having purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly with a pure heart,
Truth to Learn
There should be evidence of our salvation if it is real.
Behind the Words
“Purified” is the translation of a form of hagnidzō, which means “to make clean” or “to purify.” Figuratively, it means “to set apart” or “to sanctify.” In this context it is a reference to our having cleansed our souls from sin. It is expressed here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect; we have been cleansed, therefore we are forever pure.
The word translated “obeying” is hupakoē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and a form of akouō, meaning “to hear.” It refers to someone who not only hears instruction, but also submits to it and obeys it.
“Brotherly love” is from the Greek philadelphia, which is made up of a form of philos, meaning “a friend” and adelphos, meaning “a brother.” Hence, this word literally refers to brotherly friendship or brotherly love.
The word translated “sincere” is the Greek anupokritos, which literally means “without acting” or “without hypocrisy.”
The word “love” in the latter half of this verse is translated from the Greek, agapaō, which refers to Godly, self-sacrificing love. It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating that it is a command, not a suggestion.
Meaning Explained
A more literal translation of this verse might be, “Having purified your souls in obedience to the truth through the Spirit, resulting in sincere brotherly love, fervently love one another out of a pure heart.”
What Peter is saying is that one of the evidences of obedience to God’s truth is a purification of our souls. That is, when we submit to the knowledge that we are sinners, that God demands purity, and we accept the blood of Christ as payment for our sins, we are saved and we are spiritually purified. The evidence of that salvation is displayed by our brotherly love for others. Now that we have attained that level of purity, Peter commands us to take the next step by fervently loving other Christians self-sacrificingly, and to do so sincerely, out of a pure heart.
When asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded to the questioning lawyer,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
This is the same message Peter is trying to get across to us in today’s verse.
Application
Is your salvation evident by the way you treat others? Do your unsaved friends now see you as different? Kinder? Do you place the welfare of your brothers and sisters in Christ above your own?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved