What Is The Meaning Of 2 Peter 1.7 Part 1 Brotherly Kindness

“Be Diligent to Cultivate Brotherly Affection”

2 Peter 1:7

INTRODUCTION What is the Meaning of 2 Peter 1.7 Part 1 Brotherly kindness

ILL: 2 Peter 1. Sometimes it’s most difficult to get along with people whom we love most. Alex is retired, but he still goes up on the roof to clean the gutters. His wife, Angie, has told him numerous times that it scares her when he uses the ladder. [She pauses, ‘I could yell at him again or…”]… instead of [my] usual complaints … ahem … she playfully yells up to him, “You know, it’s husbands like you who turn wives into nags.”^[1] There are other ways to handle that too, of course.

…we can easily hurt the most those we love the most and fail to show brotherly affection, family affection to those we love. And that’s true also in the family of Christ.

READ 2 Peter 1:5-7

2 Peter 1:5–7 ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [practice these things … if you do…]

2 Peter 1:11 ¹¹ For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We’re discussing how to have an abundant entrance into Christ’s kingdom, v.11. To have it takes adding these qualities to our lives by God’s grace. Little increase of these qualities, little entrance into His kingdom.

Note the progression of the qualities

Devotion=virtue … moral excellence of commitment to growing in Christ excellence, knowledge (bible, fellowship, discipleship, etc.)

Discipline: self control (which of course is not like a lost person recognizes need for controlling emotions – but ours is done in relation to Christ), perseverance (keep on serving Christ no matter what…).

And now… keep on serving Christ with His people, … perseverance toward other believers and to all men … the social virtues: brotherly kindness, love

-these different yet similar. Brotherly kindness is a family love toward other believers. And love goes beyond just family love and includes lost people and enemies!

POINT: Affectionately serve your brothers and sisters in Christ by knowing that Christ is our brother.

Same 3 points: be diligent to supply it, what is it, and how do we get it.

Be Diligent to Supply

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Galatians 6:9 ⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

We’re not just called to study these qualities, we’re called to be diligent to supply them to our lives. They need to be increasing.

Don’t be weary of it, be diligent to seek the Lord for it.

Philippians 3:14 ¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Press on, there is a prize!

What is Brotherly Affection?

The original word in verse 7 is a word you know, Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the city of …. brotherly love. Basically, this is an example of how NT authors sanctified a term to use it in the Christian community.

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That’s because outside the NT, the word was used exclusively for family members. Christians began to use the term for each other.

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Romans 12:10 ¹⁰ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

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1 Thessalonians 4:9 ⁹ But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

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Hebrews 13:1 ¹ Let brotherly love continue.

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1 Peter 1:22 ²² 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:

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1 Peter 3:8 ⁸ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

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What we have in common with other Christians … namely Christ Himself…. Binds us closer together than any earthly family members.

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POINT: So affectionately serve your brothers and sisters in Christ by knowing Christ is our brother.

ASK: Of course, it’s very easy not to be brotherly, things and situations can come into our lives so that we’re not brotherly affectionate and we’re not serving other believers. So what can tempt us not to be brotherly? What can get in the way of brotherly kindness … of affectionately serving each other?

busyness sure can. Our culture tells us that the more busy you are the the better the person

It’s very easy to find fulfillment elsewhere other than in serving… entertainment choices other things
My personal emotional pain can get in the way… I’m don’t feel up to it, but you could deny yourself…

Affectionate service to our brothers and sisters in Christ is built on the foundation of the gospel and our recognizing that we are all brothers and sisters of Jesus and we have one Father.

CLIMAX WITH: us all being brothers and sisters!

Matthew 12:48–50 ⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? ⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! ⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Hebrews 2:11 ¹¹ For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

One of the great aims of salvation in Christ is this family unity. He who saves and those who are saved are from one Father…and so He’s not ashamed to call us brothers.

Romans 8:29 ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

So see, Christ has been raised from the dead in His glorified body first before the rest of His brethren.

We’re all one in Christ, a family, through our brother Jesus’ work and through faith in Him.

The all glorious Son of God…I’m his brother by faith in Him, by embracing Him as my Saviour, He’s now my real brother. And so we’re united in our brotherhood! And so I don’t just relate to you Christians as another human being, like lost people would. Lost people have in common Adam…and their fallen rebellious natures.

But dear brother and sister in Christ, we have as our common brother the glorious second Adam who came to reverse the curse, to save His people from their sins and to make for Himself a people for His own possession … we have to do with Him…

… “ to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.”

So we don’t just relate to each other on a human level, but in Christ! As brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ! That inestimable privilege, deeply known in my heart, should cause me to pause and refrain when I’m tempted not to be brotherly…when I’m tempted to be angry with a brother or standoff ish toward a brother or avoid a brother on purpose. This is my brother … in Christ! How am I to relate to this brother now?

POINT: Affectionately serve your brothers and sisters in Christ by knowing Christ Himself is our brother.

