ON LOVE; PART MDXXI
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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 thoughts on the Way that we can keep His words, keep the commandments, and “heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them” (Matthew 7:24) as the Master tells us; and this Way IS our expression of agape. Paul very clearly tells us that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:17) and it IS unfortunate that few understand the spiritual Power that IS incorporated into these words. In our expression of agape ALL things ARE fulfilled to use a word that we began to explore again in the last essay. This IS of course our personal fulfillment of the mission of our Souls in this world. In the last essay we looked at the idea of fulfillment according to the Master’s words saying “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). While many in the church consider the Advent of the Master into this world as the fulfillment of ALL, there IS NO True biblical support for this contention. When we consider this in terms of agape, we should be able to see how that His Advent DOES support this sense of fulfillment as it IS Jesus the Christ that brings the idea of agape as the deepest Truth of scripture. That this reality already existed was muted by the Jews concentration on their doctrines over the Truth, their preference for their “commandments of men” over the reality that was the law of Moses. Again, Jesus shows us Jews’ disfunction saying “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7). While these words ARE directed at the Jews, Jesus IS speaking to the Jews at the time, they also stretch both forward and back in time; this same idea of “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” has plagued Christianity for 2000 years.
It IS agape that IS the fulfillment of the law for everyman individually and it IS agape that IS the fulfillment of the law for the world at large but, unfortunately, this idea has NOT resonated in the hearts of men of most every world religion. This IS largely because the whole idea of agape IS misunderstood and misapplied by the church as it IS related in the minds of men to the common idea of Love as it exists in this world. Agape IS NOT Love as this idea IS understood; agape IS NOT our mental and emotional attachment and attraction to others and to things in this world; such ideas ARE covered under a different Greek word. Let us explore this in this essay. This other word IS philadelphia; this IS the word that should be related to the common ideas of Love. Strong’s tells us that philadelphia IS: from G5361; fraternal affection:—brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren9a and here we should note that G5361 IS the Greek word philadelphos. The root word here IS philos which Strong’s defines as: properly, dear, i.e. a friend; actively, fond, i.e. friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.)9a. ALL of these words ARE in regard to the same ideas of friends, brethren and other people viewed from a carnal perspective. That none of these ARE understood in relation to one’s relatives and those close through worldly relationships DOES NOT detract from the idea that it IS philadelphia and related words that ARE intended to show our carnal attachments and attractions. It IS based in its New Testament usage that the idea has come to be understood in relation to ideas such as love of the brethren where the brethren ARE fellow Christians. From its usage in Romans where we read “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:10), Vincent somewhat explains philadelphia under the idea of being “kindly affectioned“. Mr. Vincent tells us that philostorgos, which IS rendered here as “kindly affectioned” in our subject verse from Romans and IS another derivative of philos, IS: From stergw to love, which denotes peculiarly a natural affection, a sentiment innate and peculiar to men as men, as distinguished from the love of desire, called out by circumstance. Hence of the natural love of kindred, of people and king (the relation being regarded as founded in nature), of a tutelary God for a people. The word here represents Christians as bound by a family tie. It is intended to define more specifically the character of filadelfia brotherly love, which follows, so that the exhortation is “love the brethren in the faith as though they were brethren in blood” (Farrar). Rev., be tenderly affectioned; but the A. V., in the word kindly gives the real sense, since kind is originally kinned; and kindly affectioned is having the affection of kindred4. While a rather lengthy explanation of Paul’s words, this DOES bring out for us the family ties under the word philos that ARE NOT evident in commentary on the derivative word philadelphia but yet ARE there. Philos, the root word IS always rendered as friend in the King James Bible; philadelphos which IS ONLY found once in the New Testament IS rendered as love as brethren and philadelphia IS rendered as brotherly love, brotherly kindness, and love of the brethren.
