ON LOVE; PART MCDXVI
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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).
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We ended the last essay with some words on sin from the Apostle James whose blunt and direct style greatly differs from Paul’s. We noted that while Paul’s epistles leave much opportunity for interpretation as his words ARE taken out of context, the same IS NOT True of James’ writing. There ARE several areas where Paul’s words and those of James seem to be contradictory but this IS mostly because of the way that Paul’s ARE taken out of context and interpreted by men whose apparent goal IS to lessen the presumed severity of Jesus’ words. We should note here that while both James and Paul DO write in agreement with the words of the Master, the doctrinal interpretations of Paul’s words render that agreement moot. Add to this that a very select few ideas from James ARE used in most ALL Christian doctrine which results in the present state of the church that relies so heavily on the words of Paul. Our overall point in the latter part of the last essay was in regard to the twin ideas of striving and measure; that it IS through striving that we gain our ever increasing measure of Truth and in this our ability to express agape. While the Greek word agonizomai which IS rendered as strive is scarcely used in New Testament and IS used but once in the words of the Master, the idea behind it IS the overwhelming theme of ALL His teaching and that of His apostles IS that men DO just that: strive. Jesus tells us to “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24) and here we should see what Luke IS telling us of the Master’s intent. Strong’s tells us that agonizomai IS: to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something)9a. While Thayer’s defining ideas are concentrated on the Strong’s figurative idea, they DO add at the end that agonizomai IS to: to endeavor with strenuous zeal, strife, to obtain something9. Vincent tells us that agonizomai IS: used only by Luke and Paul, except John 18:36. Originally to contend for a prize in the public games; and thus conveying a sense of struggle. The kindred noun, ajgwnia, agony, is used of Christ ‘s struggle in Gethsemane4. Perhaps the idea that IS most meaningful IS the reference to Christ’s struggle where the flesh and the Spirit collide in thoughts and emotions. In regard to the use of agonizomai in Luke’s Gospel Vine’s tells us that the idea IS to put forth every effort, involving toil9b.
It IS this struggle between the flesh and the Soul’s spiritual prompting that should be seen in this modern definition of the English word strive which reads: to exert oneself vigorously; try hard; to make strenuous efforts toward any goal; to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete; to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance; to rival; vie. ALL of these ideas can be used in regard to this struggle that engulfs mankind and which IS shown us from a spiritual perspective in Paul’s words saying “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” as we read in our selection. Paul then adds for us the resolution to our struggle saying “he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8). We should see that this latter saying IS NO different than Jesus’ words that tell us to “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able“, the difference being that Paul clarifies and amplifies the reward that comes to those that DO “enter in at the strait gate“. The force of this word agonizomai permeates the entire New Testament as the singular idea that leads us to True salvation but, unfortunately, the idea IS washed away by the doctrinal stance that says that a man IS a sinner and that he CAN NOT save himself. The whole Truth of our salvation IS found in our striving, our ability to exert oneself vigorously, and to: To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard; applicable to exertions of body or mind1 as we read in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. It IS this idea of striving that leads us to the Truth that “he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting“.
This striving IS the work of a True follower of the Master. We should understand as well that this striving IS a complex idea that IS centered in agape. This striving IS NOT to reach the Kingdom despite the way that the idea IS framed but it IS rather a striving toward the Kingdom through the singular idea of keeping His words, the most important of which IS agape. The church however has relied upon their interpretations of Paul’s words that decry works while NOT understanding just what it IS that he means in saying “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Again, we should try to see that charis, grace, IS ALL that comes from the Lord….charis IS in effect that “wisdom that is from above” which brings with it the reality that such Wisdom IS “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). This grace IS also “the fruit of the Spirit” that flows into the heart of the man who will keep His words. Here we should remember that the first fruit in Paul’s list IS agape and we should remember also that: Love, in this passage, is that fruit of the Spirit which dominates all the others4 as Vincent tell us. It IS the “works of the law” (Galatians 2:16) that Paul decries and the crux of his opposition to the idea IS limited to the way that the Jews’ interpretations of the law, their traditions if you will, were but a show of compliance made without regard to the “weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23), all of which ARE component parts of agape. This should be clear as Paul completes his saying from Ephesians saying “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10)). Can we see the point here? Can we understand the difference between such “good works” and those works that ONLY serve the self?
