"GROWING IN GRACE - BROTHERLY KINDNESS"
Larry Yarber
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge, And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity;" (2nd Peter 1:5-7).
" 'Brotherly kindness' is from the Greek word philadelphia, literally, love of the brethren. As God is our Father, his children are our brethren, and the obligation to love them is clear and explicit: 'And whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him' (1st John 5:1)" (Guy N. Woods, Gospel Advocate Commentary, Peter - John - Jude, Gospel Advocate Company, 1979, p. 151). As you can see, the term we are studying this week is composed of two words. Therefore, Strong defines our term; "Philadelphia, fil - ad - el - fee - ah; from philadelphos; fraternal affection: brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren" (STRONG, p. 102). Vine defines it like this, "adelphos, ... 'denotes a brother or near kinsman'; in the plural, 'a community based on identity of origin of life.' ... Notes: (1) Associated words are ... philadelphia, 'brotherly love,' ... 'love of the brethren,' 1st Pet. 1:21 and 2nd Pet. 1:7, RV ..." (VINE, p.82). Thus, our discussion for this week is about our love or fondness for the brotherhood.
Love is the basis of all Christianity. Jesus said, "... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). He told His disciples, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, If ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). John would go on to say, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also (1st John 4:20-21). May we add to this, if we can't love our own family how will we ever learn to love those outside of our family? Thus, we see the need and importance of brotherly love (kindness).
The Bible stresses this love to us by stating, "Let brotherly love continue" (Hebrews 13:1). Paul exhorted those at Rome to be desirous of one another's company, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" (Romans 12:10). Remember, "... evil communications corrupt good manners" (1st Corinthians 15:33). As insinuated above, healthy relationships will help us endure the trials and temptations of life but unhealthy relationships will lead to our ruin. Finally, Paul wrote to those of Thessalonica, "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another" (1st Thessalonians 4:9). To this Peter added, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" (1st Peter 1:22). May we learn to observe all these admonitions and do as Peter later said, "... Love the brotherhood ..." (1st Peter 2:17).
Love however, is more than just a word or a tingling feeling in our heart. True love is illustrated by action, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1st John 3:16-18). Love without action is as useless as action without love. Neither will it provide us with any lasting benefit, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1st Corinthians 13:3). May we learn to add to our other graces the attribute of brotherly kindness? Then, and only then, will we do all we can to promote the health and welfare of the church and each individual in the brotherhood!