The first few qualities that Peter said we are to add to our faith relate to behaviors, attitudes, or traits that impact us personally. We are to learn what is right (knowledge), do what is right (moral excellence), refrain from doing what is wrong (self-control), and continue to do these things (perseverance). In the previous lesson, we saw how our attitude toward God affects our behavior (godliness). The next characteristic (brotherly kindness) focuses on how we treat other people.
“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 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” (2 Peter 1:5-8).
What Is Brotherly Kindness?
The Greek word for brotherly kindness is philadelphia, which is why the city of Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. This is the word for fraternal affection (Strong’s). It is not love toward others in general (this trait is next in Peter’s list), but for a particular group of people who share a bond with the one who is displaying this characteristic. In the New Testament, the word is used to describe one’s love for his fellow Christians. As we will see, this is the attitude that will lead us to do good to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
What Brotherly Kindness Looks Like WITHOUT Faith
Many unbelievers do good to others. They show kindness, provide charity, and more. However, without faith, their brotherly kindness will be incomplete.
Jesus condemned those who only invited their friends, relatives, and rich neighbors to their feasts. He said, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14). On one hand, it is good to show kindness to others, and Jesus was not condemning this per se. However, as Jesus explained, they were doing this to the neglect of helping those in need. They defined “brother” as they wanted to, not as the Lord would.* [We will explore this point further in a moment.]
Terms like “brother” can often be defined in such a way as to narrow one’s responsibility and ignore others. A lawyer who came to Jesus tried to do this with another word – “neighbor.” After Jesus told him to love his neighbor as himself, the man tried to “justify himself” by asking, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29). Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to explain. The Lord’s point was that someone could not fulfill the law if they ignored or redefined what it meant to love his neighbor as himself. In the same way, if we want to please the Lord and fulfill His commands, we need to recognize who our brothers and sisters are in Christ. If one does not have faith, he has no hope of getting this right because he is not in Christ to begin with.
What Brotherly Kindness Looks Like WITH Faith
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). In order to know how to practice brotherly kindness and who this is directed to (our brethren in Christ), we have to turn to the Scriptures.
In writing to the saints in Rome, Paul said, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor” (Romans 12:10). The word devoted is from the Greek word philostorgos (which we can see is related to the word for brotherly kindness – philadelphia), and means cherishing one’s kindred (Strong’s). This should remind us that we are a spiritual family in Christ. When we obeyed the gospel, we “purified [our] souls for a sincere love of the brethren” (1 Peter 1:22). We are the “children of God” (1 John 3:1) and the “brethren” of Christ (Hebrews 2:11). Sharing this relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ should cause us to recognize the close relationship we are to have with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
This closeness should lead us to serve one another, as Paul explained to the brethren in Galatia: “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14). This means we will do good to each other, which includes helping one another spiritually (Galatians 6:1-2), as well as helping our brethren who are in need (Galatians 6:10). The apostle John wrote, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17).
As Peter explained in the passage cited above (1 Peter 1:22), we show love with sincerity and a pure heart. This means we have no ulterior motive other than seeking the good of our brother or sister in Christ. Furthermore, this is not just something we talk about, but we demonstrate our love for one another through our actions: “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).
In addition to helping our brethren, showing brotherly kindness also helps us avoid sin. John wrote, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10). We often sin against others because we fail to develop the proper attitude toward them. Yet Paul explained, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). In the same way, developing a proper sense of brotherly love will keep us from doing wrong against them.
How to Add Brotherly Kindness to Our Faith
Since faith is the foundation and the source of faith is the word of God (Romans 10:17), we must search the Scriptures to see how to add brotherly kindness to our faith.
This starts with recognizing who our brethren are. Paul explained this in his letter to the Galatians: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). Through faith, we become sons of God when we are baptized into Christ. This places us in the “brotherhood” of God’s chosen people. This brotherhood is not based upon class, race, or any other distinction (Galatians 3:28-29). Instead, it is about those who are the people of God by faith. Paul explained later in this letter that we are to be especially mindful of our brethren in Christ: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10). We do not isolate ourselves from the world, but there is a different and special relationship we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, as we recognize who our brethren are, we “give preference to one another” (Romans 12:10) and seek to do good to our fellow Christians.
We also need to remember the love that the Lord has shown to us. John wrote, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). When we recognize and appreciate the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for us, it becomes easier to sacrifice for our brethren and put their needs ahead of our own. John also wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). God is love, and we are to show that love to others, especially our brethren.
Finally, we need to be continually reminded about this. In writing to the church in Thessalonica, Paul wrote, “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10). Although they already understood the importance of showing brotherly love, Paul encouraged them to continue practicing it and even grow in that area. We may know what to do and, like the Thessalonians, are doing it. But we, in the same way, should be encouraged to “excel still more.” There is always more we can do for our brethren and ways in which we can grow closer to them. Doing this will strengthen the whole body of Christ.
Conclusion
Growing in faith will impact every area of our lives, including how we treat others. As it pertains to our fellow Christians, we need to recognize the common bond we have in Christ. Let us show love to our brethren as the Lord has shown love to us.
———
* For more on this point, see the article, Who Is My Brother?