While our discussion IS NOT about works as that idea IS generally understood by the doctrinal Christian who has been told that one CAN NOT save himself, we must understand that the idea of works IS NOT found in that doctrinal idea alone. Paul tells us that we ARE created “unto good works” and that “we should walk in them” and here we should try to see that this admonishment IS NO different that we find in Jesus admonitions that we strive toward that goal and that we “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Both of these require the personal attention of the man in this world and the reality of our being able to DO these things IS well beyond the nebulous doctrinal ideas of faith. We should understand as well that doctrinal faith, rightly applied, will perforce make a man pay personal attention to His Truths and since this DOES NOT happen with any regularity, we should be able to see that it IS one’s doctrinal leanings that prevent such attention to His Truths. The Master’s teachings on keeping His words, striving and seeking after the Truth among other things, have become moot in the church today as men have rendered His Truths to be of little or no practical value, meaning, or relevance*, as moot IS defined. This IS the natural effect of the churches’ fixation on their interpretations of the teachings of Paul over the centuries. That Jesus’ words have become words of encouragement rather than commandment IS the fault of the church from the beginning and we should lay a good deal of the blame regarding our current religious dilemmas on the teachers of the Reformation. But this DOES NOT relieve any from that blame; from the church fathers onward the Master’s words have been diluted into pomp and ceremony while the crux of His teachings have been interpreted into such things as sacraments which ARE for many a man’s way to his salvation. While the interpretations of Paul’s ideas on faith and works may leave us in a state of uncertainty, such uncertainty should be eliminated by such ideas as we have above from Ephesians as well as what seems to be a rebuttal from the Apostle James who tells us that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). Without interpreting Jesus’ words, we should refer to His saying that “the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27) to see the Master’s perspective. And, if we can see the idea of sowing in Paul’s teaching on works, we can likely better understand his words saying “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8). The doctrinal conversation should NOT be one that disparages the idea of works in relation to faith; it should be one that distinguishes between “the works of the flesh” and those “good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them“. Returning now to our selection from Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians we read:
“for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit“.
Galatians 5:13-25
Combining our discussion of Paul’s lists with the idea of works shows us rather clearly the divide between works and works where using the same word for two different phenomenon has created much confusion. There ARE the “the works of the flesh” in our selection from Paul but these should NOT be used to define the totality of such types of works. Viewed spiritually, as we have attempted to DO, these “works of the flesh” represent the pitfalls to be avoided by the man who has found some measure of Truth; such pitfalls ARE the thoughts, attitudes and actions of the emerging spiritual man that ARE reoriented toward the self and the things of the self in this world. It IS this reorientation that IS the cause and the product of “another gospel” which allows for men to deviate from the Truth for personal gain. Viewed carnally “the works of the flesh” ARE the carnal endeavors of men which, while NOT strictly sensual as much of doctrine purports to be the essence of men’s desires, ARE nonetheless his self-centered motivations for living. It is such “works of the flesh” that represent that idea of works that Paul rails against and here we should pay more attention to the spiritual ideas than the strictly carnal; it IS these that encumbered the Jews as they replaced the Truth with their version of “another gospel” which IS their traditions and their self-centered interpretations of the law. In these spiritual ideas ARE those works that Paul decries as men, from the Jews onward, have convinced themselves that their spiritual undertakings ARE according to the Will of God. That Jesus shattered this view was NOT recognized by the Jews; His words fell upon deaf ears. The religious Jews supported such doctrinal ideas, their versions of “another gospel“, over the Master’s spoken words and this despite His most