This Is Love

2 John 6 NRSV — And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it. 

I have often found that the Bible uses words in a sense that is very different from our common or dictionary sense.  Actually, I have come to expect inadequate dictionary definitions for important Bible vocabulary.  The key word in the this post— love— is no exception.

Here are some sample definitions of love that illustrate our common understanding:

• an intense feeling of deep affection (New Oxford American Dictionary)
• a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone (New Oxford American Dictionary)
• Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection; and "the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another".  (Wikipedia)

The word love is used 310 times in the KJV Bible and 584 times in the NRSV.  It is obviously, an important topic in the Bible.  Does the Bible use the word love in the same sense that we use it in ordinary conversation or that we find it in the dictionary?

I am not sure that the definitions shown above adequately express the meaning of love as used in 2 John 6.

2 John 6 NASB — And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. 

2 John 6 NET (margin) — Now this is love: that we live according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus you should live in obedience to it. 

2 John 6 CEV — Love means that we do what God tells us. And from the beginning, he told you to love him.

2 John 6 J.B. Phillips — Real love means obeying the Father’s orders, and you have known from the beginning that you must live in obedience to him. 

2 John 6 The Message — Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed. 

We find the following texts in a search using the two key words: love (ἀγάπη / agape / G0026) and commandment (ἐντολή / entole / G1785).

John 15:10 ESV — If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 

1 John 5:3 ESV — For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

We can enlarge the search by including the verb form of the word love (ἀγαπάω / agapao / G0025).  We can also look in the Septuagint— the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.  The connection between love and commandments has indeed been "from the beginning".

Deut 7:9 NRSV — Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 

We can see in the following texts that "to love the LORD your God" is to obey his commandments— to walk in his ways.  This the message of 2 John 6— it is a message that comes right out of the Torah.

Deut 11:13 ESV — And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,...

Deut 11:22 ESV — For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him,...

Deut 30:16 ESV — If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 

The same message is reiterated and expanded by Joshua.  It should also be clear— combining Deuteronomy 30:16 and Joshua 22:5— that "walking in his ways" is not just a limited and vague "conduct your lives in love", but the the following of the complete teachings— commandments, statutes, rules and "instruction that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you".

Josh 22:5 NRSV — Take good care to observe the commandment and instruction that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, and to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

We also see in Nehemiah a connection between those "who love him" and "keep his commandments".

Nehemiah 1:5 ESV — And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

In John 14, Jesus makes a clear connection between love and commandments.

John 14:15 NRSV — If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

John 14:21 NRSV — They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” 

John 15:10 NRSV — If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 

When he was asked about the commandments, Jesus quoted directly from the Torah

Mark 12:28 NRSV — One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

It may be helpful to look at the context of the verses that Jesus quoted  The "first"  great commandment is from Deuteronomy 6.

Deut. 6:4 NKJV — Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  

 Note the larger context of this text— it is following Deuteronomy chapter 5 (NKJV).

• 1 — And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them.... 
• 7 — You shall have no other gods before Me. 
• 8 — You shall not make for yourself a carved image...
• 11 —You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,...
• 12 — Observe the Sabbath day,...
• 16 — Honor your father and your mother,...
• 31 — But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess.’ 

 The "second" great commandment that Jesus quoted is from Leviticus 19.

Lev 19:18 NKJV — You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. 

The larger context of Leviticus 19 is helpful.  Notice the parallels from the decalogue— the "ten commandments".

• 2 — Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. 
• 3 — Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father [5th], and keep My Sabbaths [4th]: I am the LORD your God. 
• 4 — Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods [2nd]: I am the LORD your God. 
• 11 — You shall not steal [8th], nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another [9th]. 
• 12 — And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God [3rd]: I am the LORD. 
• 17 — You shall not hate your brother in your heart. [6th — see Matt 5:21-22]
• 30 — You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD. 
• 33 — And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
• 35 — You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. 
• 36 — You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 
• 37 — Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the LORD.  

As with the "first" great commandment, the love of neighbor is expressed in the context of commandment keeping.  See my post on Leviticus 19:34— Is there a third great commandment— for more about the "stranger".

What is the connection between "keep my Sabbaths" (verses 3 and 30) and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself"?  We can find it in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

Ex 20:10 NKJV — but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 

Deut 5:14 — but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 

Notice the regard for the welfare and rest for all— stranger included— that is expressed in this commandment.  Is this not an example of love to neighbor?

