'Brothers' in the Bible

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,

Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.

So then, my brothers and sisters, dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

Give greetings to all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers with me here send greetings.

to the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father!

Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters who are in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you -- it has not proven to be purposeless.

For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person.

So in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, through your faith.

Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

Now on the topic of times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you,

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us too.

Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.

I call on you solemnly in the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.

Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,

But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.

Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord's message may spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you,

But we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received from us.

But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing what is right.

By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

Do not address an older man harshly but appeal to him as a father. Speak to younger men as brothers,

Make every effort to come before winter. Greetings to you from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.

For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you."

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess,

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly.

My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials,

Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him?

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.

Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge.

So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains.

Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates!

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name.

And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your "Yes" be yes and your "No" be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,

Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin.

Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth.

Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers).

Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to the deeds he is doing -- the bringing of unjustified charges against us with evil words! And not being content with that, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but hinders the people who want to do so and throws them out of the church!

Each of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.

So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "Do not do this! I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

But he said to me, "Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. Worship God!"