profound examples and miracles. These ideas cover the first works in that divide between works and works; the second works should be understood as such spiritual ideas as “the fruit of the Spirit“. It is “the fruit of the Spirit” that should be see as those “good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them“. These ARE surely works that Paul IS NOT against and these ARE surely James’ reference in saying that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). It IS through the Apostle James’ words that we can also see the reality of pistis which, while rendered as faith, IS that KNOWING that comes to those that will keep His words, that KNOWING by which men DO express their measure of “the fruit of the Spirit” according to James’ saying that “I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 3:18). Works ARE the natural and necessary result of KNOWING and here we should understand that this spiritual KNOWING which IS unlocked according to Jesus’ words from our trifecta IS the reality of KNOWING God. The simple key to unlocking our ability to KNOW IS so simply put by the Master and while His words ARE relatively ignored, the reality stands as we read in the first part of our trifecta saying:
- “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 try to see here that men’s momentary agreement with Jesus’ words, His commandments if you will, DOES NOT suffice to bring a man the Truth which IS the free flowing of our KNOWLEDGE of God into a mind that perhaps could not before comprehend that Truth. Jesus tells us that it IS in our continual striving to keep His words that this Truth comes. James tells us that “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8) and here we should try to see this Wisdom as KNOWING the Truth, KNOWING God. There IS a compound message here however that says that one must “ask in faith” which should be understood as asking while KNOWING that this Wisdom “shall be given him“. Here in these words we should try to see the idea again of measure as it requires some measure of KNOWING to advance to where one can become single minded and leave behind that time when one was “unstable in all his ways“. In ALL of this the simple Truth IS that we keep His words which IS the essence of Truly “believing on” Jesus and here we should remember that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” where the idea of the law IS defined as: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command2a; this IS NOT ONLY the law of Moses.
Our expression of “the fruit of the Spirit” IS the spiritual goal of ALL mankind but this IS an expression that seems afar off in this world today. Perhaps if the ideas of this goal were disseminated among the masses in similar simple terms as those of the Master, the journey could have a nearer end. This however requires that somehow the ideas and the ideals of agape become KNOWN by those masses and this regardless of country, class, religion, race, customs or any other prejudicial canal realities that may exist. Of course NOT ALL will agree to participate in this idea of Love where one gives up his focus upon himself and those close and gives up any prejudices that separate him from others. While this IS a sea change in the hearts of men some will undoubtedly follow and while this may cause yet another round of focus upon a variety of different opinions, a new surge of Paul’s “another gospel“, it could be “another gospel” that IS closer to the Truth than those that exist in the churches today. This brings us to the next word from Paul’s list of “the fruit of the Spirit“, a word that has great importance as a component of both agape and the changes that agape must bring: meekness. Rendered from the Greek word praotes the idea of this word IS greatly misunderstood based in common usage; the carnal ideas DO NOT satisfy the spiritual notes that praotes should carry. While praotes IS rendered as meekness in many translations, other ideas such as “Gentle behaviour“, gentleness and humility have become the chosen rendering of others. In those translations where gentleness IS the rendering for praotes, other words, specifically chrēstotēs and agathōsynē from earlier in Paul’s list, ARE rendered into different ideas than the gentleness and goodness of the King James Bible. Perhaps the drift away from rendering praotes as meekness IS found in the negative connotation that the idea of meekness engenders though its common usage. For us this serves to amplify our idea that many of the words in these lists and others ARE rendered to the convenience of men rather than the meaning intended by the writers. While gentleness and humility may be component parts of meekness, these DO NOT show us the depth of the idea as a “the fruit of the Spirit“.
