Love of the Brethren

[stephen]

Love one another earnestly from the heart....1 Peter 1 : 22 RSV

In some translations it is "love sincerely" that is love without dissimulation, without feiging. Love sincerely from the heart. The appeal here is for the love of the brethren (sisters included)

There is a twofold obligation mentioned: "having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth, for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart" Notice that you have the word love in both of the phrases here. The interesting thing is they are not the same word in the Greek.

In the first case the word is philia, this is the love of attachment, of congeniality. But in the second phrase "Love one another earnestly" this is a word which is not particularly emotional, agape This is the word for that supernatural goodwill Gods kind of goodwill. Not philia now but agape

Many are happy to settle for the philia love in Christian life. How easy it is to love the people who love you, and you are attached to them. You are so congenial: you and the other party, the other party and you. That is easy. But when we get at sixes and sevens in our Christian fellowship's when we fail to demonstrate the unity of Christ, we forget that there is agape love as well as philia love in the Christian life.

Agape love comes in as the supernatural gift of God, enabling us to deal with the person who is so terribly awkward, and whom naturally you would not befriend at all. It is the agape love that helps the Christian to maintain goodwill.....for His sake. And through that gift which is yours by the Holy Ghost, to go on loving them

 

[abigya]

Love one another earnestly from the heart....1 Peter 1 : 22 RSV

In some translations it is "love sincerely" that is love without dissimulation, without feiging. Love sincerely from the heart. The appeal here is for the love of the brethren (sisters included)

There is a twofold obligation mentioned: "having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth, for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart" Notice that you have the word love in both of the phrases here. The interesting thing is they are not the same word in the Greek.

In the first case the word is philia, this is the love of attachment, of congeniality. But in the second phrase "Love one another earnestly" this is a word which is not particularly emotional, agape This is the word for that supernatural goodwill Gods kind of goodwill. Not philia now but agape

Many are happy to settle for the philia love in Christian life. How easy it is to love the people who love you, and you are attached to them. You are so congenial: you and the other party, the other party and you. That is easy. But when we get at sixes and sevens in our Christian fellowship's when we fail to demonstrate the unity of Christ, we forget that there is agape love as well as philia love in the Christian life.

Agape love comes in as the supernatural gift of God, enabling us to deal with the person who is so terribly awkward, and whom naturally you would not befriend at all. It is the agape love that helps the Christian to maintain goodwill.....for His sake. And through that gift which is yours by the Holy Ghost, to go on loving them

Very insightful post Brother Stephen.

thank you for posting

God bless

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings Stephen,

yes, Christ first loved us.... that is truth... but there is more...

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:1-8

Yes, it is from the Lord that we love this Agape love, as the above Scripture tells us, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

With His love residing in our hearts, we can be like Him, who suffered and did so for love's sake, that those who believe should not perish but have everlasting, eternal life.

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Luke 6:27-36

Thank you Stephen....

Bless you ....><>

Br. Bear

 

[jiggyfly]

Good post Stephen, I like the way the KJV reads on this scripture.
1Peter 1:22&23
22*Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Unfeigned love, unfeigned means "without hypocrisy" or "without play acting". Which I find challenging to me at times. A very good friend struggled with alcoholism for many years. He told me that most of the christians he knew only wanted to love him when he was doing good, but when he needed them most, when he was drunk with alcohol they wouldn't have anything to do with him.