Monthly Archives: March 2017

ON LOVE; PART MCXXVIII

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God

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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).

In the last essay we finished our work on the twelfth chapter of the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Romans where we find the apostle’s admonition to those of whom he boasts that “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8). This IS an important point; NOT ONLY in this epistle but in most ALL of the writings of the apostles; that their words ARE deemed by the average doctrinal believer to be spoken to them IS but the work of those doctrines combined with the vanity, the illusion and the glamour, to which ALL ARE subjected.

The words of the apostles, while an adequate guide to right living for ALL, ARE intended to strengthen and reinforce the ideas that the Master teaches us toward the singular objective that men should “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Whether we see this idea of perfect as it IS intended or would rather rely upon the way that this IS framed by the Apostle Luke matters NOT. Luke tells us to “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36) and if we can see this Greek word oiktirmon,which IS used but twice in the New Testament while its root idea IS used only once, in terms of one’s expression of Love we can then understand the point and the keen relationship between this and perfection.

That there IS a relationship between these words IS NOT disputed, the writers ARE saying the same things in the same context so that to see this idea of oiktirmon as merely pity, or, as this IS rendered in its other appearance, as “tender mercy” (James 5:11) DOES NOT give the necessary force to either the Master’s words or the Apostle James’. If however we can see oiktirmon in terms of one’s expression of agape, which IS the better idea for ALL uses of those Greek words that ARE rendered in terms of mercy, then one can see the equivalency to the idea of perfection.

And this thought carries through to the words of the apostles. In the twelfth chapter of Romans that we have been studying the apostle tells us to Love sincerely which IS rendered in our text as “Let love be without dissimulation” (Romans 12:9) and this should show us the necessary nature of one’s expression of agape. And if we read the ideas that follow we should see that ALL ARE an expression of Love according to the Great Commandments which we repeat again at the top of our essay. In the thirteenth chapter of Romans Paul shows us the way that the expression of agape IS the reality of perfection and he DOES SO in few words saying that “love is the fulfilling of the law“.

Jesus shows us this same idea as He tells us that “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40) and if we align this idea with Jesus other words saying “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect“, we can see that this IS His admonition to ALL and that there IS NO sense of impossibility in His words. Jesus ideas here use two different words which ARE rendered as perfect; teleios in the selection from Matthew’s Gospel and katartizo in the selection from Luke’s. The common idea between these two words IS complete; Thayer’s Lexicon defines teleios as: brought to its end, finished; wanting nothing necessary to completeness; perfect ⁹, while katartizo IS defined as: to render….fit, sound, complete ⁹.

Strong’s offers us similar ideas; for teleios we read: complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness:—of full age, man, perfect ^9a and for katartizo they say: to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust:—fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect(-ly join together), prepare, restore ^9a. Through these defining ideas on the Greek words many see the English idea of mature and while this may work out in the doctrinal view of what IS necessary for salvation, this IS NOT the reality that the Master nor the writers ARE reflecting.

The idea of mature IS but a diluted way of viewing the admonition of the Master and this especially when understood in the common idea of English word. The older definitions for this word involved the ideas of perfect and complete but the idea was still NOT in accord with the biblical intent of our sayings above; Webster’s 1828 version tells us this of mature: 1. Ripe; perfected by time or natural growth; as a man of mature age. We apply it to a young man of mature age. We apply it to a young man who has arrived to the age when he is supposed to be competent to manage his own concerns; to a young woman who is fit to be married; and to elderly men who have much experience; 2. Brought to perfection; used of plants. The wheat is mature.3. Completed; prepared; ready. The plan or scheme was mature ¹.

In the context of the Master’s words and using both Greek words, we should be able to see that even these older ideas on the translation as mature DO NOT work and it IS perhaps for this reason that NONE of the bible translations in our library use it. Perhaps this IS the easier doctrinal idea to use but it DOES NOT give us the force of the Master’s words which show us two things. First that to be as He IS is the state of perfection which IS the completion of one’s work in this world and second to to be in such a state IS to be as the Godhead. Were this impossible it would NOT be told to us by Jesus who shows us the Way to this state of being in this world through our trifecta which we repeat here again:

• “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free“ (John 8:31-32).
• “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
• “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).

We should remember also that Luke uses a different idea to give us the same point of perfection and that this too IS lost in the common understanding of the translated word as well as in the reality that there ARE NO more accurate choices in English for the rendering of the ideas behind the Greek word oiktimon. From the common understanding of merciful we should be able to see that this IS NOT a part of the nature of God, especially when seen in relation to mankind; this IS easily seen when we view the state of the world and the plight of the individual….when we view the wars, the famine the plagues, and we could go on.

There ARE several words that ARE rendered in terms of mercy and compassion in the New Testament and these can rightfully be seen in those terms. Oiktimon however DOES NOT readily fit into this mold as the term IS applied to God; the same God that DID make ALL “subject to vanity“; and we KNOW the source of this subjection according to Paul’s words which tell us that this IS DONE “not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same” (Romans 8:21). Here we should see the reality that men in this world ARE on their own; that there IS NO universal flow of mercy or compassion from the Godhead that performs as the common understanding of mercy portrays.

