The Bible paints beautiful pictures of the Lord's church. As we read it, we are given a picture of marriage, as the church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). As the groom, Jesus exhibits sacrificial and loving leadership for his bride, as she submits to him willfully and gratefully. Also, the church is pictured as a flock of sheep (Acts 20:28), which needs oversight, guidance, and protection. Another picture of the church is that of a family. The apostle Paul, in writing to the church in Ephesus, said, Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). Those who belong to a household are family. Therefore the church is the family of God.
One term used throughout the Bible to describe a family is "brethren." Sometimes this term means brothers, such as Jesus' half-brothers (John 7:5). But it can also mean brothers and sisters as we see in Matthew 12:47-50: Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
The apostle Paul used this term to address the troubled church in Corinth twenty eight times. He considered them his family, even his "beloved brethren" (1 Cor. 15:58). Certainly that included the women too. So the church is a family. Since we are God's family, we are to function within it in the way which is pleasing to him. In other words, there is a certain way in which we ought to conduct ourselves within this family, or we risk bringing judgment upon ourselves.
This feeling of oughtness is brought up when a conflict arises between Abraham and his nephew, Lot. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we be brethren(Genesis 13:8). Abraham uses the word, "for," which means there is a reason there should be no strife between them. That reason is "we be brethren." That is not to say that a conflict should or could not arise within families, because it inevitably will. But when it does arise, it ought to be handled biblically so that discord does not remain between them.
Do you have this feeling of oughtness when it comes to your personal family as well as your church family? You should because that is what the Scriptures teach. The brethren in Ephesus were told to Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:31,32). The great incentive for us to behave this way is because what God has done for us through Christ. He would be justified in condemning all mankind to hell because of our sinful behavior, but instead, God was gracious. If he did that for us, ought not we do so toward our brethren, we who are not without faults ourselves?
Brotherly, Jamie
