“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” — Romans 12:10
When Paul wrote this, he chose a rare and beautiful Greek word — φιλόστοργος (philóstorgos).
It’s a combination of philos (friendly affection) and storgē (family affection).
In other words, he wasn’t talking about polite kindness or surface-level warmth, but the loyal tenderness found in a healthy family — affection that stays even when there’s nothing to gain.
No Hierarchies in the Family of God
In the Old Testament, society was full of hierarchies — priests, tribes, classes, and lines of descent.
But in the New Testament, something radical happens: the ground becomes level at the cross.
There are no superior and inferior believers. Paul says, “Be devoted to one another.”
Not above, not beneath — to one another.
This is what justice looks like in the kingdom of God — treating every person with the dignity of a brother or sister, because they are equally loved and equally redeemed.
A Memory That Still Hurts
Growing up in India, I was introduced early to how wrong hierarchy can look — even inside the church.
I still remember being shocked as a child when I learned that there was a separate church for those in the Dalit caste.
They were Christians, followers of the same Lord, yet they weren’t allowed to worship together with others.
There was an older woman who used to come to one of the local churches.
She would always sit at the back — quietly, almost apologetically — because she had been told her whole life she didn’t belong with the “higher” castes.
And the saddest part was that no one stopped her from sitting there.
Her own brothers and sisters in Christ would ask her to be quiet.
That is not the gospel.
That is not justice.
And that is not brotherly love.
True Justice Is Relational
In Scripture, justice isn’t only about laws and fairness — it’s about right relationships.
When we show philóstorgos love, we are living out the justice of God revealed in the gospel.
We acknowledge that Christ broke every dividing wall — caste, class, race, gender, or denomination.
There is no higher seat or back row in the body of Christ.
There are only brothers and sisters — all covered by the same grace.
Devoted Like Family
To be devoted to one another means to act as if the person next to you truly is your family —
not in theory, but in practice:
- To care when they’re hurting.
- To honor them when the world ignores them.
- To see Christ in them, not their status.
That’s what the justice of God looks like — equality through love.
Because in Christ, there is no caste, creed, color, or class — only one body, one family, and one Lord.
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