ON LOVE; PART MCCXLIX
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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).
We ended the last essay with some ideas on the difference between wisdom as a carnal agent and Wisdom as a spiritual one. We did so based in the words on wisdom and Wisdom from the Apostle James and on the words that the Apostle Paul offers us on agape. Our perspective IS that Love and Wisdom, spiritually viewed, ARE two sides of the same coin; that IS that agape and sophia ARE intimately related. This relationship, while perhaps desirable, IS NOT so intimate on a carnal level as they apply to the mind and the emotions of men which ARE again two sides of the same coin….the personality. We should consider here also that he idea of Wisdom IS ever tied to that sense of KNOWING which IS shown to us by the Master in such sayings as “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).
It IS this KNOWING of the Truth that IS the spiritual Wisdom of a man and the Way par excellence that allows for his expression of agape to the world. In this we should see that this expression of Love as the Master paints it IS ONLY possible in the Wisdom that KNOWING the Truth brings and that, at the same time, KNOWING the Truth IS highly reliant upon one’s expression of agape. Can we see the point here? Can we understand that this KNOWING comes in keeping His words and brings ever greater realizations and abilities of expression into the heart of a man; this expression of Love IS the essential nature of keeping His words. This Paul shows us saying that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14) and in our selection from Romans which we repeat again saying:
“Owe no man any thing, but agapao one another: for he that agapao 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 agape thy neighbour as thyself. Agape worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore agape 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).
While many Christians today seem to decry the idea of the law and others relegate it to simply being a teaching principal, the more basic Truth IS found in the way that Paul uses such ideas as we have above. While this IS in contrast to his many ideas that seemingly speak against the law, the greater point IS that he IS speaking against the use of the law as this was framed in the practice of the Jews’ religion. Their practice was ever contrary to the most basic idea that IS spoken by the prophets and repeated by the apostle: that of the law being “written in their hearts” (Romans 2:15). While the Jews framed the law into a series of DO this and DON’T DO this edicts and measured men against them, the idea that men should DO this and NOT DO that based in KNOWING, based in Wisdom and in Love, essentially vanished and this IS the greater point of most ALL of the apostle’s words that ARE presumed to be against the law.
The Master Himself tells us “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17) and while there ARE those doctrinal thinkers who use this idea of fulfillment to signal the end of the law, this IS but the wranglings of the doctrines of men. NO where DOES the Master tell us that upon His death we should wait for Paul to define the Truth of the law and we should remember here that there IS a significant difference between the Commandments of the Lord and the ancillary additions of Moses, additions that ARE specific to the Jews and to the times. Jesus teaching shows us this difference as He chides the Pharisees and the scribes for keeping the ancillary parts while ignoring those parts which go to the heart of a man.
When asked to say “which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36) the Master responds with the Great Commandments which we have again at the top of our essay and throughout His words He references the Ten Commandments. He shows us that it IS these that a man should follow in his conversation with the ‘rich’ young man and throughout the Sermon on the Mount His words ARE intended to move the Jew’s view of these as a mandate onto the idea that it IS the from the heart that they ARE to be applied. And it IS the lawyer’s KNOWING of the heart of the law that causes the Master to tell him that “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). Can we see the point here? Can we see how that Jesus IS teaching the heart of the law and that it IS men’s doctrinal interpretations of the apostles’ words that have effectively undone His teaching in the Christian world? The Master tells us many things about the law and He tells us also of its duration saying “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18) but here again doctrinal men believe that they KNOW the meaning of such fulfillment and in this belief many ignore the whole of the saying.
It IS Jesus who defines for us the new dispensation and while most doctrines look to the Apostle Paul as their source of direction it IS in fact the direction of their doctrinal progenitors that they follow. Be it the early church fathers or the church’s heroes of the Reformation, most ALL acted according to their own carnal instincts and it IS the compromise of their positions that have become doctrine. It IS the Master who defined for us the True Christian doctrine and it IS this that the apostles DO teach; it IS however the interpretations of men, interpretations ofttimes founded in men’s carnal view of Life, that have become the various church doctrines which ARE so embedded in the minds of men that they have become virtually unmovable.
