Paul's Exhortations to the Thessalonian Church Volume 23

Paul Urges them to Continue Loving One Another

1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; KJV

Paul having just concluded his exhortation for them to abstain from fornication, not deceiving their brother in Christ by fornicating with his wife which shows their genuine love for their brother, now urges them on in their love for one another just as our Heavenly Father so loves them/us and they/we are His Beloved so Paul first says this to them, "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." (1 Thessalonians 4:9) (KJV). The first thing that was poured into the hearts of these Thessalonian sinners and we sinners today and of every generation and era was the 'love of God' (Romans 5:5) which is unlike all human love combined together in this world, His love is utterly unworldly, therefore, this is why Paul just declared to them/us that the idea of saying you love your brother in Christ, yet you are willing to fornicate with his wife (which is surely to cause him emotional and spiritual hurt and pain) is absolute nonsense.

When Paul says here, 'as touching brotherly love', the first little English phrase 'as touching' is translated by one Greek word peri meaning figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time and the second little English phrase 'brotherly love' is translated by one Greek word philadelphia meaning fraternal affection: - brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren. In other words, Paul is saying that the cause of your restraining yourselves/ourselves from fornicating with another brother's wife is their/our affectionate kindness and love that should be their/our desire to show continually to other members of their/our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ Body the Church just as Paul wrote concerning this concept to the Corinthian Church with these words, "So that there should be no division {or} discord {or} lack of adaptation [of the parts of the body to each other], but the members all alike should have a mutual interest in {and} care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the parts [share] the suffering; if one member is honored, all the members [share in] the enjoyment of it." (1 Corinthians 12:25-26) (Amplified Bible).

These Thessalonian believers and we believers today and of every generation and era are 'Divinely Instructed' by our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that we are to love one another just as the Apostle John wrote to the brethren with these words, "Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another. No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!" (1 John 4:11-12) (Amplified Bible), therefore, we cannot have this love perfected 'in us' if we defraud our brother 'in Christ' by fornicating with his wife, this destroys His love 'in us' and weakens the unity of the Spirit by hurting other members of Christ Body the Church. Paul now commends these Thessalonian believers on elevating and advancing and even furthering their love out from their local body of believers to believers in all of the region of Macedonia as he declares with these words, "And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;" (1 Thessalonians 4:10) (KJV).

The Thessalonian Church made an effort of reaching out to other believers 'in Christ' showing and expressing their love to them and for them in what ever real world ways they could just as Paul had already acknowledged of them at the very beginning of his letter with these words, "So that you [thus] became a pattern to all the believers (those who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Christ Jesus) in Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece). For not only has the Word concerning {and} from the Lord resounded forth from you unmistakably in Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere the report has gone forth of your faith in God [of your leaning of your whole personality on Him in complete trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. So we [find that we] never need to tell people anything [further about it]." (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8) (Amplified Bible).

Paul was here giving to them a delicate praise for their love for the brethren, not only in their own local Church, but that they extended their love for believers everywhere just as he gave praise to the Colossian Church for the exact same motives with these words, "We continually give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), as we are praying for you, For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] and of the love which you [have and show] for all the saints (God's consecrated ones)" (Colossians 1:3-4) (Amplified Bible). Even though Paul praises them for their great love for one another and for all the saints in Macedonia, he concludes by using the little English phrase 'more and more' which is translated by one Greek word mallon an adverb meaning more (in a greater degree) or rather: - better, far more or so much the more. Love for fellow redeemed sinners in the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ (for Paul) was a lesson that would never be truly learned down here on the earth, so he was always and at all times exhorting and encouraging every believer he encountered to increase even more and more in it.

"Though these Thessalonians had in some sense no need of an exhortation to brotherly love, as if it were wholly wanting, yet they must be exhorted to pray for more, and labour for more. There are none on this side of heaven who love in perfection. Those who are eminent in this or any other grace have need of increase therein as well as of perseverance unto the end." Matthew Henry

"The ancient world was honeycombed with rents and schisms, scarcely masked by political union. In the midst of a world of selfishness this new faith started up, and by some magic knit warring nationalities and hostile classes and wide diversities of culture and position into a strange whole, transcending all limits of race and language. The conception of brotherhood was new, and the realisation of it in Christian love was still more astonishing. The world wondered; but to the Christians the new affection was, we might almost say, instinctive, so naturally and spontaneously did it fill their hearts. Paul’s graceful way of enjoining it here is no mere pretty compliment. The Thessalonians did not need to be bidden to love the brethren, for such love was a part of their new life, and breathed into their hearts by God Himself. They were drawn together by common relation to Jesus, and driven together by common alienation from the world. Occasions of divergence had not yet risen. The world had not yet taken on a varnish of Christianity. The new bond was still strong in its newness. So, short as had been the time since Paul landed at Neapolis, the golden chain of love bound all the Macedonian Christians together, and all that Paul had to exhort was the strengthening of its links and their tightening. That fair picture faded soon, but it still remains true that the deeper our love to Jesus, the warmer will be our love to all His lovers. The morning glow may not come back to the prosaic noonday, but love to the brethren remains as an indispensable token of the Christian life. Let us try ourselves thereby." Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…