John 13:34 NRSV — I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  

1 John 2:7  NRSV — Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. 

2 John 5 NRSV — But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. 

Is not "you also should love one another" the same commandment as "you shall love your neighbor as yourself"?  The importance of this commandment is reinforced several times in the New Testament.

Rom. 13:9 NKJV — For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Gal. 5:14 NKJV — For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

James 2:8 NKJV — If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 

The essence of love is to keep the commandments and teachings of God.  Perhaps this is why commandment keeping is mentioned so frequently in the New Testament.

Matt. 19:17 NKJV — So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 

1 John 2:3 NKJV — Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  

1 John 2:4 NKJV — He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  

Rev 12:17 NKJV — And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  

Rev 14:12 NKJV — Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 

What is The Testimony?

The Hebrew word edut (‏עֵדוּת) occurs 38 times in the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses).  Of those occurrences, 36 occur with the definite article— ha-edut (‏הָעֵדוּת)— which is translated 32 times in the NKJV capitalized as "the Testimony." It is translated once in the KJV capitalized as "the Testimony."

What does this word mean? Why is it capitalized in these translations? Here is the first instance in the Bible.

Ex. 16:33 KJV – And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 

Belief and Behavior

This post is a spin-off from my series of posts on Faith and Faithfulness.


I have to admit that the topic of Faith and Faithfulness has been challenging.  Is faith the same as belief?  Or is it faithfulness?  There are texts that seem to be compelling arguments in favor of both perspectives.  I find the Old Testament usage of emunah to be a persuasive argument in favor of faith as faithfulness.  And yet, both pistis and emunah are closely related to words that are clearly used in contexts where belief or trust are the most reasonable interpretations.  I also can not ignore some places in the New Testament where pistis is used in a sense that suggests belief.

I am reminded of the theory of light— is it a wave or a particle? Both! Perhaps, faith is both belief and behavior.  Maybe, belief and behavior are inseparable.  When Jesus said, "the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth"— pneumati kai aletheia. (John 4:23), can we understand it to mean in thought and deed? Is there Biblical support for this perspective?  This post will look at these two words— spirit and truth— to see if they are used to mean belief and behavior— thought and deed.  We will look at the word spirit first.

Is there a third great commandment?

A "scribe" or "lawyer" (nomikos — a Torah expert) asked Jesus, ““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matt 22:25 NKJV).  The GW translation better expresses the cultural context: "One of them, an expert in Moses’ Teachings, tested Jesus by asking, ‘Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses’ Teachings?’”  The Delitzsch Hebrew NT translates the last phrase with "mitsvah gedolah ba-torah"— the great commandment in the Torah.  Here is the complete Matthew version of the event.

Matt. 22:35 NET – And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law (εν τω νομω – en to nomo / ‏בַּתּוֹרָה – ba-torah) is the greatest?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the law and the prophets (ο νομος και οι προφηται – o nomos kai oi prophetai / ‏הַתּוֹרָה וְהַנְּבִיאִים – ha-torah ve-ha-nevi'im) depend on these two commandments.” 

Faith and Faithfulness (Part 16)

This is the sixteenth in a series of studies on the topic of faith and faithfulness. (If you are coming to this page from a search engine, I recommend this link for a table of contents of the topics covered in this series.)

I recently heard an evangelist talk about an experience with a man that had been attending his meetings.  The man came up to him following one meeting and said that he would no longer be attending.  He pointed to his Bible and said: "I can continue breaking every commandment in this Bible for the rest of my life and it doesn't matter."  Is that really true?  Where did he get such an idea?

I am reminded of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  In the parable, it is clear that the son had a forgiving father, but we can also know from the story that he did not have an indulgent and permissive father.  Why would he have left, after all, if he could have enjoyed "riotous" (KJV) or "prodigal" (NKJV) living at home? Here are some other translations— "wild lifestyle" (NET), "wild living" (NIV), "undisciplined and dissipated" (MSG), "reckless living" (ESV), "foolish living" (NCV), "extravagant living" (CEB).

