Berean Studies: Ber06 - Brotherly Kindness (Brotherly Love)

Berean Studies / Ber06 - Brotherly Kindness (Brotherly Love)

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Single Click a triangle below to see the references CT Russell selected for the associated question. The study questions (with the references) are also included as an attached Adobe PDF file at the bottom of this page.

1. What is the ‘new commandment’ given by Christ to his disciples?

2. What is brotherly love?

3. Who are our ‘brethren’?

4. Why is the manifestation of brotherly kindness so necessary ?

5. Is it important that we observe the spirit as well as the form of our Lord's command?

6. Why do the Lord’s ‘brethren’ need no ‘outward passwords, grips or badges’?

7. How is our love for God measured by our love for ‘the brethren’?

8. Can we fellowship all ‘the brethren’ alike?

9. Should we always expect to have our manifestations of brotherly kindness received in the same spirit?

10. How are the comfort and peace of the Church dependent upon the manifestation of this grace?
R3436 col. 2 ś4

R3436 [col. 2 ś4]:
Finally, we notice that the Apostle implies, in some of his statements, that the comfort and peace of the Church are dependent largely upon unity of the Spirit of the Lord in the various members: and that we from experience should note that this is the case. He says, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." (2 Cor. 13:11.) And again (Phil. 2:1,2), "If there be any consolation [comfort] in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." What exhortations these are to unity, peace, brotherly kindness! How they suggest to us patience, forbearance, gentleness, helpfulness and comfort one toward another in the Church; that thus the Spirit of the Lord may abound in all, that each may make the greatest possible progress in the right way. Dear brethren and sisters, let us more and more be worthy of the name Barnabas--Comforter of the brethren. Let us have the holy Spirit abounding in us more and more, for this is the Lord's good pleasure; that with it dwelling in us richly we may be all sons and daughters of comfort in Zion, representatives of our Father, and channels of the holy Spirit, as well as of the Truth.

11. How should brotherly love exercise itself in seeking opportunities for service?

12. How should brotherly love manifest itself ‘in honor preferring one another’?

13. How should we ‘consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works’?
Heb 10:24; F308 ś1, 2; R3536 col. 2 ś4

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

F308 [ś1, 2]:
What a loving and beautiful thought is here expressed! While others consider their fellows to fault-find or discourage, or selfishly to take advantage of their weaknesses, the New Creation is to do the reverse--to study carefully each other's dispositions with a view to avoiding the saying or doing of things which would unnecessarily wound, stir up anger, etc., but with a view to provoking them to love and good conduct. And why not? Is not the whole attitude of the world, the flesh and the devil provocative of envy, selfishness, jealousy, and full of evil enticement to sin, of thought, word and deed? Why, then, should not the New Creatures of the Christ body not only abstain from such provocations toward themselves and others, but engage in provoking or inciting in the reverse direction-- toward love and good works? Surely this, like every admonition and exhortation of God's Word, is reasonable as well as profitable.

R3536 [col. 2, ś4]:
"Let us consider one another," said the Apostle-- consider one another's weaknesses, consider one another's trials, consider one another's temptations, consider one another's efforts to war a good warfare against the world, the flesh and the Adversary--consider one another's troubles in the narrow way against opposition from within and without, and as we do so it will bring to our hearts sympathy, a sympathy which will take pleasure in pouring out the spikenard perfume, very costly, purest and best, upon all who are fellow-members of the one body.

