If You do These Things – Part 3

[Study Aired July 19, 2026]

This is our third and final study of the eight virtues which we are told will make us to abound and be fruitul in the Lord’s service, and they will keep us from falling.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertainunto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  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.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Verse seven mentions the last two of these eight virtues… brotherly kindness and charity.

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

In Ephesians 2 we are clearly told that the faith by which we are saved is not our own faith. Rather it is “the gift of God… the faith of Jesus Christ.”

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

2 Peter 1:3, which we just quoted, tells us that “his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Verses 8 and 10 tell us that if these eight virtues be in us and abound, they make us that we will be neither barren nor unfruitful, and we will never fall:

2Pe 1:8  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.

2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

It is therefore obvious that if “His divine power has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, it is also obvious that ‘faith’ is not the only gift of God by which we are saved.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Does scripture teach that we are saved by the faith of Christ? Indeed, Ephesians 2:8 tells us just that!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Here is what AI has to say about what is the consensus of Greek scholars on the question of whether the faith by which we are saved is our own faith, or the faith of Christ:

“Scholars debate whether this Greek genitive construction is objective (meaning faith in Jesus Christ) or subjective (meaning Jesus Christ’s own faith or faithfulness).  Traditional translations often render it as “faith in Jesus Christ,” while modern scholarly trends increasingly recognize the literal translation as “the faith of Jesus Christ.” (End Quote)

I found six separate verses which affirm that the faith which saves us is “the faith of Christ” and it is indeed a gift, and it is not of ourselves.

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Gal 3:22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Ephesians 2:8 does not qualify faith as the only gift by which we are saved. We are also told that we are “saved by hope.”

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

 The sum of God’s Word reveals that “according to His divine power [Christ] has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness” if we are called to His glory and virtue. That means that all of “these things”, all eight of these virtues are gifted to us “according as His divine power, through the knowledge of Him has called us to glory and virtue.”

We saw in our last study that this ‘godliness’ which is given to us “according to His divine power” is the practice of living a life that is above reproach and is a light in this dark world:

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 To this ‘gift’ of exemplary ‘godliness’ we are admonished to add two more virtues, “brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity”.

There is one Greek word behind the two English words, ‘brotherly kindness’. That one Greek word is:

G5630

– Original: φιλαδελφία

– Transliteration: Philadelphia

– Phonetic: fil-ad-el-fee’-ah

– Definition:

1. 1. love of brothers or sisters, brotherly love
   2. in the NT the love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren

– Origin: from G5361

– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

– Strong’s: From G5361; fraternal affection: – brotherly love (kindness) love of the brethren.

Total KJV Occurrences: 6

• • brethren, 1

 1Pe 1:22

• • kindness, 2

 2Pe 1:7(2)

• • love, 3

 Rom 12:10; 1Th 4:9; Heb 13:1

Where we see ‘brethren,’ it is actually ‘love of the brethren’ in:

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren [G5360: ‘Philadelphia’], see that yelove one another with a pure heart fervently:

Where we read ‘kindness, 2’ it is actually ‘brotherly kindness’ right here in:

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness [G5360]; and to brotherly kindness [G5360] charity.

Where Strong’s lists ‘love’ it is again ‘brotherly love’:

Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love [G5360]; in honour preferring one another;

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love [G5360] ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

Heb 13:1  Let brotherly love [5360] continue.

The next two verses exhort us how we can ‘let brotherly love continue’:

Heb 13:2  Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love [G5360] ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

‘Philadelphia’ is clearly defined in 1 Thessalonians 4:9 as simply “loving one another”:

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love [G5360] ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

Hebrews 13:3 reminds us that when a brother is put in bonds, then we are to consider ourselves “as bound with them” and that when anyone in the body is suffering any kind of adversity, we are to consider them as being our own body, “the body” of Christ:

Heb 13:3  Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

BT+ informs us this Greek G5630, ‘philadephia’ originates from G5631, ‘Philadelphos’, which is defined:

– Original: φιλάδελφος

– Transliteration: Philadelphos

– Phonetic: fil-ad’-el-fos

– Definition:

1. 1. loving brother or sister
   2. in a broader sense, loving one like a brother, loving one’s fellow countrymen
   3. of an Israelite
   4. of a Christian loving Christians

– Origin: from G5384 and

– Part(s) of speech: Adjective

Philadelphos is from:

– Strong’s: From G5384 and G80; fond of brethren that is fraternal: – love as brethren.

