Gender-neutral Bibles and "the brethren"

[Note to the reader: This past Lord's Day I preached on the Greek word, 'adelphoi', accurately translated "brothers" in English for many centuries. Recently, though, there's been an atttack upon this word and many English translations are replacing it with various circumlocutions including "brothers and sisters" and "Christian friends." Sadly, even the English Standard Version has a footnote at this point, Galatians 3:15, indicating 'adelphoi' may be translated either "brothers" or "brothers and sisters."

As I argue below, to indicate that the Greek word 'adelphoi' is here used inclusively is not the same as removing its male meaning component and replacing that component with the more politically correct "brothers and sisters."

Please keep in mind that these are notes, only, and that the sermon itself was more thoroughly illustrated and developed. Yet I'm hopeful these notes will be helpful to the People of God as they decide whether or not to allow God's Word to speak for Himself.]

From the Pulpit of Church of the Good Shepherd
September 12, 2004 AM

Sermon Title: Brethren
Sermon Text: Galatians 3:15-18
Sermon Series: Galatians Series No. 22

Our sermon text this week is Galatians 3:15-18; let us hear the Word of God, which is eternally true:

Galatians 3:15-18 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

Paul argues that the covenant cannot be cancelled--that's the first truth he is hammering home. But it's interesting to note that, as he makes that case, he inserts a personal word reminding his listeners that he is addressing them specifically as brothers. We see that the first word of our text is 'adelphoi', the Greek word 'brothers'.

And by using this word, the Apostle Paul reminds the Galatians that what is at stake, what is under debate, is the nature of the family relationship at the heart of the Church.

The word is 'adelphoi' and historically it has always been translated into English as "brothers," its equivalent in English. (Some words have equivalents in another language and some don't--consider, for instance, trying to translate, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow" into the language of a people group that lives at the equator and has never seen snow. It would be difficult, wouldn't it?)

No such problem with 'adelphoi;' we have the same word in English and that word is 'brothers.'

As the Apostle Paul uses 'adelphoi' here, it has three aspects of meaning we need to recognize: first, it is gender or sex-specific; second, it is sex-inclusive; and third, it is familial.

Let us begin by saying that the first two meanings of this word are not mutually exclusive.

Adelphoi is sex-specific: the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul chooses to address a church filled with men and women and children, both boys and girls, uses a label for them all that has a male meaning component--the Greek word 'brothers.'

And this is part of God's revelation to us. God deals with us on the basis of our first Father, Adam, through whom we all inherit original sin and death. Adam is our federal head--not Eve; and through Adam--not Eve nor Adam and Eve--we are conceived in sin and born to die.

Similarly, God is pleased to deal with the human race through a male representative, not just in the matter of condemnation but also in the matter of redemption, assigning to His Son, Jesus Christ, the status of the Second Adam through Whom comes righteousness and eternal life.

Romans 5:19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

Thus God is pleased to name the human race "Adam," as He does all through the Old Testament where the word translated variously in your Bibles "man," "mankind," "humankind," "people," etc. is used as the English equivalent to the Hebrew word that points explicitly to our federal head, Adam. And our race is called, all of us, by his name thereby denoting that we are named by his fatherhood over our race, forever--just as we are named by our Second Head, Jesus Christ, forever, when we place our faith in Him. Now we are called "Christians," adopted sons of God.

And now we are called, among ourselves, what?

Brothers.

You see, God has been pleased to deal with groups by male representatives, not in any way for the purpose of indicating by that label that he is only talking about men, nor that it is only men that matter or have value. But rather, that men are the leaders and representatives of our race and our language ought to reflect that.

So 'adelphoi' is a sex-specific term; but 'adelphoi' is also a sex-inclusive term. We are named through the men, but that "we" includes both women and men.

In Adam, Eve and all her sisters down to this day were conceived in sin and born to die. And in Christ, the second Adam, all those who believe are born again to righteousness and eternal life. And those born again, both women and men, become brothers one to another.

