Brotherly Love.1 Thessalonians 4:9-10.
Dear Children of God,
We saw in the previous passage the need to be sexually pure. Now Paul turns to the matter of love for one another.
No Need (v. 9). Paul declares that there is no need for anyone to teach the Thessalonians about love for one another. This is because it is evident that God himself taught them. How God did this teaching is not indicated. One likely possibility is that God just put brotherly affection in all the Christians in Thessalonica. A more likely possibility is that the persecution they constantly had to endure caused them to draw closer to one another, acknowledge their common predicament and look to each other’s welfare. God usually does not speak from heaven, although he can. He uses circumstances and situations to teach us how we ought to live.
Indeed (v. 10). The evidence that the Thessalonians had learned to love one another is all over. Paul says that they have shown love to all the “brothers throughout Macedonia.” That is saying a lot. Macedonia was a fairly large area. The main cities that Paul and his companions had visited were Philippi to the East, Thessalonica, and Berea to the South. The implication here is that the Thessalonians reached out to other Christians, not only in their city but also to those in other cities of the region. Despite great hardship, the Thessalonians looked outside reached out. It is self-defeating to focus on our problems. Let us learn from this young church the secret of victorious living. Focus on the needs of others.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.