Proverbs: Friends, Brothers & Enemies - Steve Gregg

https://thenarrowpath.com | Steve Gregg explores the different types of human relationships in the book of Proverbs, addressing friends, siblings, enemies, and neighbors. The verses caution against choosing companions who lead one into crime, whispering rumors that undermine a friendship, and going surety for a friend. The speaker emphasizes the importance of earning trust and loving enemies, encouraging listeners to do good to their adversaries and leave vengeance to God. Overall, the message stresses the value of maintaining virtuous and intentional relationships. | Transcript: https://opentheo.org/i/5683542729742041439/proverbs-friends-and-enemies

Outline by Grok 3:
Outline of Steve Gregg’s Lecture on Proverbs:
Friends and Enemies
Introduction
• Context: Steve Gregg’s examination of human relationships in the Book of
Proverbs, focusing on friends, siblings, enemies, and neighbors.
• Relationship Types: Distinction between hierarchical (e.g., parent-child, rulersubject) and egalitarian relationships (friends, siblings, neighbors).
• Cultural Perspective: Modern aversion to hierarchy due to emphasis on
individual rights contrasts with biblical principles where hierarchy can resolve disputes.
I. The Nature of Egalitarian Relationships
• Egalitarian vs. Hierarchical: Unlike hierarchical relationships, egalitarian ones (friends, siblings, neighbors) lack a defined authority structure,
requiring mutual cooperation.
• Challenges: Without a hierarchy, resolving disagreements can be complex
as no party has final decision-making authority.
• Wisdom as Common Sense: Proverbs offers practical, sometimes obvious,
guidance on maintaining these relationships, akin to “common sense” or
“uncommon sense.”
II. Friends and Siblings
• Characteristics of True Friends and Siblings:
– Proverbs 17:17: A true friend loves at all times, even in adversity; a
sibling is born to support during hardship.
– Proverbs 18:24: To have friends, one must be friendly; some friends
are closer than siblings.
– Proverbs 27:6: Faithful friends may wound (e.g., through rebuke) for
one’s good, unlike deceitful enemies.
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– Proverbs 27:9: Heartfelt counsel from a friend is valuable, like ointment or perfume.
– Proverbs 27:17: Friends sharpen each other, like iron sharpening iron,
through constructive criticism or counsel.
• Sibling Bonds: Siblings are a divine gift meant to provide lifelong support,
though rivalry or neglect can undermine this purpose.
• Christian Application: Obligation to support both natural and spiritual
siblings (Galatians 6:10).
III. Choosing and Maintaining Friendships
• Choosing Friends Wisely:
– Proverbs 12:26: The righteous choose friends carefully to avoid being
led astray by wicked companions.
– Proverbs 1: Warns against associating with those who lead into crime.
• False Friends:
– Proverbs 14:20, 19:4, 19:6-7: False friends seek personal gain, abandoning the poor or those in adversity.
• Actions that Endanger Friendships:
– Proverbs 6:1-3, 17:18: Going surety (co-signing) for a friend risks financial loss and strains relationships.
– Proverbs 16:28: Gossip or whispering can undermine friendships by
sowing distrust.
– Proverbs 17:9: Repeating a friend’s transgression damages relationships, while covering it preserves love.
– Proverbs 27:10: Neglecting longstanding friendships (e.g., a father’s
friend) in favor of unreliable siblings can be unwise.
– Proverbs 27:14: Insensitive “blessings” (e.g., annoying gestures) can
harm relationships.
IV. Dealing with Enemies
• Enemies as Relationships: Enemies are a type of relationship requiring
management, often as neighbors (per Jesus’ teaching in the Good Samaritan
parable).
• Biblical Guidance on Enemies:
– Proverbs 16:7: Pleasing God can lead to reconciliation with enemies.
– Proverbs 27:6: Do not trust enemies’ deceitful gestures (e.g., “kisses”).
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– Proverbs 24:17-18: Do not rejoice in an enemy’s downfall, as it displeases God and may shift His judgment to you.
– Proverbs 25:21-22 (quoted in Romans 12:19-21): Do good to enemies
(e.g., feed them when hungry), leaving vengeance to God, which “heaps
coals of fire” on their heads (symbolizing impending divine judgment).
• Love vs. Trust: Loving enemies is virtuous, but trusting them is not required; trust must be earned, and gullibility is discouraged (e.g., Proverbs
warns against trusting man over God).
V. Theological and Practical Applications
• Pleasing God Over Men: Focus on pleasing God rather than fearing or
pleasing enemies, trusting Him to handle reconciliation or judgment.
• Overcoming Evil with Good: Doing good to enemies (e.g., Elisha’s kindness
to Assyrian soldiers) can defuse hostility and aligns with Jesus’ teachings
(Matthew 5, Luke 6).

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