The frequency of the idea of brethren in these words has perhaps led to the idea that it IS intended as a word to express Love for other Christians and it IS this idea that has also drifted into the understanding of agape in certain usages. The ideas behind philos however ARE NOT restricted to brethren according to Vincent and any intelligent reading of the intent of the idea in the New Testament. Philos, while NOT seen as broad as agape, should be understood as covering ALL worldly ‘Love’ relationships from friend to spouse and from brethren to children. And, it IS these relationships that should be stripped from the Greek words agape and agapao. We use agape as the general way of addressing the idea of both; agape IS the noun while agapao IS the verb form of the word idea. Our spiritual focus should ever be on agape as the ‘God kind of Love’ if you must understand it in that way. We must realize that while the idea of agape as the ‘God kind of Love’ IS a valid view of the True idea behind the word, it IS up to us, as men in this world, to express it as would the Lord. It IS ONLY in this way that we can keep the Master’s many words on agape, words that show us to first “love thy neighbour as thyself” and then to exercise this Love according to such ideas as “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:27-31). This IS our expression of agape.
While it IS True that such an expression IS difficult, this difficulty IS built into the Master’s words. Jesus tells us that we should “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). We should try to understand that the broad way IS the way of men in this world who have NOT yet awakened to the Truth, men whose primary concentration IS on living Life as men, men who ARE yet caught up in their own “bondage of corruption“, their own vanity (Romans 8:21, 20). We should also try to see that those in the church ARE also on this same broad way “that leadeth to destruction“. We should understand that this idea of destruction from the Greek word apoleia IS NOT merely a physical term; Strong’s defines apoleia as: ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal)9a. Thayer’s shows us that this apoleia IS: the destruction which consists in the loss of eternal life, eternal misery, perdition. Save for the few bible translations that render the idea as hell, destruction has been the chosen idea. The lexicon, using words that ARE NOT from Thayer’s as most usually ARE, tells us that apoleia IS: a perishing, ruin, destruction: of money; the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell. The last idea IS purely doctrinal and the middle idea IS purely carnal; our focus IS on the primary idea of a a perishing which we should relate to Vincent’s words on vanity. Mr. Vincent tells us that our vanity IS: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends4. This definition outlines for us NOT ONLY our vanity but also the broad way “that leadeth to destruction“. That few see this reality IS the expectation of the Master’s words that tell us that “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it“. That few find the Way IS because few see their own plight in this world and, based in their delusion, CAN NOT see the Truth. Luke offers us a Way to extract ourselves from the doldrums of our carnal and mundane lives, escape if you will, in the idea of striving. In striving we actively seek the better Way, but unfortunately the Way to this better Way IS obnubilated by the carnal mind that DOES NOT see the need to find “the strait gate“. This IS ONLY corrected through hearing the prompting of one’s own Soul to the Good, the Beautiful and the True over the din of our daily living; a feat that IS the reality of our difficulty. Luke tells us the Master’s words as “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).
There IS a twist to the overall idea of entering in at “the strait gate” in Luke’s reporting of the Master’s words. Matthew’s version simply says that “broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” and in this we should try to see the idea of stiving from the perspective of those “few there be that find it“. Here our point IS that if we can “find it” it IS NO accident but rather IS the result of our conscious effort to “find it“. If we comport this with the Master’s words saying “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7), we can perhaps see the clearer picture. Luke’s version seems to presume that there ARE many that ‘believe‘ that they can “enter in“, that they sense the goal but lack the wherewithal to Truly “enter in“. Many claim that this IS a charge against the non-Christian but we should understand that in Jesus’ day there was NO such thing as being a Christian; the population was largely Jews who believed that they ARE ‘saved‘ through their doctrines. This same dynamic however IS True yet today as most ALL Christians believe that they ARE ‘saved‘ through their doctrines. This carry forward of the Master’s words into the Christian era seems at odds with much of church doctrine and this IS so from several doctrinal perspectives. In Luke’s telling it IS ONLY those that “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” that possibly can and that there IS NO guarantee. In the end these two versions DO tell us the same things albeit from different perspectives; Matthew tells us that we must find the Way while Luke tells us that we must strive toward the goal of the seemingly undefined “strait gate“. Matthew shows us the plight of the general population while Luke adds to this the idea of men already believing that they have succeeded in being able. Here we should try to see the crux of James’ argument telling us to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).
