A beautiful feature of New Testament Christianity is the unaffected, intimate manner in which the people of God address one another. Cultural norms may change from one place to another. Conventions in society may change with the passage of time. But the Word of God does not change. It is clear from passages such as Romans 16 and Colossians 4 that, when greetings were given, believers addressed one another on a first-name basis. There was no pretension. There was no formality. No “Mister,” no “Doctor,” no “Brother.” Simply Maria, Mark, or Archippus.

In instances of speaking about someone in the third person, there were occasional instances when their given name was prefixed in some way. This was to distinguish one who may not have been known personally, or whose name may have been common in society. In Hebrews 13:23 it is “our brother Timotheus.” In 1 Corinthians 16:12, “the brother Apollos.” They were marked out by the words “our” or “the.” Nobody was ever spoken about as “brother” or “sister” without words such as “the” or “our.” Otherwise the term would not have been descriptive of a relationship but would have become a pseudo-ecclesiastical title.

Besides this there are rare occasions where the word “brother” is used in an emotive way, such as the Judaizers to Paul, “Thou seest, brother, how many … are zealous of the law” (Acts 21:20). This manner of address is patently not normal. Brethren in a subsisting relationship need and want no more than to address each other by their first names.

May we be exercised to align our custom and practice with that of Scripture!