Nelson - First you have no idea how much I miss seeing your posts. It is a great joy to be reading them again.
This thread kind of went off on a small tangent (or least strayed from who is our brother) one which was actually very interesting. CIY and Darren the topic of God and evil is a difficult one to grasp but even harder to put into words but I think I see what you are saying and I very much enjoyed reading through this thread with everyones input - thank you.
The Origional post was asking who is our brother? and I would like to bring it back to that a little.
It seem conclusive everyone posting does not think Satan is our Brother atleast yet.
So we have stricken one from who our brother is, So we know who are brother is not but then who is our Brother?
"And he answering said to him who spake to him, `Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?' And having stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, he said, `Lo, my mother and my brethren! for whoever may do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Matt 12:48-50)
"and he answering said unto them, `My mother and my brethren! they are those who the word of God are hearing, and doing" (Lu 8:21)
Nelson points that those that are doing the will of the Father are our brethern? So who is doing the will of the Father and how do we know? Isn't his will for us to be perfect like him? So who is doing this? Is just trying to strive for perfection good enough? Is not all of the many called trying to do this? Are So would that make all of Christiandom our brethern?
"because whom He did foreknow, He also did fore-appoint, conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be first-born among many brethren" (Ro 8:29)
Another intersting verse. it says
he might be first-born Sounds future tense to me. Ray points out that we
will be born again so does that mean we are not yet brethern of Christ?
"or it was becoming to Him, because of whom are the all things, and through whom are the all things, many sons to glory bringing, the author of their salvation through sufferings to make perfect, for both he who is sanctifying and those sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, `I will declare Thy name to my brethren, in the midst of an assembly I will sing praise to Thee;' and again, `I will be trusting on Him;' and again, `Behold I and the children that God did give to me.'" (Heb 2:10-13)
This to me appears to say those striving (sufering) for perfection can be call brethern.
So then once we figure out who our brothers (Family) are or are not, what does that all mean? How do we treat our brothers any different than anyone else?
God Bless
Bill