Total KJV Occurrences: 1

• • brethren, 1

 1Pe 3:8

G5361, ‘Philadephos’ appears but one time, which is in 1 Peter 3:8 where it is translated as “love as brethren.” This word in turn is from a contraction of 5384 and G80.

G5384 is the Greek word ‘Philos’:

– Original: φίλος

– Transliteration: Philos

– Phonetic: fee’-los

– Definition:

1. 1. friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well
   2. a friend
   3. an associate
   4. he who associates familiarly with one, a companion
   5. one of the bridegroom’s friends who on his behalf asked the hand of the bride and rendered him various services in closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials

– Origin: a primitive word

– Part(s) of speech: Adjective

– Strong’s: Properly dear that is a friend; actively fond that is friendly (still as a noun an associate neighbor etc.): – friend.

Total KJV Occurrences: 11

• • friend, 4

 Joh 3:29; Joh 19:12; Jam 2:23; Jam 4:4

• • friends, 7

 Luk 7:6; Luk 23:12; Act 10:24; Act  19:31; Act 27:3; 3Jn 1:14(2)

There is a story in the 21st chapter of John which gives us a deeper understanding of the meaning of the Greek word, G5368, ‘phileo’. In this story Christ asks Peter three times “lovest thou me?” Peter answers in the affirmative each time, but by the third time Peter is becoming frustrated. Here is that story. Christ is resurrected from the dead and shows Himself to five of His disciples who had returned to their original profession of fishing. There were six more of His disciples who returned to fishing with Peter:

Joh 21:1  After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
Joh 21:2  There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
Joh 21:3  Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
Joh 21:4  But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
Joh 21:5  Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
Joh 21:6  And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Joh 21:7  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Joh 21:8  And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
Joh 21:9  As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
Joh 21:10  Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
Joh 21:11  Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
Joh 21:12  Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
Joh 21:13  Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Joh 21:14  This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 21:16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Joh 21:17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

I brought this up to show you all that the first two questions by Christ were, ‘Do you agapao Me?’ The third time Christ questions Peter He says, ‘Do you phileo Me?’

Peter’s answer to all three questions is consistently, ‘Lord, you know I ‘phileo’ You’. I have been taught, and until today, I have believed that because Peter had bragged about never being offended because of Christ and proclaiming that though all others might deny Him, he, Peter would never do such an ungodly thing, that therefore the Lord was proving Peter to see if he still thought of himself as being so much better than the other disciples. Of course we all know that Peter made that brag just hours before denying the Lord with an oath. This story of Christ three times quizzing Peter about whether Peter loved him is just a matter of days later, after the Lord’s resurrection from the dead. I was taught that Peter always answered with, ‘Lord you know I phileo You’ because he could not honestly bring himself to claim that he had unconditional love for the Lord, which is what the definition of the Greek word ‘agape’, is.

‘Lovest thou Me more than these’ is not referring to Peter thinking He loves the Lord more than the other disciples. Peter and the other disciples had all returned to fishing, and the Lord had provided them with an incredible haul, just to be able to pose this question. If the fish are not the ‘these’ Christ is referring to then Peter is in effect saying ‘Yes Lord, you know I love You more than the other apostles love You’, and in saying that he would be demonstrating that he had not learned anything from making that very claim at the Passover supper. However, that is not what Peter is saying, and that is not what Christ meant by “Lovest thou me more than these.”

