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Kindness
February 22, 2020

Throughout 2020 we’ve been examining a passage from second Peter looking at 2 Peter 1:5-8 , “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.” Last week we looked at godliness and today, we will look at kindness.

The word for kindness in verse seven is the Greek word philadelphia, just like the United States city, and cities in other parts of the world. It comes from Strong’s Greek word 5360 and it means brotherly love or kindness, and love for the brethren. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the best known city in the United States that bears that name. There are other cities and towns primarily in the eastern part of the United States and I’ve been able to find a few towns in Europe and South Africa that also have the same name. Philadelphia was also the name of a city that one of the churches in the Book of Revelation was mentioned. A variant of the Greek word philadelphia, philadelphos is used once in 1 Peter 3:8.

1 Peter 3:8-12
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

When we have love for the brethren, when we have philadelphia, or in this instance in this passage, philadelphos, we have compassion for each other. We do not seek retributions for evils that happen against us. When other people act angry towards us, we do not act angry back towards them. When people curse them, instead of cursing them back, we seek a blessing for that person. That is what philadelphi means. It’s a higher form of Christianity. It’s a higher exercise of the Spirit of God that is within us.

The Book of Hebrews gives us other thoughts on philadelphia, brotherly love. We allow brotherly love, brotherly kindness, philadelphia, to continue when we remember people who are in bonds, people who are in prison, people who in the modern era might be heavily in debt that there is no way for them to dig themselves out of debt. Verse three could be people who are going through bankruptcy. And in verse three when we look at those who suffer adversity, people who have illnesses in their life are suffering adversity. People who are experiencing any kind of loss in their life are experiencing adversity, whether that loss is the love of a family member that is lost through death, whether they have lost a job, whether they have lost anything in their life that might have defined them. It’s all a loss for these people, and we have to remember people who are in bonds and people who are suffering adversity for us to have philadelphia.

Hebrews 13:1-6
Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

As we are demonstrating this brotherly love, we have to hate the evil that we see in this world, within ourselves that we are still working on, and in our communities, and we have to cleave to that which is good. We, as Christians, are not to repay evil for evil. There is to be no reciprocity on our behalf when we are the recipients of evil. Whatever we do, we are to do honest in the sight of all men, the modern phrase would be transparency. We cannot be deceitful in our actions in any way. We have to be open, and as much as possible, we have to live peaceably with all people, because if we are choosing with whom we will have peace and with whom we will have war, we will always be living a life where we are at war.

Romans 12:9-21
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 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.

Philadelphia is another sign post on our journey of faith. We start our journey by being diligent with our faith, and to that we add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and brotherly kindness. Next time, we’ll conclude this study by visiting our last sign post, charity.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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