The bible definitions for the Greek word praotes ARE essentially Christian ideas of the use of the word; Vincent tells us this saying that praotes IS: Another word which, though never used in a bad sense, Christianity has lifted to a higher plane, and made the symbol of a higher good. Its primary meaning is mild, gentle. It was applied to inanimate things, as light, wind, sound, sickness. It was used of a horse; gentle4. This idea that the word IS become a symbol of a higher good IS likely based in two sayings from the Master; Jesus tells us “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5) which perhaps shows a higher good in that those who express this meekness ARE blessed. This saying IS also translated substituting the ideas of gentleness and humility (“Happy are people who are humble“) and ofttimes the idea of blessed IS rendered in terms of happiness. Both happy and gentle ARE purely carnal ideas while humility may have some degree of spiritual Truth regarding the whole of the idea; we can ask here a question which IS why would the gentle or the humble “inherit the earth“. It IS far easier to see the meek in such a position spiritually and we should remember here that we ARE discussing praotes as a “fruit of the Spirit“, ALL of which ARE components of agape that flows into the hearts of men. Jesus also tells us to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). While the same ideas of gentle and humble ARE translated into this saying, the force of the Master’s words seems lost in such translations and perhaps here we can try to see that gentleness and humility ARE but carnal effects of the flow of that fruit which IS meekness properly understood. The idea of meekness has travelled far according to today’s dictionary where it IS defined as: humbly patient or quiet in nature, as under provocation from others; overly submissive or compliant; tame; Obsolete. gentle; kind* and here we should note that the ‘Christian’ ideas that Vincent cites above have become obsolete. Finally we should look at to the Old Testament where we read parenthetically: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). While the idea of meekness IS here changed to gentleness and humility also, these ideas ARE easily discarded based upon the historical view offered in the Pentateuch.
Beginning with the last idea from the Pentateuch we can start to establish the reality of the idea of meekness as the proper rendering of both praotes and the Hebrew `anav. We must be careful however to understand both The Greek and the English words, praotes and meekness, as the ideas ARE intended and NOT according to the ideas of timidity that ARE applied to meekness today. Moses was NOT timid and neither was Jesus or any of whom we read had reached that point of discipleship where “the fruit of the Spirit” overwhelms the carnal instincts of a man. Nor IS meekness to be understood according to any of the defining ideas in our modern dictionaries. Webster’s 1828 dictionary can help us to understand the churches ideas regarding meekness as we read above from Vincent. Webster’s, in addition to the ideas of mild and gentle, offers us that the idea IS spiritually: Appropriately humble, in an evangelical sense; submissive to the divine will; not proud, self-sufficient or refractory; not peevish and apt to complain of divine dispensations1 but this idea IS steeped in Christian theology of which Noah Webster was a staunch proponent. John Gill, who we often use to show the doctrinal ideas attached to Greek words, says that praotes IS: Humility and lowliness of mind, of which Christ is an eminent example and pattern; and which the Holy Spirit from him transcribes into the heart of a regenerate person8 and this doctrinally based idea IS ONLY valid for us through the idea that it IS such meekness from the Lord, for us from the Soul, which transcribes such virtue into the heart of a regenerate person. Jesus expression of the Truth and of Love was hardly DONE in humility as He broadcast His Power to Good freely and the idea of lowliness in Mr. Gills commentary IS NOT the idea that we should take from the Master’s saying that “I am meek and lowly in heart“. This idea of tapeinos which IS rendered as lowly IS better seen through Jesus own words saying that “I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:27) and other like ideas on service that He offers us. In Jesus’ saying “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls“, He IS telling us that we should be as He IS; to take His “yoke upon you” IS to couple oneself to the Master. Strong’s tells us that the idea of a yoke IS: to join, especially by a “yoke”); a coupling9a and we should NOT see in this idea any idea of bondage which IS often a part of the presentation of the idea of yoke as Thayer’s cites saying that the idea IS: metaphorically, used of any burden or bondage: as that of slavery. To couple oneself to the Master should be seen in one’s True following of Him, keeping His words if you will, and it IS in this that we can better understand the idea that men should “learn of me” as it IS through this coupling that we come to KNOW God. And it IS in KNOWING God that we can best understand the two ideas presented: that we should be meek as He IS and lowly from the perspective of True service.
