ON LOVE; PART MCCX
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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).
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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 continued with our quest to show the deeper reality of the ideas behind the Greek words of the Apostle Paul’s phrase that “agape makrothumeo chresteuomai” which IS rendered as “Agape suffereth long, and is kind” and which IS commonly understood as “Love is patient, love is kind“. If we can understand that these defining ideas of agape ARE as well the defining ideas of God we can then understand Paul’s point as he IS telling us that to express agape, to express Love, we must at the same time express makrothumeo and chresteuomai. This IS the apostle’s point and our point IS that these ARE perforce so much more that being patient and kind.
Breaking our thoughts down to the simplest idea we should try to see here that this expression of agape IS its expression to ALL with NO “respect to persons” (James 2:9); this IS the approach to men by the Lord, it should be the approach of everyman to his brother and his neighbor in this world as well. This IS how we ended the last essay and it IS in this simplicity that we should see the understanding of our brother and, in that understanding, show him the good which IS the reality of showing him Love. If we can break this idea of makrothumeo and chresteuomai yet further we can then see that to express agape IS to express GoodWill which IS, as our headline reads, Love in Action.
Again we must remember that the common ideas rendered from these Greek words ARE ONLY the slightest carnal effect of True agape much as the common ideas of Love ARE ONLY pale shadows of the Truth of agape which IS framed for us in the Life and the words of the Master. And as these ideas ARE misrepresented by doctrines so ARE the other words that follow in Paul’s detailed defining ideas on just what IS agape. We will briefly repeat our points regarding these words as we continue to properly interpret his ideas in ways that the doctrines of men DO NOT. Repeating the apostle’s words we read:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agape, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not agape, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
“Agape suffereth long, and is kind; agape envieth not; agape vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Agape never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
In addition to Paul’s words on the nature of agape, the nature of God if you will, as makrothumeo and chresteuomai which, after ALL our words on these, can be seen in the expression of GoodWill to ALL, there ARE next a list of those things which agape IS NOT. While it IS difficult to separate the idea of Love as agape from the carnal interpretations of that Love, the deeper ideas behind GoodWill can help us to understand just what it Truly means to express agape. We should remember that makrothumeo comes from the inner man and while Vincent shows us that this comes with strong passion, this passion IS NOT in a carnal sense but IS a tumultuous welling up of the whole spirit 4.
In GoodWill we have the outflow of this idea of to be long-spirited 9a as Strong’s defines makrothumeo and if we can see this outflow in terms of one’s thoughts and attitudes toward his brother and his neighbor, we can then see the effective expression of agape in GoodWill. And in this idea of GoodWill we have as well the apostle’s second word that describes for us just what agape IS; in chresteuomai, which IS most often rendered in terms of kindness, we should see as well the idea of good which IS a better meaning as Vincent reminds us saying: The word means originally, good, serviceable 4.
As we discussed in the last essay, this idea of good IS yet another quality of God; as “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), so also IS God good as we read in Jesus’ words saying: “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17). In this combination of ideas we should be able to see that in Paul’s words saying “that agape makrothumeo chresteuomai” there IS the reality of GoodWill and, in the view that GoodWill IS Love in Action, we have a viable idea to replace the way that rendering agape as Love brings forth the common and carnal understanding of the word.
Paul goes on then to tell us what agape IS NOT and in these ideas we should be able to see that he IS NOT referring to the effects of one’s carnal understanding of agape; he IS referring to the expression of GoodWill as such an expression lacks these things. First IS the idea that “agape envieth not” which comes from the Greek word zeloo; here we should remember Vincent’s interpretation which tells us that: Emulation is the better general rendering, which does not necessarily include envy, but may be full of the spirit of self-devotion 4. In emulation, rightly understood, we have the more certain offense against agape….more certain than the more common renderings of envy and jealousy.
One translation, the Darby, DOES use the idea of emulation but in the same context of envy and jealousy as they parenthetically add the idea saying “love is not emulous [of others]“. The True perspective of this idea of emulation lies in its definitions; today’s dictionary defines emulation simply as: effort or desire to equal or excel others 4. and while this IS the meaning, this DOES NOT capture the ideas of the past. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines emulation as: The act of attempting to equal or excel in qualities or actions; rivalry; desire of superiority, attended with effort to attain to it; generally in a good sense, or an attempt to equal or excel others in that which is praise-worthy, without the desire of depressing others. Rom.11. In a bad sense, a striving to equal or do more than others to obtain carnal favors or honors . Can we see the depth here?
It IS in this idea that we should view the way that the Apostles James and John seek the greater position; they ARE rebuffed by the Master as they display their desire of superiority and in their asking their desire IS attended with effort to attain to it. Jesus’ answer to them IS given in a pure attitude of agape; He says to them “whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all” (Mark 10:43-44). The idea of emulation rightly understood IS a KEY idea to understanding what IS NOT an expression of Love while the ideas of envy and jealousy ARE but emotionally motivated carnal ideas.
The next words ARE, as we previously discussed, to be understood together as a single idea of carnal action which IS contrary to the Truth of agape. While the rendering as “agape vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” by the King James Translators DOES catch some of the intent, it DOES NOT clarify the ideas as Vincent DOES telling us that the latter word phusioo IS in regard to one’s inward disposition, as the previous word, perpereuomai, denotes outward display 4. These words frame for us the view of a man to himself as well as his portrayal of that self to the world; here one can be a braggart outwardly, perhaps maintaining an aura of superiority, while being inwardly convinced of that superiority.
We should try to see this idea in the same New Testament example that we have above; James and John, according to the Apostle Mark’s Gospel, desire that the Master would put them into a position of superiority over the others saying “Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory” (Mark 10:37). Our two points ARE here and they ARE compounded by Paul’s first word zeloo which when seen in terms of emulation show us the 1828 definition of: desire of superiority, attended with effort to attain to it 1.
This IS clearly contrary to Love, to agape, as Paul presents this and to this we must add the inward disposition of phusioo through their believing that they deserve such honor; in this they ARE clearly “puffed up“. We should note here that the ideas of zeloo and perpereuomai, as one’s outward display, overlap; zeloo IS clear and perpereuomai IS evident in the way that the others ARE aware of the brother’s thoughts and attitudes which cause them to “be much displeased with James and John” (Mark 10:41). In their going to the Master they ARE acting contrary to the idea that “agape vaunteth not itself” and we should see that overall they ARE NOT expressing agape but their own separate desires.
In the Apostle Matthew’s version of this the brother’s mother IS the one who entreats Jesus and here we should try to see that this DOES NOT matter; it IS still the apostles who ARE either acting in this way of zeloo, perpereuomai and phusioo or who ARE accepting this role at the behest of their mother who IS displaying the same. In the end Jesus makes the wrongness of these ideas KNOWN by His saying and it IS the ideas of such emulation and braggadry that Paul IS speaking against as well. Jesus DOES NOT say that these thoughts and attitudes ARE contrary to agape, He shows them that they ARE contrary to their status as disciples of the Lord and here we should try to see the drive of discipleship….that such a one strives ONLY toward the idea that “the disciple….be as his master, and the servant as his lord” (Matthew 10:25).
These defining ideas of agape ARE difficult to learn and to understand as IS evidenced by the timing of this request by James and John which comes at the time of the Master’s final journey to Jerusalem. We should try to understand that the apostles had been with Jesus, hearing His Truths and His commandments, for nearly two years. We should try to see here that a True expression of agape entails much that IS NOT thought of in men’s common understanding of Love and in these first three words that describe what this agape IS NOT we should be able to glimpse why one’s expression of agape IS tantamount to keeping His words as Paul tells us saying:
“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” (Romans 13:8-11).
We viewed the next selection of words to describe what agape IS NOT as a single idea; as an idea that begins with agape “Doth not behave itself unseemly” and then continues to describe what this idea, which IS better understood as unbecomingly, means in the Life of a man whose expression IS Love. The Greek word aschemoneo IS defined literally as: to be (i.e. act) unbecoming 9a by Strong’s and as to act unbecoming 9 by Thayer’s and if we can see that the idea here IS that such things as follows ARE NOT becoming for the man whose expression IS Love, we can better understand the apostle’s point. He continues to say that agape “seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” and even if we should consider ALL these ideas separately his point IS NOT lost.
The simple idea of these next words deal with seeking for the self and while this includes the idea of selfishness, it can be expanded to most ALL views that put an undue emphasis on oneself. We can see this in the desires of James and John above and in ALL things that can add to one’s own sense of ego as a man in this world. Here we should see as well Jesus’ criteria for the disciple as He tells us “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33); we should understand that this forsaking DOES include ALL thoughts and attitudes which ARE contrary to the Truth as well as things of substance. Can we see how that this sense of self IS unbecoming the man whose expression IS Love in the reality of the Great Commandment and the Golden Rule which both see ALL as one sees himself.
Next is the idea that IS rendered as that agape “is not easily provoked” which IS a better rendering than most others that see anger and irritability in the Greek word paroxuno. We should try to see the apostle’s point here as that the man whose expression IS Love IS NOT stirred by carnal passions of any kind. This word IS used ONLY twice in the New Testament; here and in Luke’s description of Paul at Athens where “his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17:16). This idea of stirred offers us a better view of the idea on both the positive and the negative side. In Acts the stirring IS spiritual, from within, and it causes Paul to react in a spiritual way as he explains to the Epicureans and the Stoics a Truer view of the Godhead.
On the carnal side however there IS always the negative which can pull a man hither and thither if he allows his sense of agape to be directed by such carnal ideas which most always concern the self and the desires of the self in this world. We should try to see this as being contrary to ALL that having NO “respect to persons” Truly means. The last idea here in this sequence IS that the man whose expression IS Love “thinketh no evil” and here we should try to see this as Vincent shows us saying that literally this phrase IS: reckoneth not the evil 4. If we can see this idea of evil from the Greek word kakos in the same way as we should see sin–both as a focus upon the things of this world over the things of God–we can then understand much that IS hidden in the doctrines of men.
Here we should understand that this IS more than merely thinking evil and, in the case of agape, and that the man whose expression IS agape CAN NOT think evil….he IS NO longer his able to DO so. In the idea of reckoning however there IS more; there IS the idea that one DOES NOT see evil, that agape DOES NOT see or reckon evil; True Love sees ONLY the inner man caught in the vanity of Life in this world. To reckon the evil IS to see the nature of men as men in this world rather than to see them as Souls struggling to overcome the vanity, the same illusion and glamour, that had to be overcome by oneself.
So what then IS unbecoming the man whose expression IS Love? Seeing oneself as important above others whom one should Love as thyself; to Love another as oneself creates an instant equality and since there IS NO sense of equality in the physical world, this must be understood spiritually. Unbecoming IS also one’s allowing any and ALL carnal passions to be stirred; a stirring that can ONLY result in thoughts and attitudes that ARE in opposition to the idea that one should have NO “respect to persons“. And finally the idea of reckoning evil, seeing the carnal ways of men in the world, when ONLY their spiritual struggle should be seen. Here NO matter what a man may DO or think as a man DOES NOT detract from who he IS as a Soul who IS yet lost in that same place that we were once lost. And while he may DO or think things that we ourselves CAN NOT see ourselves DOING, this IS but a matter of circumstance, of nurturing and of indoctrination compounded by the proclivities of men.
The next idea is that the man whose expression IS agape “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth“. The idea of rejoiceth IS rendered from the Greek word chairo which IS the root word for charis which IS grace. Chairo IS rendered in this verse in terms of happiness and gladness by most other translators while the word chairo IS more generally rendered as these and in terms of salutation as in the various uses of hail. For us this IS a difficult word because of the relationship to charis and while most ALL reference happiness and rejoicing, to be sure this IS so much more. If we can take away the idea of being happy as this idea IS commonly understood, we can then see how that this IS the effect of the Truth on the man who expresses agape; for him there IS naught but Truth and there IS NO Truth in the vanity, in the illusion and the glamour of Life in this world.
We should try to see that this idea IS more than happiness. It IS the attitude of the man who sees Truth at work in the world and here, for lack of a better idea, this attitude IS rejoicing but, as Strong’s tells us, this rejoicing IS: calmly happy or well-off 9a. Remembering that as we speak about agape we ARE at the same time speaking about God should give us some added insight. In a spiritual view, this rejoicing IS NOT so much a personal attitude as it IS the attitude of the Soul towards ALL that he may see around him; be it injustice or iniquity there IS perhaps a degree of sadness and be it Truth some degree of joy. If we can relate this idea to charis which IS grace, we can perhaps see that in the sadness there IS NO grace….NO thing from God, while in the joy there IS grace and it IS found in the joy and in the Truth that brings such joy. While this IS a difficult idea to put forth in words, the understanding of it IS easy for the man whose focus IS on the Lord and His Truths which we repeat again in 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).
Seeing that the source of Truth IS found here in the first part of our trifecta, we should be able to understand that what the man whose expression IS agape sees IS that revelation and realizaiton of that Truth IS abounding in others, it IS at work in the world in the thoughts and the attitudes of those who would promote that Truth in brotherhood and harmony. In this there is some degree of joy while a degree of sadness yet prevails as he looks upon the forces that resist the Truth of Love as the intended expression of everyman. As we close today we should note that the second instance of rejoicing in this saying that agape “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” IS rendered from the Greek word sugchairo. This Thayer’s tells us IS: to rejoice with, take part in another’s joy 9.
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 |
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.
We change our Quote of the Day today to the words from Solomon on Wisdom along with our thoughts on them from the original postings of them in In the Words of Jesus parts 46 and 556. These words ARE a testament to those things that we should be asking of the Lord and which are representative of the Holy Ghost. Wisdom, understanding and knowledge which will lead us to understanding the fear (reverence and respect and awe) of the Lord and the knowledge of God so that in this world we can understand righteousness and judgement and equity and be preserved by discretion and understanding. Thus are we in a position to treat everyone as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Since we are centered on the ideas of Wisdom today we offer the following from Proverbs as our Quote of the Day. Solomon, who is KNOWN for his Wisdom, which we read in the story of his Life was His gift from God, a gift that he receives because he does not want for the things of the world. But Solomon gains as well the things of the world in plenty and as his Life story proceeds we can see clearly that it is his Life in the world that is to his detriment. The wisdom however produces for us the writings of the Book of Proverbs and it is this that he is remembered for. His Life is interesting reading and is well documented in the Books of Kings and Chronicles.
….incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee (Proverbs 2:2-11).
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon 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
