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Brotherly Love, Fellowship and Unity.

Gal. 6: 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Ep. 4: 1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.-5: 2 Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

Ph. 1: 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel. 27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.—2: 1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Ph. 3: 16 Whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

1 Th. 4: 9 As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.

Heb. 13: 1 Let brotherly love continue.

1 Pet. 1: 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. -2: 17 Love the brotherhood.

2 Pet. 1: 5 Besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6 And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; 7 And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity.

1 Jn. 3: 11 This is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his

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bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 23 And this is his commandment; That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. -4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 21 This commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God, love his brother also.

2 Jn. 5 Now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. [See 94, 114, 412.]

112. Limits of Christian fellowship prescribed - Disfellowship.

2 Ch. 19: 2 Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehosaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

Mat. 10: 11 Into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into a house, salute it.

13 And

if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house, or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

1 Cor. 5: 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such a one no not to eat.-10: 20 I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

Ep. 5: 11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

2 Th. 3: 6 We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every

ye

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Church one body - Unity important.

brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

2 Tim. 3: 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Jn. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds. [See 115, 122, 177, 477.]

CHURCH-UNITY.

113. The Church of Christ one body.

1 Cor. 12: 13 By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Ep. 4: 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

114. Church unity not to be broken by hatred, and selfish divisions.

Mat. 12: 25 Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself, is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand. 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

Rom. 16: 17 I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

1 Cor. 1: 11 It hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided?-3: 3 Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?-12: 24 Our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having

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Limits of union - Church root and branches.

given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Gal. 5: 15 If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

1 Jn. 3: 14 He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.-4: 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?

Jude 18 They told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. [See 111.]

115. Church unity and fellowship not to be extended to unbelievers.

Lk. 12: 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.

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2 Cor. 6: 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be. my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you ; 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Rev. 18: 4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. [See 112, 122, 177.j

116. Christian churches, branches of the Abrahamic church.

Rom. 11: 16 If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olivetree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but

Abrahamic Covenant.

the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree; how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive-tree?

Gal. 3: 7 Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. [Rom. 4: 11-25. Ac. 7:38. Ep. 2: 12.]

CHURCH ABRAHAMIC.

117. God's covenant with the Abrahamic church.

Mic. 7: 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Gal. 3: 9 They which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, That the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

118. God's covenant with the Abrahamic church involves true religion.

Ex. 19: 5 If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.

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