But there is a third meaning component to this Greek word, 'adelphoi.' First, it is a sex-specific word; and second, it is a sex-inclusive word; and third, it is a family word.

"Brothers" indicates a family relationship--that all those so addressed were born into the same home, which in this case is the family of God. We are all adopted sons of God and therefore brothers, one with another.

Now this might seem to be too obvious to be worth mentioning, outside the bounds of controversy, but let's dwell on it for a moment. If one were inclined to dislike men, and to forsake the language of Scripture which labels us by our fathers, husbands, and brothers, and to be alienated from all families; one might be inclined to substitute a different category of relationships for family relationships. And so the New Living Translation did when it first was printed: adelphoi, brothers, became not brothers and sisters, or siblings (a rather pale and bloodless way of saying "brothers and sisters," don't you think?), but "Christian friends."

All of us can see there that we have introduced a whole new inaccuracy to the text of Scripture, can't we? We choose friends and are freely allowed to take them on and to cast them off at will. But who is allowed to choose or cast off his brothers?

Let's stick with the original meaning of the Greek and Hebrew text:

'Adelphoi' is sex-specific.

'Adelhoi' is also sex-inclusive, and that's no contradiction to its sex-specific meaning.

'Adelphoi' is a family word, indicating the relationship created between boys and girls by virtue of membership in the home of a shared father, whether they are that father's sons and daughters by way of birth of his bride, or adoption by him.

And for us, we are adopted sons of God.

Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will...

Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

And all this family language has a point--specifically, exactly how do we enter the Family of God? Do we become sons of God and brothers one of another through obedience of the Law, specifically circumcision? Or do we become sons of God and brothers one of another through faith-believing on God's Son for the forgiveness of sins?

But before passing on from this word, 'brothers,' let us note one last thing.

The seriousness of the error into which the Galatians have fallen did not cause the Apostle Paul to forsake the language of brotherhood. Despite the fact that the very nature of the way of salvation was what was being argued about in the church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul lovingly and tenderly addresses them as 'brothers.'

* Illustration: Dutch gentleman elder responding, when discussing the discipline of a member of the church, "But she is a Christian!"

And let us remember that all through the New Testament, this is how the different churches are addressed: 'adelphoi.'

Yes, there are times when a note of indecision or uncertainty is inserted; for instance:

Romans 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?

1 Corinthians 5:11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

But overall, it is assumed that those who have identified themselves as a part of the Family of God are, in fact, fellow believers and, therefore, brothers in Christ:

Acts 1:15, 16 At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, 16 Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

Galatians 1:2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

Galatians 1:11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

Galatians 2:4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

Colossians 1:1, 2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thessalonians 5:25-28 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1Pe 2:17* Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

1Pe 3:8* To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

1Jo 5:16* If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.

Then, these illustrations:

"We few; We happy few; We band of brothers."

-King Henry the Fifth, Act 4, Scene 3, Line 60:

Ivory Coast: Rebels Spell Out Commands:

An officer who identified himself as Lieutenant Elinder and said he was the commander of rebels holding towns in the center and north of the country said it was "obligatory" for the insurgents to overthrow the government of President Laurent Gbagbo "to restore justice, peace and equality among all the sons of Ivory Coast."

(Agence France-Presse--"World Briefing: Africa," New York Times, 2 October 2002.

Would the gender-neutral Bible crowd (New Living Translation, New Internional Version Inclusive Language Edition, Today's New International Version, etc.) object to the New York Time's usage of this construction, or would they think that benighted patriarchal Africans ought to be able to express themselves as they choose?

But far beyond Elinder's words, what of the words of God Himself? Ought He not to be able to express Himself as He chooses?

* John Frame on Inclusive Language:

Theologically, I believe that God ordained man to represent woman in many situations (cf. 1 Cor. 11:3), and so the generic masculine pronoun has an appropriateness that is more than merely linguistic.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ."

- John Frame, Doctrine of the Knowledge of God.

Let us pray.