And it IS against such doctrinal approaches to God that the Master rails in His critique of the Jews practice of their religion. It IS against such doctrines that Jesus repeats for us the words of the prophet saying to them “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9). In their wisdom, which they believe IS Wisdom, the church fathers and those that followed them over the centuries have ever ascribed these words to being spoken ONLY against the Jews; few doctrinal thinkers and authorities have likely seen the timelessness of these words and how that they stretch forth into ALL such doctrines that ARE NOT based in the heart of these same laws; laws that so many deny apply to the Christian whose doctrines Truly ARE “the commandments of men“.
It IS in their wisdom that men believe that their doctrinal ways ARE the ways of God or, perhaps better, the ways that God has instructed men to live in accord with His words. This wisdom however overlooks the most simple ideas that the Master put forth; these ARE NOT simple in DOING but simple in understanding what to DO. And much of His words on Love are in this area of being simple and easy to understand but sore hard to DO. Take the most straightforward idea that “ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39); in this IS the epitome of meekness, that same meekness of which read read in the Apostle James’ words saying “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13).
As we discussed, this idea of conversation should be seen as one’s: manner of life, behavior, conduct 9 as Thayer’s tells us and if we can see this in Jesus words we can then understand that such meekness IS a way of Life where regardless of one’s ability or inability to avenge himself, he will NOT. While the Master’s idea here IS easy to understand and while one’s manner of life in meekness should be easily understood, these ARE most difficult things to perform but, at the same time, these ARE our outward sign of Wisdom. James goes on to tell us “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:14:18) and here, if we can see the deeper meaning of the Greek words zelos and eritheia which ARE rendered as envying and strife, we can perhaps see ALL things that ARE neither Wisdom nor meekness.
Expressions of zelos and eritheia ARE contrary to Wisdom and the central idea of meekness. Seen as emulation zelos can have both a spiritual and a carnal view but here in James words the context IS strictly carnal but should be understood in a more spiritual way. That IS that the apostle IS speaking of spiritual matters and showing us how that the carnal approach to spiritual things IS wisdom and NOT Wisdom. The idea here of emulation IS an idea of the self and if we can see this through the totality of Webster’s defining ideas we can perhaps see that there IS naught spiritual in emulation according to James context and therefore NO expression of Wisdom. Repeating Webster’s 1828 definition we read: 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. Val.5 1.
While Webster’s shows us here a good sense of this word we should try to see that this IS equally carnal and perhaps the ONLY good sense that can be applied IS in the way that zelos IS used by Paul as he tells us to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Here zeloo, the verb form, IS rendered as “covet earnestly” and if we can see this as emulation we can perhaps see the apostle’s deeper meaning….that we should “emulate the best gifts“. We should understand here that there IS NO meekness in emulation but there IS the contrary idea of attempting to equal or excel in qualities or actions; rivalry; desire of superiority, attended with effort to attain to it. We should look here at the Master’s words and His teaching to His disciples on meekness and although the word IS NOT used, the effect can be easily understood against these defining ideas on emulation.
- When John and James ask Jesus to “Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory“, their fellow disciples “began to be much displeased“; to them ALL the Master says “Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Mark 10:37, 41, 42:45).
- Jesus offers the same ideas in the Apostle Luke’s Gospel but without the interaction with John and James; we read: “there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them,The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among* you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:24-27).
The point here IS that the Master IS teaching meekness and while many will call this a teaching on humility, we should understand that there IS little difference in these two ideas. Jesus IS also showing them the Truth of emulation which should be seen in the way that there was “a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest” or in the way that the boldness of James and John created much displeasure in the hearts of their fellow disciples. If we could see that ALL thoughts, attitudes and actions that seek to place oneself above others IS at its heart emulation and ARE at the same time contrary to meekness, we can then understand how that this IS NOT Wisdom but wisdom.
This sense of zelos, of emulation, ever creates divisions among men and this both individually and corporately, and when we can see this in the context of the rest of James’ combined idea of “bitter zelos and eritheia” we can then perhaps see the definite carnal nature of such wisdom. Vincent tells us that strife IS A wrong rendering 4 of eritheia as we discussed in the last essay; faction IS the better understanding of this word in regard to the divisions that ARE caused based in the self interests of men but we should understand that factions DOES NOT completely explain the apostle’s intent. Both Strong’s and Thayer’s introduce the idea of intrigue and if we look at this in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary we can perhaps see deeper; we read that intrigue, as a verb, means: To form a plot or scheme,usually complicated, and intended to effect some purpose by secret artifices 1.
