WEDNESDAY 30th
2 Peter 1:7
‘. . . and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.’
If I mentioned the word or name ‘philadelphia’, I wonder what it would conjure up in your mind? Maybe a soft cheese, maybe the place Philadelphia? Well in the context of our devotion today it is the Greek word that translates into our text as ‘brotherly love or affection’.
Peter is reminding those who he is writing to, that an essential characteristic in the outworking of the gospel in the life of a Christian is to show or to display brotherly affection, love. Because the next quality is that of love, there must have been in Peter’s understanding something different about ‘brotherly love’ and ‘love’.
A look at another translation helps us to understand what Peter means by brotherly affection, and it is from the KJV and the NKJV where we see it as ‘brotherly kindness’, another translation, uses the term ‘mutual affection’(NAB)
This quality is a quality that should be displayed within the household of God, it is a brotherly (and sisterly) supplement, and we are not brothers (or sisters) to the world, we are brothers (and sisters) to one another, that is within the household of faith. Now this doesn’t mean we do not have to show kindness toward those who are outside of the household of faith, of course we should do, (it is by our good works that men and women will know that we are his disciples) but we should especially show it to one another within the body of Christ.
The measure to which we show kindness toward one another is the measure to which God has shown his kindness toward us. He showed his kindness even when we didn’t deserve it, he shows his kindness toward us despite whatever we may be like, he shows his kindness even when we are not living up to the standard he sets, he shows his kindness to everyone, without prejudice.
This is what Scripture says in other places, Romans 12:10 ‘Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.’
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 ‘Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.’
Hebrews 13:1 ‘Let brotherly love continue’.
1 Peter 1:22 ‘Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart . . .’.
We sometimes sing, ‘Let there be love shared among us. Let there be love in our eyes. May now your love sweep this nation. Cause us O Lord to arise. Give us a fresh understanding. Of brotherly love that is real. Let there be love shared among us. Let there be love.’
May it be said as the world look upon us, ‘My how they love and care for each other’.