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It seems like their is a lot of conflict lately on cafemom so I thought I would write about friendship
- Nov 24, 2009 at 2:50 PM
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- Comments (8) Total Views (147) Everyone can see this journal post.
A friend loveth at all times,
and a brother is born
for adversity."
~Proverbs 17:17~
"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."
~Proverbs 27:17~
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
~Proverbs 27:6~
"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."
~Proverbs 27:9~
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:
and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
~Proverbs 18:24~
"And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face,
as a man speaketh unto his friend."
~Exodus 33:11~
Common Nature of:
Value of:
Dangers of:
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Friend's & Friendship: Most of the Old Testament words translated "friend, " "friendship, " or "be friendly" come from two Hebrew roots, rh and hb. The most common terms for friend are reeh, [h,[er] "friend, " and oheb, [b;hoa] a participial form meaning "one who loves." In the New Testament several words appear, including philos [fivlo"], "friend, " hetairos [eJtai'ro"], "companion, comrade, " and plesion [plhsivon], "neighbor, " along with a variety of kinship terms such as "brother, " "mother, " or "child, " extended to refer to people outside one's family for whom one feels special affection. The terms used most include philos [fivlo"], "friend, " and adelphos [ajdelfov"] / adelphe [ajdelfhv], "brother/sister, " the last of which becomes a technical term for a fellow believer. In both Testaments the ideas of friend and friendship involve three components: association, loyalty, and affection. There are also three levels of meaning: friendship as association only; friendship as association plus loyalty; and friendship as association plus loyalty plus affection. At the lowest level a friend is simply an associate or "the other fellow" (Judges 7:13; Rom 15:2; James 4:12). In Jesus' parables the vineyard owner addresses a laborer (Matt 20:13) and the host speaks to a wedding guest he does not know (Matt 22:12) using the term "comrade." Jesus addresses Judas in this way in the garden: "Friend, do what you came for" (Matt 26:50). At a higher and theologically more interesting level the idea of friendship contains not only the component of association but also that of loyalty. The "king's friend" (2 Sam 15:37; 16:16; 1 Kings 4:5; 1 Chron 27:33) serves as a royal advisor or, in the Maccabean period, as a member of a favored class of nobles (1 Macc 2:18; 3:38; 6:10; 10:65). Hiram of Tyre's "friendship" with David (1 Kings 5:1) is actually a political alliance that may have little to do with affection but everything to do with treaty obligations. The "friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Prov 18:24) shows loyalty. When the Jews accuse Pilate of not being "a friend of Caesar" (John 19:12), they are questioning his loyalty to the emperor. The highest level of friendship contains the components of association and loyalty along with affection. The friendship of David and Jonathan (1 Sam 18:1-4; 20:14-17) has all three components, as does the friendship between Paul and the Philippian church (Php 4:1, 15-20). According to Scripture there are three possible objects of friendship: another person, God or his Son, or someone else who follows Jesus. The first involves human friendship based simply on common humanity with all the joys and dangers associated with it. Human friendship brings help in time of trouble (Prov 17:17; 27:10; Luke 11:5-8) and advice in perplexing situations (Prov 27:9). A friend may provide consolation in trouble, as when Barzillai the Gileadite consoles the hunted David (2 Sam 19:31-39), or when the friends of Jephthah's daughter help her mourn her early death (Judges 11:37-38). A friend may offer help at the risk of death, as Hushai the Arkite does when he spies for David in the court of Absalom the usurper (2 Sam 15:32-37; 16:16-19; 17:5-16). A friend may rebuke in love, proving more faithful than a flatterer (Prov 27:6). Ecclesiastes develops the theme of friendship in the "two are better than one" passage (4:9-12). |
While friendship on the human level has its joys and consolations, it also has its dangers. Sometimes a friend can fail to dissuade one from an evil action, as Judah's friend Hirah the Adullamite does when he helps Judah make arrangements with a supposed prostitute (Gen 38:12-23). A friend can lead one into sin, as when Jonadab son of Shimeah persuades his cousin Amnon to rape his half sister Tamar (2 Sam 13:1-6). A friend can even lead one to worship other gods (Deut 13:6-11). Proverbs contains warnings about the dangers of bad company (1:10-19; 4:14-19).
Even if a friend does not lead one astray, the friend may cause grief through misunderstanding. Job's three comforters, although they try to be his friends, only make his suffering worse (Job 2:11-13; 6:14-27; 19:21-22; 42:7-9).
