T h e r e a d e r s have been exhorted, first of all, to purity. They now are exhorted to love. Having been warned against the cardinal vice of the heathen world, they are urged to in crease in the fundamental virtue of the Christian life. This virtue is to be shown in a life of peaceful industry. On this subject of love, however, it is hardly necessary for the apostle to speak: “Concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you.” “It is almost taught of God.” This not only means that they have received divine instruction or a divine command but also intimates that, as those who have been born of God and have His Spirit in their hearts, they have learned the great lesson of unfailing love. Ryrie, “Christianity should always be distinguished by purity and love. This latter is the next thing in which Paul asks the Thessalonians to abound.” A. The reaches of love. Paul speaks in these verses not of love in general but of brotherly love (Philadelphia). This means the love that particularly binds together the children of one fath er. Love is the seeking of the highest good in the one loved, and the highest good is the glory or manifestation of God. Therefore, brotherly love is that special desire to seek the glory of God in the lives of other members of the household of faith. This is something which Paul says he need not write about for God Himself teaches it. The reference is not to some external reve lation from God but to the work of God in the believer’s heart teaching him to love. It is strikingly related to
the reference to the Holy Spirit in the preceding verse (see also Rom. 5:5). B. The periphery of love. This kind of love is to extend to all the brethren (v. 10). The extent of love should be limited only by the opportunities af forded to express it. C. The expression of love. Paul probably has in the back of his mind here the way the Thessalonians ex pressed their love for their brethren by providing hospitality. This is one of the principal.means of showing love (cf. Rom. 12:13; I Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8; Heb. 13:1-2; I Peter 4:9). And since Thessalonica was the commercial cen ter of Macedonia, the believers there had undoubtedly many occasions to play host to Christians from other places. D. The thrust of love. Paul urges the increase of such love, for in broth erly love there is always room for growth. In the second place, they need little in the way of exhortation because they already are doing what they have been divinely taught: “For indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia.” All their fellow believers throughout the whole province in which they live have been the objects of their affectionate regard or recipients of their loving help. “Brotherly love” is Philadelphia, composed of phileo, “to love,” “to be friendly to one,” “to delight in one,” “a love prompted by sense and emo tion,” and adelphos, “from the same womb,” “a brother,” in the New Testa ment meaning, “a fellow believer.” The 22
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