Brotherly Kindness

Concept

Brotherly kindness (Greek philadelphia, lit. "love of brothers") is the warm, practical affection that members of the covenant community are to show toward one another, grounded in the shared family bond created by God's redemption. In the NT, the term draws on the OT family and covenant concepts while redefining the family: all who are in Christ are brothers and sisters, regardless of ethnic or social distinctions (Gal. 3:28; Rom. 8:29). Paul commands: "Love one another with brotherly affection (philadelphia). Outdo one another in showing honor" (Rom. 12:10). The Thessalonians are commended for their philadelphia but exhorted to abound in it still more (1 Thess. 4:9–10). The writer of Hebrews places it first in practical exhortation: "Let brotherly love continue" (Heb. 13:1). Peter calls it the penultimate virtue in the chain of Christian character, to be supplemented by agape — unconditional love that extends even to enemies (2 Pet. 1:7). John grounds the obligation theologically: "If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11), making mutual love the visible proof of divine love's reality. The command to love the brotherhood specifically appears in 1 Peter 2:17.