R.C. Sproul

But there's another reason why this conclusion is reached as erroneous as it may be, and that is there is something that the Bible teaches in terms of its universality, and that is the universal neighborhood of man. Not brotherhood. but neighborhood. All men are not my brothers. Only those who are in Christ are my brothers in Christ. All men are my neighbors.

But there's another reason why this conclusion is reached as erroneous as it may be, and that is there is something that the Bible teaches in terms of its universality, and that is the universal neighborhood of man. Not brotherhood. but neighborhood. All men are not my brothers. Only those who are in Christ are my brothers in Christ. All men are my neighbors.

And I am required of God to treat these people as well as I could be expected to treat a I am required to love my neighbor as much as I love myself. And Jesus made it clear that the neighborhood is not restricted to the brotherhood. That was the mistake the Pharisees made.

And I am required of God to treat these people as well as I could be expected to treat a I am required to love my neighbor as much as I love myself. And Jesus made it clear that the neighborhood is not restricted to the brotherhood. That was the mistake the Pharisees made.

The Pharisees believed that all of these obligations to love the neighbor and to be kind to your neighbor and to be gracious to your neighbor and all of that was limited or restricted to their fellow Jews, to the brotherhood. But they didn't have to be loving, for example, to the Samaritan. Now, you remember the parable of the good Samaritan.

The Pharisees believed that all of these obligations to love the neighbor and to be kind to your neighbor and to be gracious to your neighbor and all of that was limited or restricted to their fellow Jews, to the brotherhood. But they didn't have to be loving, for example, to the Samaritan. Now, you remember the parable of the good Samaritan.

where Jesus tells the story of the man who goes down to Jericho and falls among thieves and is beaten and robbed and left for dead, and how the Levite and the priest pass by and leave the man suffering and stripped and humiliated. And it is then the passing Samaritan who stops, who has compassion, who anoints the man's wounds with oil,

where Jesus tells the story of the man who goes down to Jericho and falls among thieves and is beaten and robbed and left for dead, and how the Levite and the priest pass by and leave the man suffering and stripped and humiliated. And it is then the passing Samaritan who stops, who has compassion, who anoints the man's wounds with oil,

who carries him to the lodge and pays the innkeeper for the ongoing care until such time as that he can come back and settle up the bill. And Jesus tells that wonderful story about the Good Samaritan. What was the occasion of that parable? Why did Jesus tell the story of the Good Samaritan? He told that story in answer to the people who were asking the question, Who is my neighbor?

who carries him to the lodge and pays the innkeeper for the ongoing care until such time as that he can come back and settle up the bill. And Jesus tells that wonderful story about the Good Samaritan. What was the occasion of that parable? Why did Jesus tell the story of the Good Samaritan? He told that story in answer to the people who were asking the question, Who is my neighbor?

Who is my neighbor? And Jesus purposefully tells a story that involves an act of kindness and mercy, of compassion and love between a Samaritan and a Jew. two people who certainly did not consider themselves as part of a brotherhood. But Jesus said, the Samaritan is your neighbor. The Russian is your neighbor. The pagan is your neighbor. The Buddhist is your neighbor. The Muslim is your neighbor.

Who is my neighbor? And Jesus purposefully tells a story that involves an act of kindness and mercy, of compassion and love between a Samaritan and a Jew. two people who certainly did not consider themselves as part of a brotherhood. But Jesus said, the Samaritan is your neighbor. The Russian is your neighbor. The pagan is your neighbor. The Buddhist is your neighbor. The Muslim is your neighbor.

Every human being on the face of this earth is your neighbor. and you are to love that person as much as you love yourself. And that that's not just a postscript to the law of God. Jesus defines that as integral to the great commandment. So again, this is not some esoteric point in the fine print of the Bible. It's front and center.

Every human being on the face of this earth is your neighbor. and you are to love that person as much as you love yourself. And that that's not just a postscript to the law of God. Jesus defines that as integral to the great commandment. So again, this is not some esoteric point in the fine print of the Bible. It's front and center.

It's prominent that we are to regard all people as our neighbors. And you see what a slight shift it would be from the idea of universal neighborhood to universal brotherhood. But the danger of that is in obscuring the uniqueness of the brotherhood. Again, I'm laboring this point because of the opening form of address of the Lord's Prayer, our Father who art in heaven. With the word Father.

It's prominent that we are to regard all people as our neighbors. And you see what a slight shift it would be from the idea of universal neighborhood to universal brotherhood. But the danger of that is in obscuring the uniqueness of the brotherhood. Again, I'm laboring this point because of the opening form of address of the Lord's Prayer, our Father who art in heaven. With the word Father.

We are entering into sacred ground. As I said, we are given the unspeakable privilege of being able to address God in the same terms of filial familiarity as Jesus did. But not only are we acknowledging that now God is our Father, but the word that comes before it, our, is restricted. We're not supposed to pray to the Father, but He's our Father. He's our Father in a special salutary way.

We are entering into sacred ground. As I said, we are given the unspeakable privilege of being able to address God in the same terms of filial familiarity as Jesus did. But not only are we acknowledging that now God is our Father, but the word that comes before it, our, is restricted. We're not supposed to pray to the Father, but He's our Father. He's our Father in a special salutary way.

He's our Father in the sense that He is the patriarch of the brotherhood. He is the one who begets the brothers and the sisters as the brothers and the sisters are born of God. and they are reborn by the Spirit of God. In creation, we are by nature enemies of God. By recreation, by regeneration, we become the children of God.

He's our Father in the sense that He is the patriarch of the brotherhood. He is the one who begets the brothers and the sisters as the brothers and the sisters are born of God. and they are reborn by the Spirit of God. In creation, we are by nature enemies of God. By recreation, by regeneration, we become the children of God.