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come in this matter. Peter also speaks of a pure heart. Again, this is a challenging matter. Our love is not to be what is called in the world “cupboard love”. It is not something we show in order to get something for ourselves. Lastly Peter says: “full of brotherly love” (1 Peter 3:8). It is not a question of having some brotherly love, but being full of it. Again, I am sure we would have to admit we all come short. Who of us can say we are full of brotherly love? It should be noted that what Peter says is of the Spirit of God; the natural mind of man does not give voice to such sentiments that Peter and the other apostles do.

Lastly, one would refer to what Paul says in Colossians 1:4 where he speaks of “your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which ye have towards all the saints”. Our relationship to Christ comes first, but this manifests itself in our relations with our brethren. Note all the saints; not just some of them. We are not just to love a coterie.

Today we often find there are break-ups in the church which are due to the lack of brotherly love. The lack of brotherly love must itself be due to defect in our relations with Christ. The writer to the extent he knows himself realises his own great weakness in this area. The Philippians were in every way commendable, but for a difference between two sisters (Philippians 4:2). Such a matter if not remedied could develop as it says in Hebrews “watching lest [there be] any one who lacks the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and many be defiled by it” (Hebrews 12:15)

If an assembly (church) is to function love must be there to oil the works; hence 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) comes where it does.

The assembly at Philadelphia (the word means brotherly love) is one of only two assemblies commended in Revelation (the other is Smyrna). See Revelation 3: 7-12. Maybe we should learn something from this.

September 2005