The Christian and His Brethren

The Christian has a unique relationship not only with his God but also with his fellow Christians. We have the distinct honor of being a part of something greater than ourselves, a part in a larger body, that of Christ (Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

The idea of being a part of a unified whole is important to remember. What are the characteristics of a body? Well, think about your own- your nose and lungs work in harmony to deliver oxygen to the blood, and your mouth, esophagus, stomach, etc. work in harmony to digest food to receive energy needed to survive. We could go on and on, but it should be obvious that for a body to function properly, it must work together and in harmony!

Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:8:

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
Unfortunately, the members of the body of Christ are often at odds with each other, and treat each other in a way not befitting those who profess Christ. Let us examine the Scriptures on how we should treat our brethren.

1. We must treat our brethren with the utmost respect. As Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:1-2:

Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.
Furthermore, Paul's discussion of getting along with one another in Romans 14:1-15:13 also demonstrates the respect we must show to our brethren, attempting to not offend them in any way as much as possible.

2. We must remember that the body of Christ is only functioning when they are in one accord. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:18-27: