ON LOVE; PART CMXXXVII

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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).

As we continue with our discussion of the Apostle Peter’s words which show that the reality of discipleship comes to the man who has “like precious faith“, that IS, the man who can be among the “partakers of the divine nature“, we should remember that the whole of this IS accomplished in keeping His words. Moreover, we should see the reality of this through the Apostle Paul’s words that tell us of the Way that we DO keep His words….in Love, in our expression of Love as agape to ALL men. While Peter DOES NOT seem to be expressive of Love, this IS ONLY when we view this according to the common understanding of Love as an emotional and mental attraction and attachment to others and to the things of this world. There ARE several places in the apostle’s writing where he speaks of Love and how that one should Love others and it IS unfortunate that some DO take his framing of this idea of Love as that he refers ONLY to fellow Christians. This IS of course contrary to the Master’s own words on Love.

When we can see that Peter’s words ARE directed at men who ARE striving toward that “like precious faith” as a group, we can then understand how that he IS admonishing them to Love one another as a Way of Life, NOT to the exclusion of Loving ALL men as Jesus’ own instructions on Love show us, but in addition to them. Perhaps Peter sees something of his own thoughts and feelings which we read about in the gospels to be in ALL men and IS cautioning “the brethren” to NOT measure others but to “honour all men” (1 Peter 2:17). In this Greek word timao which IS rendered as honour we should try to see the idea of value as this IS alternately rendered in the King James Bible.

In this idea, we could see this saying as “value ALL men” and, according to some other bible translations we can also see “respect ALL men“; in this idea of value and respect we should try to see the ideas that Jesus’s shows us in the Golden Rule and in the Great Commandments that we repeat again at the top of our essay. That IS, to see ALL men as we see ourselves and to hold them in the same place as we should perceive ourselves to be….as men in form in this world seeking the Truth. It IS in this view of Love as honour or as value and respect that we should see the overall of the apostle’s intent and he DOES show us his own meaning of this idea as he continues his words to those who have escaped or who ARE striving to escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). We read:

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-11)

While the idea of adding to faith seems an acceptable idea from the perspective of one who understands Peter’s intent, the deeper ideas of these words being written to disciples and aspirants, to those with “like precious faith” as we read in the apostle’s preceding words, ARE lost by it to those who DO NOT understand. For the reader to add these things shows that he may NOT have them and this IS NOT the Way of the disciple nor of the aspirant who by measure has such virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and, brotherly kindness, which IS from the Greek philadelphia and IS generally understood as Love, and charity which IS from agape which IS Love….and of course godliness. Vincent offers us some guidance in this as he tell us that: The A. V. is entirely wrong ⁴; he tells us also that in other places the idea IS rendered as minister which can offer some better view of Peter’s use of this Greek word epichoregeo.

Vincent refers us to the Revised Version (RV) which IS the original nineteenth century Revised Version and NOT the Revised Standard Version that succeeded it in the twentieth century, nor the later New Revised Standard Version which was published some forty years later. He tells us that the Greek word epichoregeo IS rendered as supply by the RV and says this of the apostle’s idea: The A. V. exhorts to add one virtue to another; but the Greek, to develop one virtue in the exercise of another: “an increase by growth, not by external junction; each new grace springing out of, attempting, and perfecting the other.” Render, therefore, as Rev. In your faith supply virtue, and in your virtue knowledge, etc. ⁴. Simply using the idea of supply IS sufficient to understand the apostle’s intent and his instruction that ALL of these appended ideas ARE to be included, that IS supplied, by the disciple in his daily Life….that NONE of these should be forgotten.

We should try to see how that ALL of these ideas ARE virtues according to our understanding of this word and in this regard the idea that IS rendered as virtue should be seen as others translate this, as goodness, which IS much better than others that render this in ideas of character. The character of the disciple IS fixed in God and his expression IS agape and if we can see here the reminder that ALL IS important and understand that perhaps in Peter’s own journey some of  these may have been missing at times, then we can understand the greater Truth of his message. We should try to see here as well that the idea of knowledge in this list of virtues IS NOT the same knowledge that the apostle uses earlier in speaking of one’s “knowledge of God” but IS more general and if we can see this in the greater idea of understanding, as perhaps in understanding the plight of others, we can see more clearly into the apostle’s thoughts. Reading the entire selection from the Revised Version we find:

“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; and in your knowledge temperance; and in your temperance patience; and in your patience godliness; and in your godliness love of the brethren; and in your love of the brethren love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: 11 for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1-11). **

Of particular note as Vincent shows us IS the idea of ‘supplying in’ rather than ‘adding to’ and if we can see this idea as that we should be expressing these virtues that we already possess as aspirants and disciples of the Lord we can better understand the rest of the apostles writing here, and especially his cautions that we discussed briefly in the last essay. And Peter’s emphasis here should be seen in his words saying that “if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ“. In this we should get the same idea that we get from the Apostle James who says “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Can we see how that Peter IS saying that to DO these things, to express them if you will, one IS fruitful in that knowledge that makes him to be of “like precious faith” and partakers, even by measure, of “the divine nature“?

Here again Peter uses epignosis to designate this knowledge that comes in DOING while he uses gnosis to designate that knowledge that comes into one’s consciousness through it. We should try to see here how that epignosis IS that KNOWING that comes in keeping His words as we see in Jesus words below, our trifecta,  that we have been repeating for many essays. It IS perhaps in the view that epignosis IS the KNOWING that comes in the revelations and realizations of the Truth and gnosis IS the effect of this in the Life of the man in this world that we can find his point and our point here IS ONLY that there IS a purposeful differentiation offered by the apostle. And Peter offers us the converse just as James DOES; James tells us of the deception while Peter shows us how that the man who IS NOT the DOER, the man who DOES NOT express the virtues that he lists, “is blind, and cannot see afar off“.

Peter’s words here ARE NOT unlike Jesus own words that tell us what IS the result for those who “continue in my word” and it IS this idea that most ALL of the writings of the apostles promote. While there IS NO real escape from this conclusion, the edicts of the many different Christian doctrines tend to bypass this Truth in favor of the various ways that faith and grace have become for them the key to a man’s salvation. It IS when we can understand how that faith IS this KNOWING, this epignosis as “the knowledge of God” and how that grace IS the resultant revelations and realizations in the heart of the man who KNOWS some measure of the Truth, that we can understand the greater Truth as this IS shown us by Jesus Himself in our trifecta of spiritual reality 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).

In the reality that ALL of this DOING IS accomplished in one’s expression of agape, ones expression of Love as the Apostle Paul tells us saying that “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14), we should be able to see Peter’s point to those of “like precious faith“. He IS showing us how that the expression of agape by the man in this world IS his expression of the virtues listed….it IS one’s expression of goodness, knowledge as gnosis in this world, temperance, patience, brotherly Love, as philadelphia and charity which IS agape which IS Love. It IS ALL of these that equate to our expression of agape and, while Peter breaks this down into sub parts, ALL of this IS godliness which should be seen in the Light that the Master offers us as He speaks about “the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) and about men’s being “perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Our closing thought today IS that one lives in James’ idea of deception, and IS one who IS “is blind, and cannot see afar off” as Peter shows us, so long as he IS NOT a DOER of His words or IS Truly striving to be so and this brings us back to the words of the Master from the Parable of the Sower. So many who believe that they ARE in His grace, that they are saved according to their doctrinal interpretation of His words, ARE actually among those who ARE like “that which fell among thorns….which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). This IS of course contrary to the whole idea of keeping His words which IS seen in Jesus words on the good ground.

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

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

This Quote of the Day is the antithesis of glamour and illusion. In this mantram are the thoughts about ourselves and our brothers in the world that can diffuse these forces that hold a man in the world of things and prevent his spiritual progress.

Mantram of Unification

The sons of men are one and I am one with them.
I seek to love, not hate;
I seek to serve and not exact due service;
I seek to heal, not hurt.

Let pain bring due reward of light and love.
Let the Soul control the outer form, and life and all events,
And bring to light the love that underlies the happenings of the time.

Let vision come and insight.
Let the future stand revealed.
Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone.
Let love prevail.
Let all men love.

The Mantram of Unification is a meditation and a prayer that at first affirms the unity of all men and the Brotherhood of Man based on the Fatherhood of God. The first stanza sets forth several truly Christian ideals in Unity, Love, Service and Healing. The second stanza is a invocation to the Lord and to our own Souls asking that from the pain (if there can truly be any) incurred in focusing on the Spirit and not the world will come Light and Love into our lives and that we begin to function as Souls through our conscious personalities. We ask that the spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes and also that the Love that we bring forth, individually and as a world group, can be seen by all and ultimately in all. Finally, in the last stanza we ask for those things that are needed for Love to abound. Vision and insight so that we can direct our attention properly; revelation of the future in the sense that all can see the Power of Love in the world; inner union so that we do not fall back into the world’s ways, that we faint not; and that a sense of separation, the antithesis of brotherhood, ends as we know it today. Let Love Prevail, Let All Men Love.spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts

• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
• ** Revised Version text from http://ebible.org/eng-rv/