Post 75 of Study: Hebrews 13:1

Let brotherly love continue. I looked this up in the Interlinear Greek New Testament, which gives the literal original wording. (Sort of like how in Spanish they don’t say “My name is” but “I call myself,” an interesting cultural difference.)

It’s “The fond brotherness let be remaining.” Now, this seems like a simple little verse, a throw-in to remind them to get along, but no, it’s not that simple. NIV has it “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.”  New American Standard, “Let love of the brethren continue.” (more abstract than the others, I think).

First, it presupposed love and affection (fondness) already exist. The writer must know it does, at some level. Second, it is phrased passively in the original (NIV puts it actively). I see that as “love of the brother is a built-in response to being a Spirit-filled Christian; don’t get in the way of that; let it continue; don’t let anything keep you from what that designed action of love should be.” 

Because we do let “things” get in the way. I know I do. Judgments, mostly, of my fellow Christians’ behaviors. They shouldn’t have done that; they aren’t worth my time because of their actions; they aren’t listening to me; I tried to help and they just didn’t care, or rejected it, or were unthankful. Or apathy because my own “stuff” is more important. 

This doesn’t say “solve each others’ problems,” though, or “pay each others’ bills”, or “become codependent with them because of their irresponsibility.” Love, affection, brotherly fondness, doesn’t mean rescuing every one you know who makes bad decisions. But it does mean something, and we’re probably missing it.