At a minimum we should be able to see how that the common understanding of James’ words here ARE totally insufficient to allow us to understand the complexity that the apostle IS incorporating into this idea of what IS NOT wisdom. We must see more than “bitter envying and strife” or “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition” as these ARE rendered; the idea taken should be seen as the very way of Life of a man and NOT an individual variance; this IS the difference between Wisdom and wisdom in the Life of everyman. James goes on to tell us that wisdom which has its basis in the carnal ideas of “bitter zelos and eritheia“, “descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish” and he tells us this as he tells us to “glory not, and lie not against the truth” which IS the way of men who mistake wisdom for Wisdom.
The point here IS that in the combined ideas of True Love and Wisdom, of agape and sophia, there IS NO longer a carnal heart but a spiritual one; there IS NO longer “bitter zelos and eritheia” but the very opposite idea of meekness which IS an integral part of one’s expression of agape. We should try to see here that men’s employment of “bitter zelos and eritheia” IS but the way of men in this world, men who ARE by nature “earthly, sensual, devilish“; they ARE born into this vanity and their illusion and glamour ARE steadily built upon by their years of nurturing, indoctrination and experience; few there ARE that ARE free from this. It IS in their illusion and glamour that men DO glory and lie against the truth which IS the Truth of the Pharisee and the scribe as well as those who have succeeded them as authorities and their followers in the church yet today.
We should not get tied up in the ideas that ARE rendered from James Greek word usage, words that would call the Pharisee and the scribe and those who have succeeded them as authorities and their followers in the church as devilish or, as the apostle continues saying that “where zelos and eritheia is, there is confusion and every evil work“. Most ALL can probably accept the ideas of earthly and sensual and even the idea of confusion in their lives but devilish and “every evil work” ARE ideas that ARE likely unacceptable in the minds of those who believe that they have Wisdom but have in Truth wisdom. This takes us back to our ideas on the doctrinal creation of the ideas of Satan and the devil as well and the doctrinal understanding of evil which, like sin, IS misapplied.
Both the Strong’s and the Thayer’s defining ideas on diamoniodes which IS rendered as devilish concern demons; both tell us the same thing, that diamoniodes IS: resembling or proceeding from an evil spirit, demon-like 9, 9a. Looking at James’ words this way would mean that such ideas as “zelos and eritheia” ARE proceeding from an evil spirit when they ARE in fact proceeding from the heart of a man….a man who has that “earthly, sensual, devilish” manner of life. We should try to see here that the source of diamoniodes, which IS the adjective form of daimon which IS rendered in terms of devil(s) but which Vincent tells us should always be seen as demon 4. We discussed these ideas of satanas, diabolos and diamon in some detail a few posts back (parts 1605 thru 1607) and we should try to understand here that the first two ARE NOT Truly related to the last but that diamon and its kindred words ARE perhaps the result of them.
None of these ideas ARE as they ARE painted by the doctrines of men but ARE rather the reality of the carnal mind in opposition to the will of the Soul, the spiritual Inner Man. While satanas and diabolos specifically refer to this enemy of Truth which IS the carnal personality, diamon and diamoniodes can be seen as the resultant way of the heart caused by one’s focus upon Truly carnal ideas and ideals. Men’s demons come in many forms of obsession and vary greatly by degree and if we can see the story of Mary Magdalene in this way we can perhaps better understand the Apostle Marks saying that “when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils” (Mark 16:9).
We can believe here as men did 2000 years ago or we can apply some of what humanity has learned over those centuries as the minds of men have become more dominant than their emotional response to Life and to the world. Perhaps Mary IS a schizophrenic with seven variations of personality or perhaps Mary has seven distinct obsessions that keep here bound to NOT ONLY carnal activities but to those of “the baser sort” (Acts 17:5) as Luke calls the way of some Jews which ARE against the teaching of Paul. While Luke confirms Mark’s observation saying that with Jesus and the twelve were “also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out” (Luke 8:2), neither give us any more information on Mary’s condition than this.
