Written by Paul J Bucknell on July, 29, 2023

2 Peter 1:7 Practice Brotherly Love

PURSUING HIS EXCELLENCE #10

2 Peter 1:7 records two different words for love. First is the word for brotherly love, ‘philadelphia, and can be translated as: “brotherly kindness,” “brotherly affection,” and “kindness.” This is the seventh quality listed, differentiating it from the 8th quality, the commonly used Greek word ‘agape,’ meaning Christian or God’s unconditional love.

This fraternal love, the special love shown within families, represents acts of kindness within the family of God. The love of God in Christ Jesus binds His children together, giving us a genuine family connection.

Brotherly love builds upon godliness, the sixth quality. Godliness expresses God’s standards and upright living, but brotherly love is shown by giving extra help to others in God’s family. They have a need, and you can help. Godliness is the regular spiritual discipline to overcome our flesh, enabling us to express love as Christ wants us to. Godly living does what is right, but brotherly love stretches beyond our boundaries, calling us to see and respond to the needs of others.

Let’s look at two essential components of growing brotherly love.

1) A Vision for Brotherly Love (2 Pet 1:7)

The concept of brotherly love stems from love in a natural family and displays harmony, acceptance, and care.

Love means harmony.

Harmony comes from family members being deeply knit together, typically through a set of common parents and many shared experiences. Some parents adopt children and choose to welcome them into their family, as God has done with us.

God has planted the desire for warm relationships between brothers and sisters in the Lord—fellowship (Greek: koinonia) in Christians (1 John 1:3). Believers should restore and maintain such giving relationships. Peter says we need to add brotherly love to godliness in verse 7. Godliness provides that common affinity for God and His holy ways. Godliness shapes the oft-mentioned expectations and more subtle God-motivating acts of forgiveness and kindness.

Love’s harmony does not mean that we always agree or give in to suit others, but that we sincerely work together in peace. Pride, jealousy, and an unforgiving spirit start some of the biggest ‘family’ problems. As we put Christ’s heart on (Phil 2:1-4), we can kindly work through our differences, whether doctrinal, scheduling, or preferences.

Love means acceptance.

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 15:5-6)

Love means acceptance. Romans 15:7 has powerful implications, “Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” We are to accept each other just as Christ has accepted us.

The 1 Corinthians 12:21-25 passage speaks of the honorable and those deemed less honorable. However, everyone plays an important role. “Members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor 12:25-26). We are equally precious in the Lord’s sight as part of His body but different and called to different duties in the body.

We must refuse to make exceptions to this rule, even with the person hard to get along with. Mutual acceptance forms the basis on which our relationships grow. Similarly, marriage grows from such acceptance. Our acceptance does not depend on what that person means to us but primarily on what they mean to the Lord.

As a side note, I remind brothers to be very careful in relating to sisters. While a brother and sister can have a great time sharing, it should be done in public, as in a cell group.

Love means care.

Love means caring. We put the brother or sister’s needs above our own.

True care is based on discernment. For example, a person typically cares about his own responsibilities. Laziness is not good, but we should bear the weakness of another. If someone needs help watching the kid’s class, you can jump in and help. Or someone might be lonely after a close friend moved away so you can express a little extra concern.

Paul speaks on brotherly love after discussing heavy doctrinal teaching earlier in Romans. Our faith and life are not two different things. The way Christ lived should directly influence how we view and treat our brothers and sisters in the Lord, whether we work, pray, live, or eat with them. You might not have chosen them, but God has chosen them, and because of this, we must treat them respectfully. This is the vision of love that the Lord has given to us.

Romans 15:1-4 marks out ways to express brotherly love.

“¹ Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. ² Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. ³ For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” ⁴ For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:1-4)

Summary

What is your view of brotherly love? Are there people for whom you make exceptions to help? Why? Unless we commit to others shaped by Christ’s commitment to them, our love is worthless. God has made us one family. Once someone is in the family, we must treat him or her as part of the family. There are no tests to pass; Christ’s acceptance means our acceptance.

Koinonia is shared experiences with others before God.

2) A Heart for Brotherly Love (1 Cor 13:4-8 )

Talking about brotherly love is not the same as practicing brotherly love. Brotherly love proves itself under challenging circumstances and is the practical, godly outworking to those around you. If love is all talk but no action, then it is not love. Most people connect love with happy and easy times, but growing up in a family, one intuitively knows that there are many difficult situations to bear.

The God-given brotherly love confirms God's actions in making us brothers and sisters. He made us a family, and we don’t have a choice! When we enter His spiritual family, we instantly belong, highlighting the importance of love and unity. Our strength increases when we share this unity. In Psalm 133:3, the famous Psalm of unity, speaks of how pleasant this unity is. It is like the pleasant and refreshing dew on Mt. Hermon and then says, “For there the LORD commanded His blessing – life forever.” We are mystically blessed and strengthened as we unite our hearts.

The same is true with Christians in their love. The Bible uses the word ‘koinonia’ to speak of this brotherly love shared in the presence of God. Don’t let busy studies or life make you miss out on being part of God’s family, the testimonies, and the love of other brothers and sisters. In Acts, we saw the church’s power grow to great heights because they met with each other daily. From that unity in God’s presence, God began to work mightily.

It’s nice to be together - to have shared experiences. Our family goes out to eat or visits the zoo. But compare this to sharing how you are dealing with problems and follow with prayer for each other. Which is more precious? Because you are expressing unity and closeness in the presence of God, this fellowship-koinonia time will encourage you both. Be thankful that ‘the best things in life are free,’ but we need to structure ourselves to enjoy these things.

Do you have that inner commitment to love your brothers and sisters in Christ? Let me challenge you with a couple of practical issues.
Do you pray for your brothers and sisters? If you only pray for yourself, then something is desperately wrong.
Do you think you can live alone without regularly meeting other Christians? Then again, something is missing in your life. Prayerfully find a time to meet and share life with other believers.

Our commitment to love others will show up in our priorities. A Christian loves these brothers and sisters the way Christ does.

Summary

The Lord provides us with opportunities to love others. Knowing what’s right and doing it are two different things. Love is not just talk but action. Love is associated with happy and easy times, but it’s tested during crises.

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“⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (2 Peter 1:5-10).