If however we can see the idea of oiktimon in terms of agape, we can then see the deeper intent of Luke’s words and how that this DOES mean the same thing as Matthew’s use of teleios as we discussed above. When we can see the idea of perfection as spiritual completeness we can then get a glimpse of the nature of God….a nature that men ARE told to replicate. And when we can see that this perfection IS the expression of the fullness of agape as this IS taught us by the Master, we can get the clearer picture of the True objective of Life.

We should try to see here that whatsoever can be said about the Father can be said about the whole of the Trinity as these ARE ever Aspects of the One God and ARE, in their totality and in their singularity the Godhead….these Aspects ARE inseparable. We should see then that as “your Father which is in heaven is perfect” so IS the Son, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Similarly as Luke tells us the Master’s words saying “your Father also is merciful” we should see this same expression of Love in the Son, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. When we can see this idea of oiktimon in terms of Love, in terms of the expression of agape, we can then see how that this IS the reality of His perfection.

The Apostle John tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and he spends much of his first epistle showing the Power of that Love and the necessity of it as the expression of everyman. In Love IS the Unity of ALL in “the glorious liberty of the children of God” and it IS in understanding this underlying Unity that we find the great KEY to dispelling the illusion and the glamour of Life in this world. In the reality of God, that “neither is there respect of persons with him” (Ephesians 6: 9) as Paul tells us, we should be able to see that this Unity IS Love and therefore this Unity IS God. It IS the expression by men of this sense of Love, this Unity of ALL as One World, One Humanity, and One God, that IS the perfection of men and this both individually and corporately.

This expression IS then both the perfection and the mercifulness that we read of in the differing presentations of Jesus’ words from Matthew and Luke and if we can see this we can then understand that as “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11), it IS this same idea that must apply to men….that “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin” (James 2:9) and ARE neither perfect nor merciful as we ARE admonished to be by the Lord. It IS one’s ability to have NO “respect to persons” which shows forth the ultimate in respect for every individual equally and this IS the KEY to Truth which has ever existed in scripture….in ALL world scripture.

While the first part of our selection from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans IS quite unclear as to his intent, there IS much clarity in the second part where Love IS the overriding idea. Paul goes from a discourse about the interaction of the aspirant and the disciple with the ‘powers’ of the world in which they live to the reality of Love; he shows us clearly that ALL, ALL commandments, ARE accomplished in one’s expression of Love. But we must see agape in terms of this respect, in terms of having NO “respect to persons“, if we ARE to move closer to the goal of perfection which IS our individual expression of agape. And perhaps this IS the greater idea from the first part: that the aspirant and the disciple should look past whatsoever IS the control of one person over another, to continue in one’s own “good works” and to “love thy neighbour as thyself“. Repeating our selection we read:

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake* out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:1:14).

What we should try to see here IS the idea that such “higher powers” ARE also subject to the One Power which IS “of God” and if we can relate this to Paul’s previous idea in this epistle, the idea of vanity, we can perhaps understand his point. In the Greek word tasso which IS rendered as ordained we should try to see Strong’s definition of: to arrange in an orderly manner ^9a along with Thayer’s which defines this as: to put in place, to station ⁹. In these ideas we can better see the relationship to Paul’s showing us that “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same” (Romans 8:20).

It IS in this vanity, this illusion and this glamour that men lose sight of the the reality of Love, of agape, and its expression as NO “respect to persons“. Can we see here that Paul IS telling the aspirant and the disciple that through his own understanding of the Truth of this sense of respect that one should NOT “resisteth the power” which IS to “resisteth the ordinance of God“? We should be able to see this in the Life of the Master who never sought to revolt against the power of Rome and we should see this as well in the Life of Paul.

Perhaps here we can also see the apostle’s idea from the end of the last chapter; the idea that to “do that which is good” in the face of the power, any power that IS of the world, IS the reality of his words saying “in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12:20). And we should remember that Paul ends the last chapter, and artificial separation of scriptural words done by men, with a spiritual reality that should be the motive of men; he says “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good“.

The greater point of the combination of Paul’s words from the twelfth and the thirteenth chapters of Romans IS NOT in these ideas alone but in the reality that it IS in Love, in agape, that ALL of these ideas ARE accomplished. His point IS to show us that we should DO whatsoever IS expected of us by the powers that ARE in this world of illusion and glamour and this much like Jesus’ lesson to the Apostle Peter regarding the payment of tribute. In this we read that:

“when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying,What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him,Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee” (Matthew 17:24-27).

Here we should see that Peter acknowledges that Jesus DOES “pay tribute” but we should NOT see the idea here of prevention.Vincent tells us on this that: Prevented (προέφθασεν); Rev., rather awkwardly, but following Tynd., Spake first to him. Prevent, in its older sense, to anticipate, get before, was a correct translation ⁴. In these ideas the value of the lesson can be more clearly seen which IS that these “that received tribute money” ARE those of some power and rather than “we should offend them“, we should pay such tribute. It IS this that Paul clarifies for us as he tells the aspirant and the disciple to “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour“.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of  God	Potency	Aspect of Man	In Relation to the Great Invocation	In relation to the Christ
GOD, The Father	Will or Power	Spirit or Life	Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN	Life
Son, The Christ	Love and Wisdom	Soul or Christ Within	Heart of God	Truth
Holy Spirit	Light or Activity	Life Within	Mind of God	Way

Note on the Quote of the Day

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts