2 Peter 1:7

to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish ¹  love. ² 

and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone.

warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others.

And love of the brothers to fear of God, and to love of the brothers, love itself.

and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish ¹  love. ² 

¹ sn The final virtue or character quality in this list is “love” (ἀγάπη, agaph). The word was not used exclusively of Christian or unselfish love in the NT (e.g., the cognate, ἀγαπάω [agapaw], is used in John 3:19 of the love of darkness), but in a list such as this in which ἀγάπη is obviously the crescendo, unselfish love is evidently in view. R. Bauckham (Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 187) notes that as the crowning virtue, ἀγάπη encompasses all the previous virtues.

² tn Each item in Greek begins with “and.” The conjunction is omitted for the sake of good English style, with no change in meaning.

sn Add to your faith excellence…love. The list of virtues found in vv. 5-7 stands in tension to the promises given in vv. 2-4. What appears to be a synergism of effort or even a contradiction (God supplies the basis, the promises, the grace, the power, etc., while believers must also provide the faith, excellence, etc.) in reality encapsulates the mystery of sanctification. Each believer is responsible before God for his conduct and spiritual growth, yet that growth could not take place without God’s prior work and constant enabling. We must not neglect our responsibility, yet the enabling and the credit is God’s. Paul says the same thing: “Continue working out your salvation with humility and dependence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort…is God” (Phil 2:12-13).