Brotherhood

Paul constantly calls the Philippians brothers and he uses brothers strategically because of what it meant to be a brother in the ancient world. The ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish world were very tribal.   It mattered where you were from it mattered what family you were from. Most adult men were still known as the son of someone. A person’s family of origin is the primary source of their status and location in the world. It was important from whom people descended. Genealogies serve to defend the claim of honour, identify social roles and obligations, establish inheritance rights to indicate birth order and honour order. Levite’s assumed their role based on their lineage. Who the father was, was more important than who the Son was.   So a good name (Fathers)was better than great riches.  The name of your father opened doors for the son.  (Another’s named)People were known by the father’s name in Jewish culture Bar Abbas, bar Bar Timaeus are derived from birth. Also in Greek-Roman world view the relationship between siblings was the closest strongest and most intimate relationship in the ancient world. They were considered same blood, same stock and this was only enhanced by similar upbringing. The greek word is Adelphos, and means from the same womb. I think this is sometimes lost on us in the Western world. Our natural brothers can so isolated from us we are independent and disconnected but not in Paul’s day. Aristotle said “Brothers love each other as being born of the same parents; for their identity with them makes them identical with each other.  They are therefore in a sense, the same thing though separate individuals.” Nic Eth.  8.12.3. Brother in that time would always think of their brother; they would rejoice in brothers by any downplaying of his advantage and share their resources and any glory that they were given. And what the Philippines heard Paul saying you are my brothers and you are brothers of each other.  You are siblings of one another, with a shared father and shared family.  As it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual family. This was the ethic of the day even among pagans.  So Christians are explicitly instructed to treat one another as a family; young men as brothers older women as mothers, younger as sisters. In fact, Philadelphia the love of brothers and sisters is the central ethic shaping relationships in the church. You would not have had to say anything more to a Christian than “he is your brother,” to explain how he should be treated.

Friend, brotherhood alone is able to evaluate what is compatible and incompatible with the Christian lifestyle. Add to ... godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.  2Peter 1:7