1 Thessalonians 4:9,10 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
BROTHERLY LOVE
Two things in particular marked off the Christians of New testament days from contemporary society: the purity of their lives and the love that they practiced so fully. Brotherly love (Philadelphia) is not the same as agape of God. It is to be exercised by the Christians towards all the people. But in the above verse it says he should also exercise a special brotherly love to those united with him in the household of faith.
Paul assures his friends that there is no need for him to exhort the command love others as it is already been taught by God. theodidaktoi in Greek means to love one another. Jn 6:45.
In verse 10 many he mentions ; it is one thing to know what to do and quite another to do it. The Thessalonians constantly practiced brotherly love; the present tense in the verse “you do love “has the full force of continuous action. ” you habitually do”.
Finally Paul tells here “to do more and more” . Paul comes back repeatedly to the thought of abounding love. The primary meaning here is that of abounding love.
Following the word to abound in love for one another, Paul exhorts his readers to humble themselves. That is the way love acts.
Prayer
Dear loving heavenly Father, thank you for teaching us not simply to take heart, but to actively encourage each other with brotherly love. Help to continuously love one another in Christ and be a church united stronghold in the Army of Jesus.. Amen
Sol. Celin Portia