Pastor Chris launches our new series around Friendship with a look at what the Scriptures and C.S Lewis say about the value of true friends.
“To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
John 15:12-15
12 My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. 13 There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. 14 You celebrate our friendship if you obey this command. 15 I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends.
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“Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like ‘What? You too? I thought I was the only one.’”
—C.S. Lewis
“That is why pathetic people who simply “want friends” can never make any. The very condition of having Friends is that we should want something else besides Friends … Friendship must be about something, even it were only an enthusiasm for dominoes or white mice. Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow travelers.”
—C.S. Lewis
1 Corinthians 15:33
But don’t be so naïve—there’s another saying you know well—Bad company corrupts good habits.
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Proverbs 22:24-25
24 Do not befriend someone given to anger or hang around with a hothead.
25 Odds are, you’ll learn his ways, become angry as well, and get caught in a trap.
Proverbs 13:20
One who walks with the wise becomes wise, but whoever keeps company with fools only hurts himself.
Proverbs 27:5-10
5 Open rebuke is better
than hidden love.
6 Wounds inflicted by the correction of a friend prove he is faithful;
the abundant kisses of an enemy show his lies.
7 The person who is full has no interest in honey;
but to the starving, bitterness itself is sweet.
8 Like a bird that strays far from its nest,
so is a person who forsakes his own home.
9 The heart is delighted by the fragrance of oil and sweet perfumes,
and in just the same way, the soul is sweetened by the wise counsel of a friend.
10 Do not neglect your friend or your parent’s friend for that matter.
When hard times come, you don’t have to travel far to get help from family;
A neighbor who is near is better
than a brother who is far away.
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Proverbs 17:17
A true friend loves regardless of the situation, and a real brother exists to share the tough times.
“Friendships seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it.”
—C.S. Lewis
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”
—C.S. Lewis
“You will not find the warrior, the poet, the philosopher or the Christian by staring in his eyes as if he were your mistress: better fight beside him, read with him, argue with him, pray with him.”
—C.S. Lewis