Does the story give us the impression that the father was "ok" with his son's "wild lifestyle"?  What did the son himself think?  He said, "“Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son." (NKJV).  Yes, the father took him back, but there is no sense of approval in the story for his reckless living. The father said, "my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."  Let us not forget the context of this parable.  A few verses earlier, Jesus tells us his purpose for the parables— "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents" (verse 7, NKJV) and "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (verse 10, NKJV).  Jesus is forgiving, but he also calls for repentance.

So, what does this have to do with faith and faithfulness?  If we understand "faith" as mere belief without obedience, then the parables of Luke 15 are meaningless.  What does repentance mean if mere belief is all that God asks of us? Why, then, would Jesus say "sin no more" (John 5:14 and 8:11)?

I can not reconcile the concept of an unfaithful "faith" with the rest of the Bible— any attempt to live "by faith" and yet unfaithfully does not make sense. No, to make sense with the rest of Scripture, faith must be faithful.

Faith and Faithfulness (Part 15)

This is the fifteenth in a series of studies on the topic of faith and faithfulness. (If you are coming to this page from a search engine, I recommend this link for a table of contents of the topics covered in this series.)


Romans 1:8

CEB — First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the news about your faithfulness is being spread throughout the whole world.

CPV — Let me say first that through Jesus Christ I thank my God for every one of you, because your faithfulness is being reported all over everywhere. 

See here for comments I made yesterday on the Cotten Patch Version (CPV).

If we understand faith to be only belief— "an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists"— then it is not observable.  If we understand the word in this way, then Paul is saying that "people all over the world are talking about" (NIRV) a belief that the Romans have.  Yes, their belief in the "resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3 NKJV) would been a subject for comment among non-believers, but it was not a belief that was unique to the Romans; it doesn't make sense for Paul to draw attention to a fundamental belief that they have in common.  Paul would only make this comment about an observable behavior— faithful obedience to the principles that Jesus taught.

Elsewhere, Paul describes the changes that occur in those who choose to become followers of Jesus.  Is it not this kind of change that would be "spoken of throughout the whole world?"

Eph. 2:1 NKJV – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 

Col. 3:5 NKJV – Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 

See below where Romans 1:18 through 2:11 develops this idea further.

Romans 1:12

CEB — What I mean is that we can mutually encourage each other while I am with you. We can be encouraged by the faithfulness we find in each other, both your faithfulness and mine.

Only a faithfulness that is observable— an action or behavior— could encourage another.

Romans 1:17

CEB — God’s righteousness is being revealed in the gospel, from faithfulness for faithfulness (footnote), as it is written, The righteous person will live by faith.

Romans 1:18-32

Verse 18 begins a contrast with the "righteous" (or just) of verse 17, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (NKJV).  The rest of the chapter describes the "unrighteous" with characteristic behaviors.  "Although they knew God"— could we say they believed in God in the James 2:19 sense— "they did not glorify Him as God."  Paul goes on with a list of evil behaviors and concludes "that those who practice such things are deserving of death" (NKJV).  In contrast to the unrighteous and paraphrasing verse 17,  can we not say that the righteous person will live faithfully? That is, without the evil behaviors that Paul lists?  Are the righteous—in contrast to some of the characteristics of verses 29-31— moral, generous, lovers of God, peaceful, humble, obedient to parents, trustworthy, loving, forgiving and merciful?  Surely, Paul's intention for the Romans is more than just belief; surely, he is calling for righteous behavior.

Romans 2:1-11

In chapter 2, Paul continues to develop a case that makes it difficult to maintain an exclusively belief understanding of faith.  Yes, we understand that "through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved" (Acts 15:11 NKJV), but also that "the goodness of God leads you to repentance" (2:4 NKJV).  Paul goes on to say that God "will render to each one according to his deeds" (2:6 NKJV).  The theme of judgement "according to deeds" is well developed throughout the Bible— see for example, Job 34:11, Ezekiel 7:3,27, 1 Peter 1:17, and Revelation 20:12-13.  Paul continues the theme in the next verse, describing how God will "give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good" (2:7 CEV).  In contrast, "to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness," (2:8 NET) God "will reward" (2:6 NET) with "wrath and anger" (2:8 NET) and "affliction and distress" (2:9 NET).  In contrast, again,  to everyone who "does evil" (2:9 NET), God "will reward" with "glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good" (2:10 NET).

Paul seems to be promoting an active, doing faithfulness— rather than a mere passive belief.


