1 Thessalonians 4:9

Contextual Overview

⁹ Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, ⁹ But as touching brotherly loue, ye neede not that I write vnto you: for ye are taught of God to loue one another. ⁹About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. ⁹ But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, ⁹ Now concerning brotherly love ye have no need that we should write to you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. ⁹ We don't need to write to you about having love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. God has already taught you to love each other. ⁹Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write you, for you have been [personally] taught by God to love one another [that is, to have an unselfish concern for others and to do things for their benefit]. ⁹ But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; ⁹Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.⁹ We don't have to write you about the need to love each other. God has taught you to do this,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

touching: Leviticus 19:8, Psalms 133:1, John 13:34, John 13:35, John 15:12-17, Acts 4:32, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:1, Ephesians 5:2, Hebrews 13:1, 1 Peter 3:8, 2 Peter 1:7, 1 John 2:10, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 3:14-19, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:7-16

ye need: 1 Thessalonians 5:1, Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:10, Hebrews 8:11, 1 John 2:20-27

for ye: Isaiah 51:13, Matthew 22:39, John 6:44, John 6:45, John 13:34, John 14:26, John 15:12, John 15:17, Ephesians 5:2, Hebrews 10:16, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:21, 1 John 5:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:8 - brethren Isaiah 54:13 - all Matthew 25:40 - Inasmuch Acts 16:34 - when 1 Corinthians 16:14 - General 2 Corinthians 8:7 - see 2 Corinthians 9:1 - it is Ephesians 1:15 - love Ephesians 4:16 - edifying Philippians 1:9 - your Colossians 1:4 - faith Colossians 3:14 - charity 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - abound 2 Thessalonians 1:3 - your Titus 2:12 - Teaching James 2:8 - Thou 1 Peter 1:22 - unto 2 John 1:5 - that we Revelation 2:4 - because

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
And Habel also him selfe brought of the first fruites of his sheepe, and of the fat of them, and the Lorde had respect vnto Habel, and to his offering,

Genesis 4:4
And Abel also brought of the first-born of his flock and of the fatlings thereof. And the LORD was pleased with Abel and with his offering;

Genesis 4:4
Hevel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat of it. The LORD respected Hevel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4
and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Genesis 4:4
And Abel gave an offering of the young lambs of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering;

Genesis 4:4
and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord . He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4
and Hevel too brought from the firstborn of his sheep, including their fat. Adonai accepted Hevel and his offering

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat. And Jehovah looked upon Abel, and on his offering;

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But as touching brotherly love,.... Another branch of sanctification; which is distinct from love to God and Christ, though it always accompanies it, and from love to all mankind; and is what is peculiar to brethren in a spiritual relation, and ought to be universal, fervent, and sincere, and as Christ has loved them: concerning which the following things are said,

ye need not that I write unto you. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "we have no need to write unto you"; and so some copies. It seems that it was needful to write unto them about other things, as to refresh their memories with the instructions they had given them, when with them, how they should walk and please God; and to put them in mind of the commandments given them by Christ, and that their sanctification was the will of God; and particularly it was necessary to write unto them about chastity, and purity of life, whether in or out of the conjugal state; but as for brotherly love, there was no immediate absolute necessity to write about that, either about the nature of it, or to describe the objects of it, or point out instances of it, or to exhort to it in a pressing manner: the reason is,

for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; not merely by the light of nature, which teaches men to be kind, courteous, affable, and beneficent; nor by the law of Moses, which obliges men to love their neighbours as themselves; nor only doctrinally by the ministry of the Gospel, which frequently inculcates the exercise of this grace as a matter of great importance and consequence; nor only by the new commandment, and example of Christ; but by the Spirit of God internally in regeneration, who, according to the tenor of the new covenant, writes this law of love, and of Christ, upon the heart; and this being written upon the hearts of the Thessalonians, by the finger of the Spirit of God, whereby they were dearly directed, and powerfully taught to exercise this grace, and discharge this duty, and under the influence of the same spirit did exercise it, it was unnecessary for the apostle to write about it, and press them to it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But as touching brotherly love - The “peculiar charity and affection which one Christian owes to another.” Doddridge; see the notes on John 13:34.

Ye need not that I write unto you - That is, “as I have done on the other points.” They were so taught of God in regard to this duty, that they did not need any special instruction.

For ye yourselves are taught of God - The word here rendered “taught of God” - θεοδίδακτοί theodidaktoi - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is correctly translated, and must refer here to some direct teaching of God on their own hearts, for Paul speaks of their being so taught by him as to need no special precepts in the case. He probably refers to that influence exerted on them when, they became Christians, by which they were led to love all who bear the divine image. He calls this being “taught of God,” not because it was of the nature of revelation or inspiration, but because it was in fact the teaching of God in this case, though it was secret and silent. God has many ways of teaching people. The lessons which we learn from his Providence are a part of his instructions. The same is true of the decisions of our own consciences, and of the secret and silent influence of his Spirit on our hearts, disposing us to love what is lovely, and to do what ought to be done. In this manner all true Christians are taught to love those who bear the image of their Saviour. They feel that they are brethren; and such is their strong attachment to them, from the very nature of religion, that they do not need any express command of God to teach them to love them. It is one of the first - the elementary effects of religion on the soul, to lead us to love “the brethren” - and to do this is one of the evidences of piety about which there need be no danger of deception; compare 1 John 3:14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. Touching brotherly love — They were remarkable for this; and though the apostle appears to have had this as a topic on which he intended to write to them, yet, from the account which he received of their prosperous state by Timothy, he finds that it is unnecessary to spend any time in inculcating a doctrine which they fully understood and practised. See 1 Thessalonians 3:6.