Brotherhood in Action: φιλαδελφία (Strong’s G5360: philadelphia) Exemplifies Divine Love

Strong’s G5360: φιλαδελφία (philadelphia) combines familial affection with genuine love, denoting the special bond between believers in the Messiah’s family. This brotherly love characterizes authentic Christian community, expressing itself in practical care, mutual support, and sacrificial service to fellow believers.

U- Unveiling the Word

Philadelphia represents the profound love that exists between spiritual siblings in the family of God. This compound word beautifully merges the concepts of tender affection (philos) with the special bond between brothers and sisters (adelphos). In the early church, this love manifested as radical care for one another, transcending social, ethnic, and economic boundaries. The term captured the revolutionary nature of Christian community where believers viewed and treated each other as beloved family members. Today, philadelphia remains a powerful reminder that authentic Christian faith necessarily expresses itself in practical love for fellow believers, challenging our often-individualistic approach to faith and calling us to deeper, family-like connections within the body of the Messiah.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: φιλαδελφία, philadelphia, fil-ad-el-FEE-ah
• Detailed pronunciation: phi (as in “fee”) + la (as in “lab”) + del (as in “dell”) + phi (as in “fee”) + a (as in “ah”)
• Part of Speech: Noun (feminine)

Etymology:

• φιλ- (phil-): prefix meaning “loving”
• ἀδελφός (adelphos): root word meaning “brother”
• -ία (-ia): suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a state or condition

D – Defining Meanings

• Brotherly love
• Love of brothers and sisters
• Familial affection among believers

For compound words:

• φιλ- (phil-): contributes the sense of deep, natural affection
• ἀδελφός (adelphos): adds the specific familial context of siblings
• -ία (-ia): transforms the concept into an abstract quality or state

Translation Options:

• “Brotherly love” – captures the familial nature but may miss gender inclusivity
• “Sibling affection” – more inclusive but loses some warmth
• “Family-like love” – communicates the quality while maintaining accessibility

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀγάπη (agape, ag-AH-pay) – divine, unconditional love
  See G26
• φιλία (philia, fil-EE-ah) – friendship love
  See G5373
• στοργή (storge, stor-GAY) – natural family affection
  See G794

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular (plural rare)
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First declension

This noun follows regular first declension patterns:

• Nominative: φιλαδελφία
• Genitive: φιλαδελφίας
• Dative: φιλαδελφίᾳ
• Accusative: φιλαδελφίαν
• Related adjective: φιλάδελφος (brotherly)
• Related adverb: φιλαδέλφως (in a brotherly manner)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes philadelphia as the special love between Christian brothers and sisters, distinct from general humanitarian love. Thayer’s highlights its practical expression in caring for fellow believers. LSJ traces its classical usage, showing how early Christians elevated its meaning beyond mere family affection. Vine’s notes its connection to both natural and spiritual brotherhood. Strong’s emphasizes its compound nature, while LEH connects it to Septuagint usage of familial terms. Moulton and Milligan’s papyri evidence shows its evolution from Hellenistic family contexts to specifically Christian usage, demonstrating how early believers adapted existing terminology to express new spiritual realities.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:

“Be devoted to one another in [philadelphia] in honor preferring one another” Romans 12:10

Additional References:
1 Thessalonians 4:9
Hebrews 13:1
1 Peter 1:22
2 Peter 1:7

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Philadelphia beautifully captures the essence of Christian community as envisioned by the Messiah. This love transcends natural family bonds, creating a supernatural family united by the blood of Jesus. It challenges believers to move beyond superficial fellowship to deep, practical care for one another. The good news is that through the Messiah’s sacrifice, we are adopted into God’s family where this divine love becomes both possible and natural through the Holy Spirit’s work. This love serves as a powerful testimony to the world of the transformative power of the gospel.

D – Did You Know?

• The city of Philadelphia was named after this Greek word, aiming to embody brotherly love
• In early Christian manuscripts, philadelphia was often abbreviated with a special marker indicating its sacred significance
• The term appears in some ancient Jewish writings, showing its influence beyond Christian circles

Strong’s G5360: φιλαδελφία (philadelphia) combines familial affection with genuine love, denoting the special bond between believers in the Messiah’s family. This brotherly love characterizes authentic Christian community, expressing itself in practical care, mutual support, and sacrificial service to fellow believers.

Part of speech: Feminine Noun

Tags: brotherly love, Christian community, family of God, spiritual siblings, Christian fellowship, church relationships, biblical love, Christian virtues, spiritual family, divine love​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​