It IS Vincent that gives us a broad look at praotes as he shows us the ‘pre-Christian’ use of the word. Mr. Vincent tells us that: As a human attribute, Aristotle defines it as the mean between stubborn anger and that negativeness of character which is incapable of even righteous indignation: according to which it is tantamount to equanimity. He goes on to tell us that: Plato opposes it to fierceness or cruelty, and uses it of humanity to the condemned; but also of the conciliatory demeanor of a demagogue seeking popularity and power. Pindar applies it to a king, mild or kind to the citizens, and Herodotus uses it as opposed to anger. Most of these ‘pre-Christian’ defining ideas for praotes should show us the crux of the idea that we ARE trying to present. We should see from these ideas that the word praotes can be used in a variety of situations and that NONE ARE based in timidity or any of the ideas from today’s usage of the word meek. Perhaps the best single word that can describe meekness as it applies to the Master, to Moses and to ALL whose focus IS Truly upon the Lord IS equanimity. In this word we should see that same evenness that IS applied to the extended definitions of zygos which IS rendered as yoke; there we read that the yoke IS: a balance, pair of scales 9 in Thayer’s while Strong’s tells us zygos IS: also (literally) the beam of the balance (as connecting the scales)9a. This dual idea from zygos, as a coupling and as a balance, allows us to see a unique combination of ideas in Jesus’ words saying “I am meek and lowly in heart“. This points us to the reality of Jesus equanimity in ALL His encounters basing His thoughts, His attitudes and His actions on that sense of equality that reveals the ‘agape‘ Truth that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11).
We should remember here that the idea of praotes, meekness, in Paul’s list of “the fruit of the Spirit” IS a component of agape which IS the lead fruit in this list. We should remember also that: Love, in this passage, is that fruit of the Spirit which dominates all the others4 as Vincent tell us and that this idea of fruit represents that which flows from the Spirit into the hearts of men who ARE focused on the Lord. We should understand that this meekness then IS a part of our Soul nature and that the Soul IS the wellspring of ALL Power that can come into the Life of a man according to Jesus’ words on “greater works” (John 14:12) and the ability of men to remove the mountain (Mark 11:23) or the “sycamine tree” (Luke 17:6) and cast them into the sea. These ideas were explored in the last essay where we discussed the previous word from Paul’s list, pistis which IS rendered as faith. Here we should see the divine Power of the Soul, the spiritual man, that can be unleashed into this world by the man who can first keep His words and second become a fully fused spiritual entity that can “have faith pistis, and doubt not” (Matthew 21:21) and here we should understand faith as KNOWING. While these ideas of Power ARE the ultimate abilities of men, the spiritual man would NOT remove the mountain or the “sycamine tree” and cast them into the sea and in this we can get a glimpse of the reality of praotes, of meekness. To have such Power and to choose NOT to use it IS the view of meekness that we should try to see as a “fruit of the Spirit“. Jesus had such Power and we should note His meekness in such ideas as His response to His disciples when armed men came to take Him to His death; He asks “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). We should try to see the idea of “twelve legions of angels” in the same way that we should see the idea of removing the mountain or the “sycamine tree” and casting them into the sea: within the Power but also beyond the scope of the necessary. The point IS that Jesus has the Power to DO whatsoever He pleased to counter those who sought to take Him and that in His meekness, He allowed it to happen as He allowed what ensued to happen up to and including His death on the cross.
We should try to see as well that it IS meekness that lies at the heart of the Great Commandments and while some in the church may see Jesus’ meekness in terms of His submission to the Divine Will, His expression of it IS fully contained in agape. In the idea which Paul repeats in our selection, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“, we should be able to understand meekness as our expression of Love. Here, NO matter what one may feel or think about another, one’s meekness obliges him to see the other in equanimity, to see the other as he sees himself. In this sense, meekness prohibits any action that could be considered as being against another and here we should try to understand this in Jesus terms saying “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). Can we see the idea of meekness more clearly now?
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
- 2a New Testament Greek lexicon on biblestudytools.com
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
- 9b Vine’s Expository Dictionary on blueletterbible.org
- * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