ASK: What are some actions or sins that are the opposite of brotherly kindness?

It’s very easy for Christians to form their own little clubs or or clicks. Like Peter when he distanced himself from gentile believers in galatians chapter 2 because he feared the Jews And what they might think.

Christians very easily can react out of their signatures and begin to be malicious or deceitful. Christian people can unfortunately be envious slander other Christians or be hypocritical. But of course, when confronted a true Christian will repent of these things.

So a Christian can have some range when it comes to brotherly affection.

On one end of the spectrum …there can be a

1. Non-biblical rejection of a brother’s ministry and anger toward, slander perhaps

ASK: If someone is this way toward brothers in Christ, what does this show about his spiritual life? That he rejects a brother unscripturally?

It shows that he doesn’t understand that he’s a brother in Christ!

TRANS: or now, in the middle, a Christian can be …

2. Neutral on affection, doesn’t seek out to serve.

And you haven’t reached out to that believer and they are hurting and you know they are, but you’re too busy, hurt, whatever.And so you don’t feel that there’s any reason to reach out to them.

TRANS: But there are other believers and they …

3. Go out of way to serve diligently

ASK: What does brotherly kindness look like?

1 Peter 3:8–9 ⁸ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: ⁹ Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

-fellowship even when you don’t feel like it

-seeking others for prayer

-meeting genuine needs, physically spiritually

-encouragement

-rebuking when someone is in deep sin, that’s the kind thing to do.

It looks like …

1. Unity.

Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)
Don’t grumble among one another (Jn 6:43)

Be of the same mind with one another (Ro 12:16, 15:5)
Accept one another (Ro 15:7)
Don’t bite, devour one another—don’t eat each other (Ga 5:15)

Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another (Ga 5:26).
Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Ep 4:2)
Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ep 4:32)

Bear with and forgive one another (Co 3:13)
Seek good for one another (1 Th 5:15)
Don’t complain against one another (Jas 4:11, 5:9)

Confess sins to one another (Jas 5:16)

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2. Love.

Love one another (Jn 13:34, 15:12, 17; Ro 13:8; 1 Th 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pe 1:22; 1 Jn 3:11, 4:7, 11; 2 Jn 5)
Through love, serve one another (Ga 5:13)

Tolerate one another in love (Ep 4:2)
Be devoted to one another in love (Ro 12:10)

3. Humility.

Give preference to one another in honor (Ro 12:10)

Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)
Serve one another (Ga 5:13)
Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind to one another (Ro 12:16)
Be subject to one another (Ep 5:21)
Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Pe 5:5)

4. Here’s the rest:

Do not judge one another, and don’t put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Ro 14:13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Ga 6:2)
Speak truth to one another (Ep 4:25)
Don’t lie to one another (Co 3:9)
Comfort one another concerning our future resurrection (1 Th 4:18)
Encourage and build up one another (1 Th 5:11)
Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (He 10:24)
Pray for one another (Jas 5:16)
Be hospitable to one another (1 Pe 4:9)

That’s brotherly affection … That’s affectionately serving your brothers and sisters in Christ. How do we get there?

How to Get It

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Know Your union in Christ with other believers

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Revelation 5:9 ⁹ And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

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[brothers from every tribe!]

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Ephesians 4:5–6 ⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

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[brothers with one Father!]

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Our brotherhood lasts through the ages!

Know Your union in Christ with other believers. Meditate on this as you pray for others.

So, we’re not just dealing with another human made in the image of God as if that wasn’t enough, but this person is your brother in Christ…or you sister in Christ! Know your union in Christ with other believers in order to affectionately serve them. You don’t serve them, you serve the Lord when you serve them.

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Matthew 25:40 ⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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Or this … you’re not serving the Lord when you don’t affectionately serve your brother in Christ.

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The King also says … Matthew 25:45 ⁴⁵ …, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

How would I treat others if I knew I was treating Christ that way?

You’re not just angry and disappointed with that believer or refusing to serve her, your refusing to serve Christ! Or you’re not just affectionately serving that believer by bearing their burdens, you’re serving your brother, the Lord Jesus!

Let this sink in in order to grow in brotherly kindness: Know Your union in Christ with other believers

Meditate on one another passages – repent and grow

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Reconciled to members; full fellowship with other believers

Confess to someone you’re not in full fellowship with. Do you have something against that brother?

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Do you remember that someone has something against you?

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Matthew 5:23–24 ²³ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; ²⁴ Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

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Make it right. Is your unbiblical response causing a rift with that believer and you’re not in full, arm-in-arm going-the-same-direction fellowship with that brother? Make it right!

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Repent, change course. Go out of your way to serve others!

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Actively be brotherly

The Holy Spirit is already leading you this way. Submit to Him …

Do what you know you’re to be doing toward that brother or sister also!

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Brainstorm … quickly…ASK: What are things we can do?

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-meals, genuine fellowship, ask them over, call on phone, what can I pray for you about? Hold accountable. Confront where necessary.

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