PHILADELPHIA

The book, Philadelphia: Believers’ Affection, addresses what the Greek New Testament calls Philadelphia (brotherly love or love for the brethren). The words, brotherly or brethren as used in the book and in New Testament parlance, are inclusive terms denoting all classes of people regenerated by the redemptive work of Christ irrespective of gender, race, or social estate: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28). Except otherwise stated, the book uses the New King James Version. The book sets out recognizing that:  Regenerated believers are a new breed, created anew in Christ (2 Cor 5:17)  The new community of believers, originating from the New Birth in Christ, is to be guided by a new commandment to love one another.  Compliance would give them a unique identity that makes them recognizable by all as His disciples (Jn 13:34-35). By examining the Jewish known brands of love (love for God and love for neighbour) and the classical Greek typology of love (Pragma, Ludus, Philautia, Mania, Eros, Philia, Agape and Storge), the book establishes that the Christ-instituted love was by nature, not like any other one before it. In the subsequent analysis, it teaches that in the normal usage of the English language, the word, brotherly, would be an adjective. But as used in the New Testament texts on brotherly love, it is not an adjective modifying the noun, love! Instead, both words used together form a term, meaning Believers’ Affection – just as in several other settings, the Christian scriptures use a combination of two words (one adjective, the other noun) to name a thing or concept, e.g:  Eternal Life, which is not just non-ending life, but the name of a non-ending life obtainable only in Heaven. Non-ending life obtainable in Hell is called second death (Rev 21:8).  Common Salvation is not common-place salvation, but the name of identical, equal salvation shared by all believers (Jude 1:3). Next, the book maintains that Christ not only taught His disciples that Philadelphia transcends earthly family ties (Matt 12:46-50), but modeled it for them when He:  Manifestly loved them (Jn 15:12);  Resolutely proceeded to lay down His life for them and others (Jn 15:13)  Loved them to the end (Jn 13:1)  Made the Sanctifier and the sanctified one in unity Heb 2:11-12. Going forward, the book shows how the early Christians complied with the Philadelphia command by addressing themselves with such endearing appellations as Beloved and Dearly Beloved; refusing to abandon their own under fiery persecutions; maintaining affinity with dead saints in the catacombs; and reckoning the Philadelphia commandment time-tested and collectively adopted (1 Jn 3:11,23). The book then drives home the point that if Philadelphia is this important in the mind of Christ, it then becomes a vital virtue to cultivate with an iron-clad zeal within the believer’s heart today. It regrets that this love brand has almost worn off, being now supplanted by intra- and inter-congregational rancor, individualism, doctrinal skirmishes and many other spiritual health conditions. Yet, like a tree, Philadelphia as commanded ought to lead to the tripod of Unity of Spirit, Bond of Peace and Bond of Perfection as the Body of Christ marches to Paradise. Using its concepts of De-fruiting and Dry-rooting, the book shows a myriad of actions at the congregational and individual levels that are inimical to the development and growth of Philadelphia. Finally, it proceeds in the last chapter to proffer paths to its resurgence using a nuanced biblical Love Charter contained in 1 Cor. 13. On the whole, the book makes very unique contributions to our understanding of Christian love. These include:  Establishing that Philadelphia (Believers’ Affection) is not just love that is brotherly, but the name of a distinctive love  Leading the reader to appreciate other ancillary contributions, namely, that the ancient Greek love type, Storge (filial or family love), is an earthly forerunner of Philadelphia that is completely spiritual. Just as love among siblings of an earthly family is unique to them by blood relationship, so Philadelphia is unique to believers by the blood of Christ which spiritually flows in their veins.  Showing that the natural environment of Philadelphia is the household of God into which regenerated believers are adopted – making them siblings with Christ, the Firstborn of that family. It is instructive that the book holds that God has a dual family structure on earth – His outer family comprising all created human beings and His inner family populated only by the redeemed. The love type found in the outer family disintegrates at cessation of life while Philadelphia runs intact within members of the inner family of God named in Heaven and on earth (Eph 3:14-15). Written in simple language, the book in the hands of believers in congregations, is a clarion call to love themselves with this unique love created for them; appreciate their common destiny and seek to address disharmony, membership attrition, and allied disorders.