, and devoted in the NIV. It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words says that philostorgos expresses tenderly loving.

Now it is the Greek word for “family love,” indicating tender affection such as the type that exists between parents and children. And it means that true Christians should have similar feelings toward each other since we belong to the same Family, and are united in the same spiritual principles, in the same biblical laws, and in the same godly interests and goals.

We know that we have a duty to be family affectionate with one another, because we are spiritual brothers and sisters, because we are members of one Family begotten [born] into the Family of God.

When we baptize someone, we express to them that they are baptized into the Family of God, and not into any physical organization. We are not isolated units. We are spiritual siblings because we have one spiritual Father.

Everyone is familiar with how brothers and sisters in a human family argue and clash, and this occasionally occurs in the congregations of God as well. Paul takes the opportunity here to raise the level of being kindly affectionate to esteeming others better than themselves. And by doing what Paul admonishes here, these arguments and clashes that we have within the congregations dissipate.

Now here at the end of Romans 12:10, Paul says: “in honor giving preference to one another.”

This honor is in the form of respecting, cherishing, and appreciating our brethren; not in seeking honor ourselves or striving after respect. A part of our responsibility in manifesting kindly affection requires that we give to each other priority and honor. It is not easy to give each other priority and honor when pride or hurt feelings are occurring within the congregation. But the mark of a true Christian has always been humility. Humility will erase selfish human tendencies in human relationships.

So this priority and honor involves an intimate relationship and is reserved for those of our family. Priority and honor should be directed to God first, and then our families, and then to our brethren, and then to brethren in other congregations.

Turn with me to I Peter. Honor means to place value upon, and we understand the meaning of the word honor more clearly when we see in Scripture how Peter uses the same word to refer to the way that a husband treats his wife or should treat his wife.

I Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife.

Here we see the same Greek word for honor as is used in Romans 12:10 where Paul says, “In honor giving preference to one another.” So, husbands must place value upon their wives. And also, brethren must place value upon each other.

But the same Greek word for honor is translated as “precious,” referring to Jesus Christ in I Peter 2.

I Peter 2:4-5 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

So we are precious. And then verse 6:

I Peter 2:6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious [same Greek word], and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

We see there that same word that is used for honor is also translated precious, referring to both Jesus Christ, and we as the elect Christians.

To honor: to accord recognition; to show appreciation; to greatly value. This is not based on a person's physical attractiveness, or on a person's perceived usefulness in the congregation, but rather on the fact that we, members of God's church, or rather God's Family, have the affection of Jesus Christ in us.

The apostle Paul spoke of the affection of Christ when he referred to his affection for the brethren in Philippi.

Philippians 1:8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

The King James has, “in the bowels of Jesus Christ,” but the Greek word literally means the area of the heart, lungs, and liver, not the intestines. And so, the New King James translates it, “the affection of Jesus Christ,” referring to the feelings of love and tenderness that are believed to swell up from the inward parts of the human body. Paul's affection had a divine origin. In fact, it was actually the indwelling Christ who loves through Him and through us.

So, the illusion here is to the compassion and of the kindness and love of Christ—Paul said he regarded the brethren with the same affection that Jesus had for them. Paul's affection was the affection of Christ in a similar way that we have the mind of Christ dwelling within us.

Please turn over to Philippians. Paul admonishes the Philippian brethren to be like-minded and humble in conformity to the example of Jesus Christ, the great pattern of unity, of humility, and love. There is an affectionate bond by which we are united with Christ. There is a common spirit that facilitates this unity to Christ and to the other brethren.

Philippians 2:1-8 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

So Philippians 2:1-8 is a description of being kindly affectionate to one another, and notice, it requires humility. Paul says, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” This is how we are kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor, giving preference to one another by being unified and humble, emulating the affection of Jesus Christ.

So we emulate the value God has placed upon us when we value others by being kindly affectionate to one another.

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