'Brethren' in the Bible

Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,

“Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.

Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.

And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’

This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.’

But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

So he invited them in and gave them lodging.And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house.

And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.

But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.

After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”

“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren.

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.

After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.

After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.

They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there.

Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.

And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,

When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day.

After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”

as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”

And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!”

There we found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome.

And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them.

Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.

Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,

On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.

Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;

And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;

So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?

Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,

After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;

I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

So let no one despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.

But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity.

Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints),

All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.

But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;

So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.

and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.