Who is my Neighbor? by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 23, 1864

Who is my Neighbor?

By Editor

IN REVIEW No. 8, present volume, we expressed the opinion "that a 'neighbor' in the Christian sense, is determined by the same rule that Christ gave in Matt. xii, 50, to determine who was his brother and sister and mother; namely, whosoever should do the will of his Father which was in Heaven." As this appears to have called out some discussion of the subject, one class taking the ground that the word neighbor is to be taken in its absolute sense, and applied universally; and others that it should be restricted, and applied to a particular class only, we add a word more concerning it.

By speaking of neighbor in the "Christian" sense, we intended to imply that there is another sense in which the word is sometimes to be taken, as we believe there is: one is an absolute, unlimited sense, the other limited. For instance, when we read in the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," we believe it is to be taken absolutely, meaning every one and any one with whom we come into any sort of relation; for it would be wrong for us to bear false witness against any one, whatever might be his character, or the relation that he sustained toward us. But when it is said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," we think the term is to be restricted to a particular class, for the following reasons:

1. The original command, as it was given to the Hebrews as they came out of Egypt, had reference only to the people of that nation, not to the stranger who was among them. This appears from a few verses of Lev. xix, verse 16: "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor." "Thy people" and "thy neighbor," here meaning, if we mistake not, the same thing. Verse 17: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." Here "thy brother" and "thy neighbor," are synonymous expressions. Then occurs the injunction to love our neighbor as ourselves, as follows: verse 18: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people: but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Here "the children of thy people" and "thy neighbor," are clearly the same. We thus have plainly before us, the extent of the injunction as first given.

In commenting upon this in the New Testament, the Saviour illustrates the principle by the parable of the good Samaritan, showing that the neighbor to the man who fell among thieves, was, not the thief who had assaulted and robbed him, nor the priest and Levite who passed by his needy condition with indifference, but he who showed mercy to him and supplied his wants.

2. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves; and although we are commanded to love our enemies, we are never commanded to love them to this extent.

3. We are to do good to all men, but especially to them who are of the household of faith. Gal. vi, 10. This shows a plain distinction between the household of faith, and the world generally. The claims of the former take precedence over all others. We are to do them good especially; or, in other words, to love them as ourselves.

But if we are to do good to all men, and to extend love to our enemies, but still in a less degree than we do to those who are with us in the faith, to what extent shall we do this? Answer. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink." "Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you." Rom. xii, 20; Matt. v, 44.

Have we not all felt that the ties of truth were stronger even than the ties of blood; that they who did the will of our Father in Heaven were in the Christian sense, our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and neighbors.

Still, there need be no controversy on this subject. Let those who believe that all men are their neighbors, act toward them as we are commanded to act toward our neighbors. And let those who believe that they are to love as themselves, only those who are with them in the faith, still be careful to extend to all others those acts and sentiments of mercy, charity, kindness and goodwill which the Scriptures enjoin.