As it turns out, the Greek words ‘agape’ and ‘phileo’ are used interchangeably in Biblical Greek. Here is an example of where Matthew and Luke use these two words interchangeably:

Mat 23:6  And [The scribes and Pharisees] love [G5368: ‘phileo’] the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Making the same point about the same people in Luke this is what we see:

Luk 11:43  Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love [G25: ‘agapao’] the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
Luk 11:44  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Of course there is a difference in the meanings of these two words. ‘Agapao’ is defined as ‘unconditional love’, and ‘Pileo’ is defined as ‘adore’. Where this difference is being made the context makes it clear. They are also used interchangeably as another example proves:

Joh 20:2  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved [G5368: ‘Phileo’], and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Speaking of himself again in the very next chapter, John uses the word ‘agapao’ in calling himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”:

Joh 21:7  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved [G25, ‘Agapao’] saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

This is just eight verses prior to Jesus asking Peter three times, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?’ John is referring to his relationship to Christ in both cases. Clearly John uses these two Greek words for love interchangeably.

Besides these examples of being used interchangeably, the scripture itself plainly states that Peter was grieved simply “because He asked him the third time…” not because He used a word with a superior meaning.

In Matthew 6:5 and in Luke 20:46 the Lord says the scribes ‘love public greetings’. In Matthew the holy spirit chose the word, G5368, ‘Phileo’, and in Luke 20:46 the holy spirit, speaking of the same people with the same pride, uses the Greek word, G25, ‘Agapao’.

 Mat 6:5  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love [G5368: ‘Phileo’] to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Luk 20:45  Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,
Luk 20:46  Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love [G25: ‘Agapao’] greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

This same apostle tells us in John 3:35, the Father agapao (loves) the Son, but in John 5:20, he tells us the Father phileo (loves) the Son.

In John 14:21 John is inspired to use the word agapao for the Father’s love for believers. Making the same statement in John 16:27 we are told the Father has phileo for believers: concept.

Joh 3:35  The Father loveth [G25: ‘Agapao’] the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

Joh 5:20  For the Father loveth [G5368: phileo’] the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth [G25: ‘Agapoa’] me: and he that loveth [G25: ‘Agapoa’] me shall be loved [G25: ‘Agapoa’] of my Father, and I will love [G25: ‘Agapoa’] him, and will manifest myself to him.

Joh 16:27  For the Father himself loveth [G5368: ‘Phileo’] you, because ye have loved [G5368: ‘Phileo’] me, and have believed that I came out from God.

We must always let the scriptures demonstrate how the holy spirit uses Biblical words and never rely on classical Greek or the words of Greek scholars. People who are “ignorant and unlearned men” by this world’s standards can understand the Word of God better than men who have six theology degrees bestowed upon them by their peers.

Act 4:13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

It is the holy spirit which has inspired the writers of the New Testament “in demonstration of the spirit and of power” to use the Greek word, ‘G5368, ‘Phileo’, interchangeably with the Greek word, G25, ‘agapao’. You would have to be both physically and spiritually blind to miss the fact that ‘Phileo’ is the root of the Greek word, ‘Philadelphia’ which is the seventh of the eight virtues we are admonished to have abounding within us if we want to be fruitful in our service to the Lord and to His body which is the church (Col 1:24). From what we have just learned, if ‘philadelphia’ is abounding in us, then the ‘agapao’ love of God is also abounding within us, and this G26, ‘agape’ is the eighth and final virtue which must be in us and abounding if we hope to “endure to the end [and] never fall”.

Charity

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness [G5360: ‘philadelphia’]; and to brotherly kindness charity [G26: ‘agape’- unconditional love].
2Pe 1:8  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.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:12  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembranceof these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
2Pe 1:13  Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
2Pe 1:14  Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
2Pe 1:15  Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

As we have made abundantly clear “in demonstration of the spirit and power” (1Co2:4), that the words ‘Phileo’ and ‘Agapao’ are used interchangeably by the holy spirit. Nevertheless, the holy spirit has added ‘agape’, the noun form of ‘agapao’ to this list of eight virtues which makes us to never be unfruitful and to never fall.

