"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Pet. 1:5-7; NKJV).
The two words, "brotherly kindness," come from one word in Greek (philadelphia) which is a compound from two words and it means brotherly love according to Strong's Concordance. The Greek word, philadelphia, may sound familiar, as it is the name of a city in Pennsylvania, and that city being known as the "City of Brotherly Love."
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:22, "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart." That is the idea being expressed. We are to exhibit a sincere love for one another.
Paul expressed the idea in Romans 12:10 when he wrote, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another." That means putting others before ourselves. Paul went on to state in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
Picture the brotherly kindness that existed between Jesus and Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. When Jesus heard of the death of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, we read two words in John 11:35 that simply say, "Jesus wept."
In another example, Paul commends the Philippians of their kindness that was shown (Phil. 4:16-18).
Certainly these are examples that we can follow as we grow in brotherly kindness towards one another.
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