The sheer number of scriptures that tell us to love our brother indicate the importance of it. Below I have done a mini-study that discusses this subject along with other issues that deal with loving our brother:
Here are some scriptures that tell us to love one another:
Joh 13:34 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 – By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Joh 15:12 – This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:17 – These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Ro 12:10 – [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Ro 13:8 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Ga 5:13 – For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Eph 4:1 – I therefore, the prisoner of Yahweh, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
1 Th 3:12 – And Yahweh make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all [men], even as we [do] toward you: 13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before Elohim, even our Father, at the coming of our Master Yahushua Messiah with all his saints.
1 Th 4:9 – But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of Yahweh to love one another.
Heb 10:23 – Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
1 Pe 1:22 – Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Pe 3:8 – Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:
1 Jo 3:11 – For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 Jo 3:23 – And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Yahushua Messiah, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 Jo 4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of Yahweh; and every one that loveth is born of Yahweh, and knoweth Yahweh.
1 Jo 4:11 – Beloved, if Yahweh so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen Yahweh at any time. If we love one another, Yahweh dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
2 Jo 1:5 – And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
1 Pe 2:17 – Honour all [men]. Love the brotherhood. Fear Yahweh. Honour the king.
1 Jo 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. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love [of Yah], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of Yahweh in him?
1 Pe 4:8 – And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Jo 2:7 – Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1 Jo 3:18 – My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 Jo 4:20 – If a man say, I love Yahweh, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love Yahweh whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth Elohim love his brother also.
Le 19:18 – Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] Yahweh.
Jas 2:8 – If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Who are our brethren?
Yahushua said:
Mt 12:50 – For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Mr 3:35 – For whosoever shall do the will of Yahweh, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Lu 8:21 – And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of Yahweh, and do it.
But what if my brother continually sins against me? Is he still my brother?
Mt 18:15 – Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
And if he will repent and ask for forgiveness, forgive him:
Lu 17:3 – Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Mt 18:21 – Then came Peter to him, and said, Master, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Yahushua saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his master commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Master, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their master all that was done. 32 Then his master, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his master was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
But if he refuses to admit his sin (Continued from Mt. 18:15 above):
16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the assembly: but if he neglect to hear the assembly, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Ps 101:5 – Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
To slander is to defame or speak evil of falsely to another. If we are going to speak of someone doing something wrong to us, then according to scripture, we should discuss the sin with that brother first. And if he won’t hear you then bring it to the attention of two or three other brethren. And if he still won’t hear you then tell it to the entire congregation. If he won’t hear them then separate that man from the congregation that he may be ashamed and repent.
What do you do if you see your brother sinning?
Jas 5:19 – Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
This scripture warns that when we see a brother sinning, we should have a meek attitude when trying to restore him:
Ga 6:1 – Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
This scripture shows that we can judge our brother to some extent:
1 Co 5:11 – But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without Yahweh judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
2 Th 3:6 – Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Master Yahushua Messiah, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
2 Th 3:14 – And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count [him] not as an enemy, but admonish [him] as a brother.
We can surely be ‘fruit inspectors’. In the following scripture, the word “judge” is in the context of speaking evil of and condemning our brother:
Jas 4:11 – Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Again, consider this scripture when reading to above verse:
Ps 101:5 – Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
It is my sincere hope that you have been edified by the above study on loving our brother. I hope that you have read all of the scriptures I have listed. It will greatly enrich your understanding of this study. It is best to often let Yahweh’s word speak for itself. If you have any questions or comments, I have an open mind so feel free to e-mail me.