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"Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up: Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD." - Psalm 129.
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Most Christians are firmiliar with the two "types" of love most often refered to in the New Testament. These are the "agape" and "phileo" type loves in the Greek. Phileo being a friendly type love and agape being the most often mentioned in the New Testament Greek.
However, there is another type of love mentioned in the New Testament, that is not mentioned in discussion quite as frequently, perhaps because it is only found in five verses, but nevertheless when we look at the Greek word and the verses where it is used we see it is a powerful and often overlooked subject matter.
The word is "Philadelphia" and it means "brotherly love"; of course this is how the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania got its nickname the city of brotherly love.
The five verses where we find the Greek word "philadelphia" in the KJV are: Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22 and 2 Peter 1:7. As time permits, I'd like to briefly look at each of these verses in their context and highlight some of the importance.
First, let's look at one of the more simpler and direct ways in which it is used and that is the command of Hebrews 13:1:
"Let brotherly love continue." (Hebrews 13:1).
While this begins Hebrews 13, which is a great chapter, we must keep in mind when the Bible was originally written; it was not in chapters and verses; the translators did that. So lets back-up to the end of Hebrews 12 and we see that the context shows some very serious lessons given before we read of "philadelphia" in Hebrews 13:1; note the importance:
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. - Hebrews 12:24.
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: - Hebrews 12:25.
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. - Hebrews 12:26.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. - Hebrews 12:27.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: - Hebrews 12:28.
For our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:29.
"Let brotherly love continue." (Hebrews 13:1).
Isn't it interesting that right after we are warned that our God is a consuming fire we are then told: "let brotherly love continue". ?
This points to the fact that we should love the brethren as ourselves.
Another verse of the five verses containg Philadelphia is found in that wonderful exhortation in Romans 12 which speaks of the abundant life and how it is a life of service. No comment needed regarding the exhortation in these verses, it is so wonderful it is apparent to all with spiritual eyes & ears:
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:10- 21).
A third place where Philadelphia is found is 2 Peter 1:7 which is in the context of growing in Christian virtue. There we read:
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 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. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:2-8).
A fourth place where we find the Greek word philadelphia is used is in that great chapter, 1 Thessalonians 4 which speaks about sanctification and love before going on to speak of the second coming of Christ, there the inspired Paul wrote:
"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." (1 Thessalonians 4:9).
There you have it.
The Bible instructs us that we should not really have to remind other Christians that we must love one another; we are taught this by God. God has written truth on the heart of each of His dear children, and this is truth that we are commanded to love one another and taught this by God. If one does not have brotherly love, yet claims to be in Christ, they may be hypocritical or mistaken in their thinking because without brotherly love it would appear from scripture that God really is not teaching them nor writing His commandments upon their heart, they still may be unsaved.
Now the fifth and verse I wanted to look at is found in 1 Peter 1:22. I saved this one for last because of the five, I would choose this one as my favorite:
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: - 1 Peter 1:22.
Here's the context:
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: 1 Peter 1:22.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. - 1 Peter 1:23.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: -1 Peter 1:24.
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. - 1 Peter 1:25.
Here Peter really gets to the meat or "philadelphia steak" of the word. Note the cry in verse 22: we love our brothers & sisters in Christ because our souls are purified and we obey the Holy Spirit unto brotherly love. We are to love each other "fervently" or "from the heart" (nas); then verse 23 of 1 Peter assures us that this is an evidence of salvation, brotherly love; a salvation and new birth that is imperishable! This week and every week, whenever you may read this, dear friend and reader, try and focus all the more as Hebrews 13:1 instructs us to, let brotherly love continue! A brotherly love that according to 1 Peter 1:22 is unhypocritical. Stay ever closer to God's Word and together let us love our brothers and sisters with a pure heart all the more, over and over:
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: 1 Peter 1:22.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. - 1 Peter 1:23.
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