This noun, G26, ‘agape’ is from the Greek verb, G 25, ‘agapao’. This noun form of the Greek word for ‘love’ or ‘charity’ is in the New Testament 105 times. Here is the BT+ entry for this Greek word ‘ G26, ‘agape’:

Original: ἀγάπη

– Transliteration: Agape

– Phonetic: ag-ah’-pay

– Definition:

1. 1. brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
   2. love feasts

– Origin: from G25

– TDNT entry: 01:21,5

– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

– Strong’s: From G25; love that is affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast: – (feast of) charity ([-ably]) dear love.

Total KJV Occurrences: 105

• • charitably, 1

 Rom_14:15

• • charity, 27

 1Co_8:1; 1Co_13:1; 1Co_13:2; 1Co_13:3; 1Co_13:4(3); 1Co_13:8; 1Co_13:13(2); 1Co_14:1; 1Co_16:14; Col_3:14; 1Th_3:6; 2Th_1:3; 1Ti_1:5; 1Ti_2:15; 1Ti_4:12; 2Ti_2:22; 2Ti_3:10; Tit_2:2; 1Pe_4:8(2); 1Pe_5:14; 2Pe_1:7; 3Jn_1:6; Jud_1:12

• • dear, 1

 Col_1:13

• • love, 75

 Rom_5:5; Rom_5:8; Rom_8:35; Rom_8:39; Rom_12:9; Rom_13:10(2); Rom_15:30; 1Co_4:21; 1Co_16:24; 2Co_2:4; 2Co_2:8; 2Co_5:14; 2Co_6:6;2Co_8:7; 2Co_8:8; 2Co_8:24; 2Co_13:11; 2Co_13:14; Gal_5:6; Gal_5:13; Gal_5:22; Eph_1:4; Eph_1:15; Eph_2:4; Eph_3:17; Eph_3:19; Eph_4:2; Eph_4:15; Eph_4:16; Eph_5:2; Eph_6:23; Php_1:9; Php_1:17; Php_2:1; Php_2:2; Col_1:4; Col_1:8; Col_2:2; 1Th_1:3; 1Th_3:12; 1Th_5:8; 1Th_5:13; 2Th_2:10;2Th_3:5; 1Ti_1:14; 1Ti_6:11; 2Ti_1:7; 2Ti_1:13; Phm_1:5; Phm_1:7; Heb_6:10; Heb_10:24; 1Jn_2:5; 1Jn_2:15; 1Jn_3:1; 1Jn_3:16; 1Jn_3:17; 1Jn_4:7; 1Jn_4:8; 1Jn_4:9; 1Jn_4:10; 1Jn_4:12; 1Jn_4:16(3); 1Jn_4:17; 1Jn_4:18(3); 1Jn_5:3; 2Jn_1:3; 2Jn_1:6; Jud_1:2; Jud_1:21

• • sake, 1

 Phm_1:9

As we see, by far the most common English translation for this word is ‘love’. Of the 105 entries, it is translated in the King James as ‘love’ 75 times. Another English word for ‘love’ is ‘charity’, and that English word accounts for another 27 of the 105 entries for this Greek word G26, ‘agape’.

When the lawyer tempted Christ questioning what Christ considered to be “the great commandment in the law”, Christ used the verb form of the Greek word for ‘love’:

Mat 22:35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love [G25: ‘agapao’] the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love [G25: ‘agapao’] thy neighbour as thyself.

The so-called ‘love chapter’, 1st Corinthians 13, contains this word, G26 ‘Agape’ more than any other chapter of the Bible. Here are two verses which are typical of 1 Corinthians 13:

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [G26: ‘Agape’], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity [G26: ‘Agape’], I am nothing.

We will conclude this study of the eight virtues, which make us that we be neither barren nor unfruitful and which will keep us from falling, with two verses which contain both the noun and the verb form of this eighth and final virtue:

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love [G25: ‘Agapao’] the children of God, when we love [G25: ‘Agapao’] God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love [G26: ‘Agape’] of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.