Proverbs 18:24 A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Here is a comprehensive doctrine of Christian friendship. Friendship is a principle of mutual interchange and mutual sacrifice. There can be no onesidedness, no selfish engrossment, no taking without giving. Selfishness is the death of social reciprocity and sympathy, as it is of piety to God. Christianity is not an abstraction. It is all in a person with every attribute of personal life and love. About all our other friendships there are some easily-reached and sorely-felt limitations. Turn, then, to the One Friend. His friendship never fails or disappoints for want of knowledge, or patience, or skill, or strength, or endurance. Putting together the two declarations of the text — that of the Christian lawfulness and mutual blessing of human friendship with that of the supreme attraction and fidelity of the Divine friendship of the Saviour, we have the ground for two or three great practical principles of almost universal application. 1. The Christian guidance we need in the choice of friends and the formation of friendships. 2. The Christian test of every friendship and every affection. 3. The Christian direction how to hold and handle these friendships so that they shall bear their part and yield their fruit in the ripening of character and the eternal life of the soul. (Bp. Huntington, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.WEB: A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. |
    |