and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.
Parallel translations
- KJV And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
- BSB and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
- NKJV to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
- NASB and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
- NLT and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The chain culminates in brotherly affection and finally in love. It matters because the goal of Christian growth is self-giving love, the highest mark of Christlikeness.
Overview
Peter crowns the list of virtues with love, echoing the New Testament's consistent emphasis that love is the greatest evidence of true faith. Brotherly affection focuses on warmth among believers, while love broadens to the selfless, Christlike love that seeks the good of all. The progression shows that godliness is never merely inward but issues in love toward others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Heb 13:1Let brotherly love continue.
- Rom 12:10In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another;
- 1 Th 3:12and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,
- Col 3:14Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
- John 13:34–35A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.
- 1 Jn 4:21This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
- Gal 6:10So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.
- 1 Jn 3:16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
- 1 Pet 2:17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
- 1 Pet 1:22Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently:
- 1 Cor 13:1–8If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
- 1 Th 4:9–10But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
- 1 Jn 3:14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.
- 1 Th 5:15See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.
- 1 Pet 3:8Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tender hearted, courteous,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The sure word of the prophets and the promise of the coming day of the Lord anchor the believer in the knowledge of 'our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'
How 2 Peter 1:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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