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Friend's & Friendship: Most of the Old Testament words translated "friend, " "friendship, " or "be friendly" come from two Hebrew roots, rh and hb. The most common terms for friend are reeh, [h,[er] "friend, " and oheb, [b;hoa] a participial form meaning "one who loves." In the New Testament several words appear, including philos [fivlo"], "friend, " hetairos [eJtai'ro"], "companion, comrade, " and plesion [plhsivon], "neighbor, " along with a variety of kinship terms such as "brother, " "mother, " or "child, " extended to refer to people outside one's family for whom one feels special affection. The terms used most include philos [fivlo"], "friend, " and adelphos [ajdelfov"] / adelphe [ajdelfhv], "brother/sister, " the last of which becomes a technical term for a fellow believer. In both Testaments the ideas of friend and friendship involve three components: association, loyalty, and affection. There are also three levels of meaning: friendship as association only; friendship as association plus loyalty; and friendship as association plus loyalty plus affection. At the lowest level a friend is simply an associate or "the other fellow" (Judges 7:13; Rom 15:2; James 4:12). In Jesus' parables the vineyard owner addresses a laborer (Matt 20:13) and the host speaks to a wedding guest he does not know (Matt 22:12) using the term "comrade." Jesus addresses Judas in this way in the garden: "Friend, do what you came for" (Matt 26:50). At a higher and theologically more interesting level the idea of friendship contains not only the component of association but also that of loyalty. The "king's friend" (2 Sam 15:37; 16:16; 1 Kings 4:5; 1 Chron 27:33) serves as a royal advisor or, in the Maccabean period, as a member of a favored class of nobles (1 Macc 2:18; 3:38; 6:10; 10:65). Hiram of Tyre's "friendship" with David (1 Kings 5:1) is actually a political alliance that may have little to do with affection but everything to do with treaty obligations. The "friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Prov 18:24) shows loyalty. When the Jews accuse Pilate of not being "a friend of Caesar" (John 19:12), they are questioning his loyalty to the emperor. The highest level of friendship contains the components of association and loyalty along with affection. The friendship of David and Jonathan (1 Sam 18:1-4; 20:14-17) has all three components, as does the friendship between Paul and the Philippian church (Php 4:1, 15-20). According to Scripture there are three possible objects of friendship: another person, God or his Son, or someone else who follows Jesus. The first involves human friendship based simply on common humanity with all the joys and dangers associated with it. Human friendship brings help in time of trouble (Prov 17:17; 27:10; Luke 11:5-8) and advice in perplexing situations (Prov 27:9). A friend may provide consolation in trouble, as when Barzillai the Gileadite consoles the hunted David (2 Sam 19:31-39), or when the friends of Jephthah's daughter help her mourn her early death (Judges 11:37-38). A friend may offer help at the risk of death, as Hushai the Arkite does when he spies for David in the court of Absalom the usurper (2 Sam 15:32-37; 16:16-19; 17:5-16). A friend may rebuke in love, proving more faithful than a flatterer (Prov 27:6). Ecclesiastes develops the theme of friendship in the "two are better than one" passage (4:9-12).
One of the greatest biblical examples of the "friend who sticks closer than a brother" is the relationship between David and Jonathan. Jonathan's loyalty to David runs deeper than his loyalty to his father Saul or his own ambitions (1 Sam 18:1-4; 20:14-17). The dirge David sings when he hears of Jonathan's death marks their relationship as a high point of human friendship (2 Sam 1:17-27). Ruth's stubborn loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi stands as another display of human friendship at its highest. In the New Testament Paul shows a talent for gaining friends. In his letters he names many people as his special friends in Christ. In the Book of Acts Paul's friends include even the pagan officials of Asia known as Asiarchs (Acts 19:31). While friendship on the human level has its joys and consolations, it also has its dangers. Sometimes a friend can fail to dissuade one from an evil action, as Judah's friend Hirah the Adullamite does when he helps Judah make arrangements with a supposed prostitute (Gen 38:12-23). A friend can lead one into sin, as when Jonadab son of Shimeah persuades his cousin Amnon to rape his half sister Tamar (2 Sam 13:1-6). A friend can even lead one to worship other gods (Deut 13:6-11). Proverbs contains warnings about the dangers of bad company (1:10-19; 4:14-19). Even if a friend does not lead one astray, the friend may cause grief through misunderstanding. Job's three comforters, although they try to be his friends, only make his suffering worse (Job 2:11-13; 6:14-27; 19:21-22; 42:7-9).
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Comments:
Sadly there is very FEW people who understand a true friendship. I have a bestfriend/ (my sister) for 10 yrs now.
We have been through EVERYTHING together. I can HONSTLY say that we have NEVER been in an agrueement about anything.
We have disagreed about things. But we agree to disagree.
We are like night and day. Hot and cold.
She knows EVERYTHING about me and I know EVERYTHING bout her. She is able to tell you if I would like the way something taste or smells without me even being around. I can do the same. She knows my thoughts before I speak them.
I would take a bullet for her. And I know she would do the same for me and my children. I wish she was able to have kids so I could be an aunt, but I would NEVER want her to risk her life. (Having children could/would kill her)
I met her 6months after my sister was killed. She has been my biggest supporter since. She has been by my side from homelessness to having place my second child through adoption. Never once downing me.
I have be by her side through all her medical problems. The coma, the 3 and 4 day stays at the hospital. I have carried her when she is weak and walked beside her when she is strong. ANd she has done the same with me.
I LOVE my bestfriend.
Lucky are those fortunate enough who have encountered true friendship, I have been blessed with a few. Loved your defenition, Have a wonderfull Thanksgiving!
Thanks for taking the time to explain the Biblical meaning of true friendship " rare as jewels" , hard to hold, only a few do we truly behold.
Al of this is so true. Thanks!
LOVE THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE THAT TALJK ABOUT FRIENDSHIP DOREEN HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Thank you so much and your love for your friends does show.
Glad that we are friends!
HI Doreen!
First of all, I would love to express to one & all a most Blessed Thanksgiving!! Ihave an additional blessing this year , & that is to be a part of this group.
I feel so bad that people experience struggles with friendship as it truly is a treasured gift to behold!! It brings love, laughter, hope sharing, and on and on.
I just finished a library book which I breezed thru in 2 days called "My Journey with Farrah~ A story of life, love, & friendship" The author was her best friend Alana Stewart. A very very sad but devotion they both shared. Alana amongst others will be lost @ Christmas as their annual holiday would be preparing coconut meringue 7 pecan pies. How about their children?
Hope I didn't write too much here. Life is so short, & precious we know by know!
In his light & path,
Anne
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Awesome! Liked that! So true!
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