While James shows us the deception of the believer who IS NOT the DOER in rather clear terms, the Master offers us the same idea as a rhetorical question that asks “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). While the messages here ARE poignant, they ARE at the same time ignored by most ALL of the church which relies on rites and rituals or on affirmations of faith to serve the purpose of entering in at “the strait gate“. What IS missed IS that the very words that Jesus and James use here ARE contradictory of the doctrinal ideas espoused by the churches. While this should be clear to ALL, the vanity of men has prevented it from being so as most ALL church ‘authorities’ have proclaimed that their doctrines ARE the Way. Beginning with the church fathers the doctrines that have been espoused ARE founded in the vanity of men; they ARE doctrines that embrace the carnal and mundane lives of men in this world. It IS this that we should see in Jesus’ words; repeating the words of Isaiah the Master tells us “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-7). We should stop here to note that we have in the past attributed these original words to Elijah rather that Isaiah who IS actually the source. This aside, we should try to see that it IS the doctrines of men, their chosen view of the commandments, that ARE what the Master IS speaking against here and based in this ONLY we should see that His words DO NOT ONLY apply to the Jews. While it may be convenient for some denominations and sects to view the Master’s words in the gospels as being directed to the Jews, this IS NOT a reality. If this were so there would be NO basis for Christianity as it IS His words that have changed the world’s corporate psyche as He points our in clear language the Power of agape. As we ofttimes cite, it IS the perceived difficulty in keeping His words that has spawned the various doctrinal applications of Jesus’ own word. We should add to this the church’s search for tidbits of ideas from Paul that could be used as ‘ammunition’ against the need to DO so, against the need to “be ye doers of the word“.
A this IS the crux of our argument, indeed the crux of our entire blog which we base for the reader in the clarity of our trifecta where keeping HIs words IS the Way to the Truth, to the Kingdom and to the True Presence of the Lord in our lives. Repeating our trifecta we read:
- “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 note here that in much of the church these ideas ARE NOT seen as important parts of Christian doctrine as most ALL have chosen to define Christianity through out of context words and ideas from the writings of Paul, writings that ARE addressed to specific segments of the world all those centuries ago. The effect of this IS of course the acceptance of men’s interpretations of Paul’s words as the emphasis of the doctrines of men and this despite the Master’s caution regarding “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men“. Additionally, the church’s acceptance of men’s interpretation of Paul’s words as doctrine has greatly diminished the way that men view the actual words of the Master, of the Truths uttered by the Christ. It IS from among these Truths that we have compiled our trifecta and while there ARE other saying offered by the Master, it IS these that for us express the entirely of Jesus’ intent in teaching us the Truth. However, much of the ideas of our trifecta ARE NOT understood and, in fact, ARE NOT highly considered by much of the church yet today. Here then we will again attempt to show how that keeping His words IS the Way to the ‘rewards‘ of our trifecta, ‘rewards‘ that ARE integral to our spiritual advancement as men in this world. We begin with the idea of ‘rewards‘ a word that IS NOT a part of the doctrinal dialogue in much of the church that believes that men CAN NOT earn their way to heaven. Our commentary here IS from the writings of the Apostle Paul and the idea to be taken from these words should have destroyed the effort to make such doctrinal assertions that one CAN NOT ‘save‘ himself. Paul tells us “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. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:7-9).
The ideas that Paul IS offering us here should be understood in both karmic terms and in regard to ‘reward‘. The karmic ideas ARE rather clearly stated in our sowing and reaping which in this world can be understood simply as cause and effect. This theme IS repeated several times in the New Testament and why the idea IS ignored remains a mystery for us; perhaps it IS because it IS from a different religious philosophy that the Christian world DOES NOT want to accept or even entertain. Paul’s words here however ARE clearly telling us that whensoever a man “soweth to his flesh” he “shall of the flesh reap corruption” and this corruption IS the same word that IS used by Paul to show us our vanity, to show us our “bondage of corruption“. Corruption IS from the Greek word phthora and IS defined by Strong’s as: decay, i.e. ruin (spontaneous or inflicted, literally or figuratively)9a. In this word we should try to see the very defining idea that Vincent offers us regarding our vanity as: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends4. This vanity IS the continued ‘reward‘ for our sowing to the flesh, the ‘reward‘ for our focus upon our carnal and mundane lives. The point here IS that we remain in our: perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends so long as we maintain that focus and we should note here that the entirety of the Master’s teachings and the clarifying and amplifying teachings of His apostles ARE intended to show us the Way out of this abyss. Paul tells us that we ARE born into vanity and while he may NOT use this terminology, the message could NOT be clearer in his words saying “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21).
