and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
Parallel translations
- WEB and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.
- KJV And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
- 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 13:1Continue in brotherly love.
- Rom 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
- 1 Th 3:12And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows,
- Col 3:14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
- John 13:34–35A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
- 1 Jn 4:21And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
- Gal 6:10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
- 1 Jn 3:16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
- 1 Pet 2:17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- 1 Pet 1:22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
- 1 Cor 13:1–8If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
- 1 Th 4:9–10Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
- 1 Jn 3:14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
- 1 Th 5:15Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
- 1 Pet 3:8Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
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Christ at the center
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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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