Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 13:1 NIV
In the Greek this was originally written in, this simple verse has only three words, one of which is untranslated into English. But it has so much to say to us.
We are to “love one another as brothers and sisters.” This is the Greek word “philadelphia,” meaning brotherly love or mutual affection. As a body of believers, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. And we should have the same love and concern for each other as we do in healthy human families.
And we are to “keep on” loving. This word is an active present tense verb. It means to remain, to stay, or to dwell. It is not something we do once and call it good. Instead, it is something that we do continually.
We are to love each other. And to keep on loving each other. To rejoice with those who rejoice. To hurt or grieve with those who are suffering. And to do what we can to help each other in our lives together as the family of God.
It is unfortunate that, all too often, we barely know the person sitting next to us as we gather together on Sunday mornings. Or we limit our interactions to just a few friends and ignore everyone else. This verse challenges us to step out of our comfort zone. To get to know those in our local community of believers. And to love them as brothers and sisters. To be the family that God wants us to be. Don’t be content with just attending. Love one another!