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Previously, I wrote a short series of posts on repentance as a change in behavior rather than just a feeling of regret.

Faith and Faithfulness (Part 14)

This is the fourteenth in a series of studies on the topic of faith and faithfulness. (If you are coming to this page from a search engine, I recommend this link for a table of contents of the topics covered in this series.)


It has been nearly a year since I wrote on this topic, but recently, a comment on an earlier post got me thinking and writing again.  I continue to struggle with the meaning of pistis (faith) and the various ways that the word has been used in the Bible.  It seems that there are a small number of cases where pistis is best understood as belief, but I believe that many if not most of the New Testament uses of pistis could be better understood as faithfulness.  I have started writing on the connection between belief and behavior, but then set that aside for a while to work on faithfulness in the book of Romans.  Today's post is the first on that theme.


Romans 1:5


Early in the book, Paul identifies his purpose—"to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles" (Rom 1:5 NET).  He continues, speaking to to the Romans and identifying his motive for writing, "You also are among them,"— the Gentiles— whom he intends to be bring to "obedience."  The phrase "obedience of faith"  (hypakoen pisteos) is repeated in Romans 16:26 where Paul again states his purpose, that the "gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ" (16:25 NET) is intended to "to bring about the obedience of faith" (16:26).  These two instances of "obedience of faith" bracket the entire book, and we miss Paul's message entirely if we understand faith outside of this context.  With this context in mind, we can look at the rest of Romans, reading faith as faithfulness wherever it makes sense.  I have searched for translations or interpretations of Romans that take this perspective and I will use them in the discussion that follows.

HCSB — We have received grace and apostleship through Him to bring about the faithful obedience (footnote) among all the nations, on behalf of His name,...

This reading is an alternative taken from the HCSB footnote. The faithful obedience translates hypakoen pisteos in which the genitive could be mechanically translated— obedience of faithfulness.  There are several other translations (or paraphrases) that write from a similar perspective.

CEB — It is through Jesus that we have received God’s grace and our appointment to be apostles through Jesus. This was to bring all Gentiles to faithful obedience for his name’s sake. 

CPV — Through him I got the favor of an appointment to approach, on his behalf, other races, including you all, about faithful obedience on all matters. So you, too, are Jesus Christ’s guests.

I have found the Cotten Patch Version (CPV) to be especially far toward the faithfulness end of the belief-faithfulness spectrum.  The CPV certainly does not deserve to be called a translation; and it never was intended to be an accurate rendering of the original languages into English.  The author, Clarence Jordan,  describes it as a "version" rather than a translation and wrote: "obviously the 'cotton patch' version must not be used as a historical text. The Revised Standard Version and the New English Bible are excellent for this purpose." Jordan, a native of Georgie who wrote during the height of the civil rights movement, is described as a "man of action" in the CPV link above.  The brief biographical sketch goes on: "A visionary during the struggle for the civil rights of all God's children, he founded an inter-racial community called Koinonia. On this farm, folks worked side-by-side to make a living, following Jesus - a radical concept fifty years ago."


I have only read briefly about his life and work, but I find his pragmatic and contemporary approach to be inspiring.  The gospel was more than an abstract idea or belief for Jordan, but a call for action.  The brief sketch that I quoted above concludes: "By the way, Clarence has had a great influence upon many persons, including Habitat for Humanity founder, Millard Fuller. Furthermore, President Jimmy Carter grew up just down the road from the original Cotton Patch. The foreword to a recently published collection of Jordan's sermons - The Substance of Faith and Other Cotton Patch Sermons - was written by our former President."  The legacy of faithfulness speaks for itself.


Returning to Romans 1:5, even if we might prefer an emphasis on faith, understood as belief, Paul does not allow us to disconnect it from behavior; at a minimum, obedience is a consequence of belief, but Paul might also be saying that obedience is a characteristic of faithfulness.  In either case, Paul desires more than just a mental acceptance from his readers— he is calling for a change in behavior.


The 2010 edition of the NIV has an interesting alternative reading in a footnote.  

NIV alt. — Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that is faith for his name’s sake.

________________


I have much more to say on this topic, but I have to remind myself that this is a blog rather than a book— it is better to stop and publish what I have completed than to wait until I have every idea completely developed.


I wrote previously on "the importance of good works" in a post called Jesus: A Man of Action.