Our changes to the above words from the King James translation of Paul ARE well documented in our blog posts; essentially they ARE that God has NO need to hope as that word IS commonly understood. Expectation IS the more suitable rendering and IS offered as the primary definition of the Greek word elpis. Vincent tells us of ‘in hope because‘ that: The best texts transfer these words from the preceding verse, and construe with was made subject, rendering oti that instead of because4; that IS the primary translation for this Greek conjunction. Finally the idea of delivered causes the idea to be that the changed from “the bondage of corruption” IS at the hands of the Lord and this IS NOT according to the gist of the entire message. The Greek word eleutheroo which IS rendered as delivered IS rendered elsewhere as to make free which IS the use in other verses and especially the idea from our trifecta saying “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31). Regardless of the way that this idea of mataiotes, vanity, IS understood, as vanity under Vincent’s definition, or as the’ fall of man’ as most understand the idea based in their doctrines, it IS a human condition that must be overcome which IS the gist of the whole text on this matter. Can we see the point here?
When Paul tells us that whensoever a man “soweth to his flesh” he “shall of the flesh reap corruption“, these words on vanity from Romans should be understood as his message to the Galatians as well: that when a man focuses his Life on the carnal and the mundane, when he “soweth to his flesh“, he IS effectively choosing to remain in his bondage, in his “bondage of corruption“. Of course it IS the opposite of this that IS the crux of Paul’s message to the Galatians. The apostle’s saying that “he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” IS clearly the Way out of our individual abyss. We should note here that Paul includes the idea of “well doing” which in itself should show that the church’s interpretations of his words regarding works IS flawed. In “well doing” we ARE DOING the work of the Lord….we ARE DOING and NOT relying on our nebulous ideas of faith and believing. Of course there ARE several such ideas presented by the apostle that go unheeded in the face of the doctrinal assertions that a man CAN NOT ‘save‘ himself. Such interpretations have severely restricted the ability of the Christian man to move forward spiritually. The doctrinal thinker CAN NOT clearly see the journey to and along the Path to becoming “partakers of the divine nature” and entering into “the glorious liberty of the children of God“. James’ words saying that we must “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” ARE also ignored by most ALL in favor of one’s doctrinal ideas, essentially in favor of “deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Paul’s words to the Galatians should bring to mind his similar words to the Romans which we have been discussing; in Romans the apostle takes a different tone saying that we must “mortify the deeds of the body“. These words offer us a choice between our carnal and mundane lives where we “live after the flesh” and the Way to Life as we choose to “through the Spirit” to “mortify the deeds of the body“.
The choices ARE clear in Romans and they ARE clear in Paul’s words to the Galatians saying that one who “soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting“. This IS NO different than the Master’s offered choice of remaining the “foolish man” or, through the changes of Repentance and Transformation, becoming the “wise man” (Matthew 7:26, 24). Indeed the message of the entirety of the New Testament IS about the choices that we make as men in this world. Unfortunately these realities ARE obnubilated by the doctrinal ideas preached to men in their stead, ideas that deflect the personal responsibility of Repentance and Transformation in favor of the ‘hope‘ that comes through their nebulous faith and believing. Returning to Paul’s words to the Romans from the last essay we should read again and ponder; the apostle tells us:
“ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God“
Romans 8:9-14
In the Christian world many millions of men proclaim that they ARE “led by the Spirit of God” likely without ever thinking clearly and deeply about these words. Simply speaking, if one IS “led by the Spirit of God” then he should follow what the “Spirit of God” prescribes in His words and His commandments and this per force includes the words of the Master who IS acknowledged by most as God. We ARE NOT left without explanation by Paul who clearly defines this idea of being “led by the Spirit of God“. We should begin with the idea that “”ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you” and we should understand here that to be led by “the Spirit of God” requires that one have “the Spirit of God” dwelling in him. The idea here should be understood through the Greek word oikeo which IS rendered as dwell. Strong’s defines the word as: to occupy a house, i.e. reside (figuratively, inhabit, remain, inhere); by implication, to cohabit:—dwell. This word, oikeo and its definition should bring to mind the Master’s words from our trifecta that tell us how that such a dwelling IS possible. Jesus tells us that “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” (John 14:23) and we should understand here the relationship between dwelling and abode through the idea of His abiding. The main idea here then IS that to have the Lord abide within as a conscious realization of Truth, we must keep His words and Paul tells us that when we DO keep His words we will be “in the Spirit” because “the Spirit of God dwell in you“.
