ADELPHOS (adelphoi)

Adelphos - Brother

Ekklesia – “church,” assembly, gathering.

Agape – It is the word most commonly translated “love.”

Harmartia – This word is translated sin.

Anthropos – Our English word anthropology, man, mankind, or human being.

Logos – is the word used to describe Jesus the Christ

Baptizo (baptizma) – Is the word transliterated into baptism.

Proskuneo – A compound word from the words kuneo = to kiss + pros = toward

Eis – A preposition always meaning into, unto, to, towards

Theos – This is the word for God.

Adelphos (adelphoi) – is the word for brother (brethren).

It occurs some 346 times in the New Testament.

Three Significant Meanings of Adelphos

1. A brother - born of the same two parents, or only of the same father or the same mother

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.

2. Having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, countryman

Acts 2:29 ESV

“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

Peter’s first Gospel sermon to his fellow Jewish brethren

The listening audience was composed entirely of Jews (primarily Jewish men)

Acts 3:22 ESV

Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.

Romans 9:3 ESV

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

3. A fellow-believer, united to another by the bond of affection; most frequently used for Christians, constituting as a single family.

Romans 10:1–2 ESV

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Matthew 23:8 ESV

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

Acts 6:3 ESV

Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

Romans 1:13 ESV

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

ADELPHOS is where we get our word “Philadelphia” (phileo = love, adelphos = brother).

Refers to an affectionate, warm and tender platonic love.

It makes you desire friendship with someone.

It is a committed and chosen love

Although you may have an agape love for your enemies, you may not have a phileo love for the same people.

This type of love often focuses on our preferences, culture and tastes. When surrounded by friends, you get that warm fuzzy feeling of Phileo. You can basically think of it as friendship love. It is the kind of love you feel for people who have similar social interests, hobbies and styles of expressing themselves.

2 Peter 1:5–7 ESV

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

1 Peter 1:22 ESV

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

Hebrews 13:1 ESV

Let brotherly love continue.