Many of you know that Philadelphia in Pennsylvania is known as the city of brotherly love. Phila is from phileo meaning love. Adelphia is from adelphos meaning brother. William Penn named it. He envisioned a city where all kinds of different people could come and live in peace with one another. I’m pretty sure that the city doesn’t live up to his vision nowadays. There are lots of different people, but do they live in peace?
Adelphos can be your brother from the same parents. Adelphos can also be your brother from the same heritage as in two Jews would be brothers. And then it can be your brother in belief. Christians consider themselves brothers and sisters in Christ, having the same spiritual Father.
Adelphos occurs more than 300 times in the New Testament. Acts has the most instances, followed by 1 Corinthians. Some translations will use brethren instead of brothers for the plural. Some versions will also include sisters and will say brothers and sisters when the Greek only has the word for brothers. The female version, adelphe, only occurs 26 times according to Strong’s Concordance.
Matthew 4:18 ESV While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
Matthew 5:22-24 NASB But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
Matthew 7:3-5 NIV “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Mark 10:29-30 KJV And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Luke 17:3 NASB “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
John 11:19-23 NIV And many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Acts 16:2 ESV He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. (Some translations use believers instead of brothers or brethren. The he in this verse is Timothy.)
Romans 12:1 KJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
1 Corinthians 5:11 NASB But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler– not even to eat with such a one.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8 NASB Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Hebrews 3:12 KJV Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
1 John 2:9-11 ESV Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Mark 3:32-37
Acts 7:13
Romans 14:13
1 Corinthians 7:12-15
Philippians 3:13
1 Thessalonians 4:6
Hebrews 2:11-12
James 5:12
The G/K number for adelphos is 81.
The Strong’s number for adelphos is 80.