We should note here that if Mary suffered as a schizophrenic that she would likely have been noted as a ‘crazy’ person but she IS NOT. We should note as well that the Apostle John makes reference to Mary as being Lazarus’ sister and one who called upon Jesus as a ‘sinner’ according to Luke; we read that: “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany*, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)” (John 11:1-2). Presumably of this same person Luke tells us this: “behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment” (Luke 7:37-38).
While John calls this woman Mary, none of the other gospel writers DO; if however we DO presume that these ARE the same Mary, we see that she “was a sinner” and in this we can perhaps see that her failure was NOT that she was schizophrenic nor possessed by demons but that she had succumbed to her obsessions which ARE her demons. On more thing to note here IS that John’s Gospel shows that the anointing by Mary IS NOT a random act but one of purpose done by Mary, Lazarus’ sister, after Lazarus IS raised from the dead and that aside from this, the basic story IS the same….a story that often IS seen ONLY in the context of the value of the ointment. From the combination of ALL of these ideas it IS difficult to KNOW who Mary Truly IS but one can surmise that she IS the same person, first cured of her demons, then close enough to the Master to both communicate with Him regarding her brother, to be present to anoint him and to be among those with Him at His crucifixion and His resurrection.
We should note one more thing here: it was a common belief, especially in the Middle Ages, that these three women ARE the same and this idea persisted even past the Reformation. This IS NOT the doctrinal teaching today however and while many see Mary Magdalene as a prostitute, this idea IS built upon the idea of the unnamed woman that anoints the Master IS a sinner conflated with the idea of Mary’s seven demons. Our point here IS in regard to the idea of demons however and if we can see these as obsessions we can then perhaps see our own demons as ALL that takes one’s focus away from the Truth, that keeps one’s focus upon the things of the world which IS the greater reality of sin that can be easily seen against the ideas of the Great Commandments and our trifecta which we repeat here 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).
In the Love and the Wisdom that flow from keeping His words we should be able to understand that the whole idea of demons, of devils and of Satan ARE grounded in the superstitions of the past. We should be able to see and to understand that such ideas ARE the product of wisdom and NOT of Wisdom and, in this most common Christian doctrinal approach, we can also perhaps see why the church fails to attract most ALL who apply the mind over their emotional response to Life in this world. Returning to James words on what Wisdom IS NOT we should be able to see the effects of emulation on the world of doctrines where men ARE told to DO so….instructed to emulate the doctrinal ideas of centuries ago when there was far less understanding and use of one’s own sense of discernment.
While this may NOT be specifically what James had in mind as he tells us that “where zelos and eritheia is, there is confusion and every evil work“, his intent IS NOT far from this. We should try to see that in his words IS the same questioning of the source of one’s idea of Truth. IS such Truth from the minds of other men which have emulated the thinking of those before them and ARE encouraging others emulation of their thoughts and attitudes? Can we see the point here? Can we see how that this can represent today’s doctrinal teachings as it represented the passing down of customs and traditions among the Jews to whom James writes? Similarly we should look at the idea of factions and the factious behaviors of men in James’ day and compare these to the way that men still divide themselves along seemingly philosophical lines in religion, in politics and culture.
Both of these ideas, emulation and faction or, from the Greek, “zelos and eritheia“, DO create confusion in the world of men as each division emulates its own founding ideas generation after generation with little or NO regard to the underlying Truth and it IS in this that we find “every evil work“, every thought, attitude and action that IS contrary to that underlying Truth which IS Love….agape with NO “respect to persons” (James 2:9). In ALL this we should be able to see what Wisdom IS NOT and proceed to those ideas which ARE Wisdom and the source of Wisdom. James’ words here show us that Wisdom IS found ONLY in those ideas and ideals which ARE in accordance with the Master’s words and here we should try to understand that the apostle’s words on what Wisdom IS and IS NOT are much the same as Paul’s words on what Love IS. we close today repeating both:
“if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace“
“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” (1 Corinthians 13:4:8).
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 |
Quote of the Day:
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
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- 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