Paul continues on to tells us more about this relationship that we often call having the Presence of God in our lives. The apostle tells us that “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” and here we have a reality that IS overlooked by most ALL. We should start here again with the idea of God dwelling “in you” and the criteria for having this dwelling as explained by the Master as He tells us how that the Lord will “make our abode with him“, with the man who will keep His words. The next point here IS found in the idea that the Lord shall “also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” and in this we should see the progression of our Transformation. Quicken IS rendered from the Greek word zoopoieo which means: to cause to live, make alive, give life in the context of our verse and we should understand here that this IS a spiritual context. This quickening then reflects the way that the Soul overcomes the carnal self bringing the man under the control of his Soul, his Christ Within. This IS emphasized by Paul’s following statement that “if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live“; this IS the quickened Life. Here we should equate the mortifying with the quickening and understand that ALL is based in the reality of our realization of the Presence of the Lord in our lives. Others render the idea of quickening as that the Lord will “also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” and since the “mortal bodies” ARE already alive, the meaning of this Life IS clearly spiritual. To best understand this ALL we must understand the duality of Life shown us by the Master in a group of sayings that we recently discussed. The gist of them ALL IS found in this from Luke’s Gospel; we read that “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” (Luke 17:33).
While the meaning of the Master’s words here as well as the alternate way that this IS presented by the Apostle John should be clear; unfortunately for too many they ARE NOT. The idea that one should “seek to save his life shall lose it” IS NOT a reference to the “mortal bodies” of men but rather to the opportunity for the Soul, the Christ Within, to overcome and to “mortify the deeds of the body“. This opportunity IS ever present and in the idea of seeking to keep one’s hold on his carnal and mundane Life IS the subject; we have here the spiritual plight of men in this world. The opportunity IS present at every moment and the decision IS made on a constant basis so that there IS always the opportunity to opt out if you will from one’s focus on the carnal and the mundane and set one’s sights upon the ability to “preserve it“, to preserve the ability for the Soul to overcome. This IS the spiritual struggle of men and perhaps it can be better understood using John’s verbiage saying “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:25). The idea of Love in this saying IS from the Greek word phileo which should be understood as that idea of Love that IS of this world; this IS NOT the spiritual idea of Love that IS agape. While we DID discuss these ideas of Love above, we DID NOT address phileo specifically. As part of a rather lengthy definition Strong’s tells us that phileo IS: to be a friend to (fond of (an individual or an object)), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling9a.
This idea of Love under Strong’s definition should be clearly seen as the focus of a man on his Life in this world and while there IS confusion because of the duality of the ideas presented, the Truth IS NOT difficult to see. In ALL such statements there IS a parabolic aspect that must be broken in order to understand and we should note that whensoever there IS NO basis for such understanding the spiritual nature of the ideas presented IS lost. The common understanding of these words is found in this entry from John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible where we read that: The sense is, that whoever is so in love with this present temporal life, as to be anxiously careful of it, and takes all precautions to secure it; and rather than to expose it to any danger, chooses to deny the faith of Christ, and desert his cause and interest; as such an one shall not long enjoy this life, so he shall come short of an eternal one8. While this IS steeped in doctrinal jargon, the idea can be clear if we replace the idea of denying the faith of Christ with the idea of choosing to follow the Lord and His commandments and here again the idea should be seen in terms of agape and its expression to the world.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect | 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 |
- 2 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
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
