Thematic Bible: Social duties to regard all men as brothers
Thematic Bible
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » Duty to enemies
“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering off, you must bring it back to him.
But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Verse Concepts
Forgiveness, Application Ofevil, believers' responses toGrace, In Human RelationshipsMaliceOpposition, To Sin And EvilPersecution, Attitudes ToPrayer, For OthersReconciliation, Between BelieversSuffering SaintsIntercessory PrayerPersecution, Christian ResponseDuties To EnemiesDifferent TeachingsLove Your Neighbour!Praying For Sinners
“Have I rejoiced at the destruction of the enemy [who hated me],
Or exulted [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him?
Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles,
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » Duty of neighbours
If, however, you are [really] fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, if you have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit]” you are doing well.
You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the Lord.
Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.
We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually].
For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].”
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » Visitation of the sick
Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.
Now Elisha had become sick with the illness by which he would die. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!”
King Joram returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » A common father
Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers [with God]?
The rich and poor have a common bond;
The Lord is the Maker of them all.
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » Demands self-sacrifice
Therefore, if [my eating a certain] food causes my brother to stumble (sin), I will not eat [such] meat ever again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » Forbids harsh judgment
Then let us not criticize one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block or a source of temptation in another believer’s way.
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » A blood relationship
And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.
Social life » Social duties to regard all men as brothers » A spiritual kinship
Looking at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
Related Topics
- Acceptance, Of One Another
- Being Yourself
- Bigotry
- Blood
- Brotherly Love
- Caring For The Sick
- Coal, Metaphorical Use
- Creation Of All Mankind
- Do Not Hinder
- Duties To Enemies
- Duties To Neighbours
- Enemies
- Feeding The Poor
- Forgiveness, Application Of
- Forgiving Ones Enemies
- Forgiving Others Who Hurt You
- Fulfilling The Law
- God Saves From Sin And Death
- God, Activity Of
- Golden Rule
- Good Friends
- Grace, In Human Relationships
- Great Things
- Illness
- Intercessory Prayer
- Interracial Marriage
- Love To Others, Evidence Of
- Love Your Neighbour!
- Love, For One Another
- Loving One Another
- Loving Your Enemies
- Loving Yourself
- Man, Creation Of
- Neighbours
- People Visiting
- Racial Equality
- Racism
- Revenge
- Revenge, And Retaliation
- Second Commandment
- Self Esteem
- Social duties
- The Saints, Without Offence
- Treating Others
- Turning The Other Cheek
- Unfaithfulness, To People
- Visitation
- Visiting
- Visiting Of The Sick
- Decisions
- Diseases
- Enemies, of believers
- Equality
- Ethics, personal
- Evil, believers' responses to
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- 13 more topics on Duties
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- 6 more topics on Brothers