Brethren, that’s a word we don’t use much. It is used 542 times in the Bible and 229 of those are in the New Testament. The definition is “archaic plural form of a brother.” When we talk about a brother or sister we are usually talking about a blood relative, but in scripture, and in the church, it means those which we are in a spiritual family. Those who are part of God’s family. In Colossians 1:2 Paul talks about the brethren, but he gives them a distinction that is not used anywhere else in the Bible. He calls them “faithful brethren.”
Colossians 1:2 “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
So why does he call them “faithful brethren?” His first reason is in verse 4. He had heard of the love they had for each other. That is a distinguishing mark of a believer. In I John 3:14, John says it’s a mark that you have been saved, passed from the death sin brings, to the eternal life Christ brings. The way you show that is by loving the brethren. It also states that if you don’t love the brethren, you are abiding in death. In other words, you have never been converted! Our love for one another will cause us to cease the desire to get our own way. It will cause us to want to serve others, to have compassion for them. It will cause us to hold our tongue, and instead of voicing our opinion, or disapproval of another brethren, we will pray for them. Sometimes I wonder if God allows us to experience things from other Christians that irritate us, just to see how we will respond. Not so he will see it because he already knows, but so that it will expose to us what is really in our heart.
Colossians 1:4 “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,”
I John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
Real love does not seek its own way at the expense of someone else’s feelings. Real love seeks to live in harmony with others. Paul challenges the church at Philippi to be of one accord and of one mind. Their primary focus was to live, think, and treat one another like Christ would. They are to have the mind of Christ. How, by putting others first. They were to be humble and encourage one another in love.
Philippians 2:2-5 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
He continues in his reason for calling them faithful brethren in verses 5 and 6. The faith that they had in Christ had brought fruit. They were productive Christians from the day of their salvation. Because of the way they loved and treated one another, they were showing fourth true Christianity to a lost world.
Colossians 1:5-6 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:”
I believe this church was living out Galatians 5:22. They were truly loving one another, they were long-suffering with one another. They were not seeking glory for themselves. They did not try to provoke one another, nor did they envy each other.
It is so easy to live our lives allowing the flesh to rule how we act, and what we say. We are so accustomed to it that we justify our behavior and think nothing of it. However, God thinks much of it, and He calls it sin. When was the last time you did something for the kingdom that you didn’t really want to do, but you prayed about it, changed your attitude, and did it for Christ?
Galatians 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
The church should be a place where peace reigns. When Paul called these Christians faithful brethren, he is talking to the body, not just one or two. We are to be faithful to Christ in every aspect of our life. I like how one commentator states the necessity of our faithfulness to God and to one another. “Faithfulness runs through every character and relation of the Christian life, and is the crown and glory of them all.” Do you consider yourself faithful to some of the brethren, but not all? Then you would not be in the group Paul is talking about in verse 2. The definition of faithful is loyal, constant, and steadfast. Would this define how you are to all those who are your brethren?
