Role of Men in the Church

Session 12 Study Questions - Man as Practicing Brotherly Love

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother." I John 3:11

1. How would you describe brotherly love? How would you contrast such love with the love between a husband and wife, or between a parent and child? How do men in our society typically indicate that they enjoy the company of another man?
2. Do you believe that open expression of love between men in our society is appropriate? If so, in what ways and under what circumstances should such love be expressed? If no, why not? Does it bother you when a man says he "really loves" one of his brothers in Christ?
3. Describe some ways in which brothers in the church express brotherly love. Do you have any suggestions for how the expression of brotherly love can be better expressed among men in the church?
4. When we associate the concept of love with one of the apostles, John immediately comes to mind, for he recorded Jesus' great expressions of love and was the "disciple whom Jesus loved? How would you describe his character given your reading of the scriptures?
5. Read I John, chapters 3 and 4. List some of the admonitions to love to which John encouraged his readers.
6. Men in the church often have difficulty forming close relationships. Describe some ways in which men might better develop such relationships.
7. How might our male leaders encourage brother love and fellowship?
8. Do you believe that wives play a major role in encouraging close male friendships? If so, how might wives in the congregation encourage their husbands to form male relationships?