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What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by…

“What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ. Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us. This is true not merely at the beginning, as though in the course of time something else were to be added to our community; it remains so…” quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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““What determines our brotherhood is what that man is by reason of Christ. Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us. This is true not merely at the beginning, as though in the course of time something else were to be added to our community; it remains so for all the future and to all eternity. I have community with others and I shall continue to have it only through Jesus Christ. The more genuine and the deeper our community becomes, the more will everything else between us recede, the more clearly and purely will Jesus Christ and his work become the one and only thing that is vital between us. We have one another only through Christ, but through Christ we do have one another, wholly, for eternity.””

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Christian community is defined solely by Christ; all other bonds fade, leaving Christ as the eternal, vital connection between people.

In simple terms: Community exists only through Christ.

Key Takeaway

Center relationships on shared faith in Christ.

Themes

faith community eternity spiritual unity Christocentrism

Mood

contemplative devotional

Type

theological inspirational

When to use this quote

  • Church services
  • small group Bible studies
  • mission work
  • personal prayer

Key Concepts

Ecclesiology theology of fellowship Christocentric ethics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does Christ‑centered community address social injustice?
  • What does true fellowship look like in a pluralistic world?
A Different Perspective

Excluding non‑Christians can limit broader humanitarian outreach.

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