14. How will brotherly love exercise itself in ‘laying down our lives for the brethren’?

15. How should we manifest brotherly kindness toward the weaker brethren?

16. How will brotherly love sympathize with the more demonstrative brethren?

17. How should brotherly kindness deal with the self-seeking ?

18. How will brotherly kindness deal with brethren who lack self- control?

19. How should brotherly kindness seek to avoid ‘busy- bodying’?

20. How should brotherly love control the tongue?

21. How should brotherly love treat a slanderous report against an elder or other brethren?

22. How should the Church exercise brotherly kindness toward those who ‘walk disorderly’?

23. How should the elders exercise brotherly love in reproving the ‘unruly’?

24. How may we avoid judging one another as individuals ?

25. How should brotherly kindness be exercised toward brethren who have doctrinal ‘hobbies’?

26. What is the relation between brotherly kindness and ‘the unity of the faith’?

27. How should brotherly kindness deal with serious offenders in the Church?
F302; F417 ś2 and 418

F302 [ś1]:
While considering this phase of the subject, we might pause a moment to inquire the extent to which the Church, directly or indirectly, or through its elders, is to exercise this duty of admonishing the disorderly, and of eventually excluding them from the assembly. It is not within the power of the Church to exclude permanently. The brother who, having offended either a brother member or the whole Church body, returns again and says, "I repent of my wrong course, and promise my best endeavors to do right in the future," or the equivalent of this, is to be forgiven-- fully, freely--as heartily as we hope the Lord will forgive the trespasses of all. No one but the Lord has the power or authority to cut off any individual everlastingly--the power to sever a branch from the Vine. We are informed that there is a sin unto death, for which it is useless to pray (1 John 5:16); and we are to expect that such a wilful sin as would thus bring the penalty of the Second Death would be so open, so flagrant, as to be readily discerned by those who are in fellowship with the Lord. We are not to judge of any by what is in their hearts, for we cannot read their hearts; but if they commit wilful sin unto death it will surely become manifest outwardly--by their lips, if they are doctrinal transgressions, denying the precious blood of atonement; or by their immoralities, if they have turned to walk after the flesh, "like the sow that is washed, to her wallowing in the mire." It is respecting such as these, referred to in Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-31, that the Apostle warns us to have no dealings whatever--not to eat with them, not to receive them into our houses, and not to bid them Godspeed (2 John 9-11); because those who would affiliate with them or bid them Godspeed would be accounted as taking their places as enemies of God, and as partaking of the evil deeds or evil doctrines, as the case might be.

F417 [ś2] through F418-- Offenses Against the Church
We have considered the procedure proper in judging offenses against the individual; but in the case of the fornicator mentioned by the Apostle, and in other supposable cases, the offense might be against no particular member of the Ecclesia; but against the whole--against the cause we unitedly represent. What then should be the mode of procedure?
It might be the same as in the individual grievance, if the sin were not public property. But if the matter were publicly known, it would be the duty of the elders to cite the offender before the Church for trial, without the preliminary private visits; because the publicity had taken it beyond any private settlement. Likewise, if it were a case of slander against the elders or any of them, the hearing should be by the Church and not privately; because the slanderers, if they conscientiously thought they had a good cause, yet had neglected the Lord's rule ("Go to him alone," and afterward "Take with thee two or three others") and had spread scandalous and defamatory tales, had thereby carried the matter beyond the power of individual rectification and made it a matter for the Church.
In such cases it would be proper for the slandered Elder to call together the Board of Elders as representatives of the Church, and to deny the calumnies and ask that the slanderers be indicted to answer charges of slander and false-witnessing before the Church; because their offense was toward the Church (1) in that it was contrary to the rules laid down by the Head of the Church and contrary to decency and good morals; and (2) because the slander being against an Elder chosen by the Church was thus a slander against the entire Church selecting him. The slanderers should be condemned and rebuked and required to acknowledge their error; but after doing this they would have a right to proceed against the Elder supposed to be in error, just as they should have done at first.

28. By what rules are ‘false brethren’ to be judged?

29. What should be our attitude toward ‘siftings’ among the brethren?

30. What should be the attitude of all ‘true sacrificers’ toward each other and toward those who have left ‘the Holy’?

31. How does brotherly kindness apply ‘the Golden Rule’?

32. How should brotherly love exercise itself toward the special servants of the Church?

33. How should we exercise brotherly love toward our brethren still ‘in Babylon’?

34. How should brotherly kindness consider ‘social obligations’?

35. What course will brotherly love dictate in the matter of ‘borrowing and lending’?

36. How should brotherly love regard visiting, ‘borrowing a neighbor’s time ‘?

37. What is the relation between brotherly love and communism?

38. Do those who have reached ‘the mark’ still have trials along the line of brotherly love?

39. Why is brotherly love ‘one of the final and most searching tests ‘ of the brethren and how may we prepare to meet it?

40. What should be ‘the main- spring back of brotherly kindness’?

41. What does the illustration of ‘the third- quarter mark’ signify?

42. Why is it important that we manifest brotherly love now ?

43. How may we become members of ‘the Mary class’?

44. How did Jesus show us a grand example of brotherly love and sympathy?

45. How can we fulfill Jesus’ command to ‘wash one another’s feet’?

46. How jealously should we guard and increase this grace of brotherly kindness?

47. How may we cultivate brotherly love?

48. What additional thoughts are found in Topical Index of ‘Heavenly Manna, ‘ under ‘Love One Another‘?