FreeChristianWritings.com
TOPIC A14
A DISCIPLE’S LOVE
BY RON FOSTER
Lay Member
RIVERSIDE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH UPPER ARLINGTON, OHIO
A
DISCIPLE’S
LOVE
Except where noted, all Scripture quotations are Taken from The Life Application Study Bible, New International Version published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and Zondervan Publishing House. Copyright 1995 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Il.
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A
DISCIPLE’S LOVE
CONTENTS
PAGE
Meaning of “Love” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contemporary English Words for “Love” . . . . .
5
As
A
Noun
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
As
A
Verb
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Greek Words for “Love” . . . . . . . . . . . . The
5
God of a Disciple of
Jesus
7
Christ . . . . .
9
. . . . . . .
10
Agape (noun) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Agapao (verb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
English Synonyms for Greek Words
God’s Love for Disciples and A Disciple’s Love for
Others . . . . . . .
11
. . . . . . . . . . .
12
Neighbor . . . . . . . . .
15
God
A Disciple’s Love for a
Who is the “Neighbor” of How Should
a
a
Disciple ? . . . .
15
Disciple “Love” Neighbors ? . . .
15
How Should a Disciple “Love” Himself or Herself ? .
17
3
A
DISCIPLE’S
LOVE
A disciple of Jesus Christ is a “believer in Jesus Christ” who might also be referred to as a student, learner, pupil, or apprentice of Lord Jesus. It is a person who: (1) surrenders his or her will to Jesus ( Lk 14: 26-33; Mt 10:37-39 ); (2) is knowledgeable about His commands and teachings ( Mt 11:29-30; Heb 5: 12-14 ); (3) obeys Jesus’ commands and teachings ( Lk 11:28; John 14:15; 1John 2:3-6 ); and (4) puts His words into practice ( Mt 7:24-27; Lk 6:46-49; 8:19-21; Jas 1: 22-28 ). You may want to add other characteristics, but certainly you would agree that to be a disciple of Jesus, one must know His commands. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Mt 22: 37-40. See also Mk 12:28-34 and Lk 10: 25-28 ). This brings forth several questions, including: (1) What is the meaning of “love” ? (2) Who is the God of a disciple of Jesus? (3) How should a 4
disciple “ love” God ? (4) How should a disciple “love” a “neighbor” ? and (5) How is a disciple supposed to “love” himself or herself ?
MEANING OF “LOVE” Starting sometime before 200 B.C., the first five books of the Old Testament were translated into Greek. Other parts of it were translated into Greek during the next century. This latter version is called the Septuagint. Greek was, however, the original language in which the New Testament was written. After acceptance by the early churches, the New Testament was added to The Old Testament Septuagint to form the complete Greek version of the Bible. The Greek versions were later, of course, translated into English and other languages. To give English-speaking people living today a more comprehensive understanding of the meaning of “love” as written in the Bible, it does seem reasonable to present both the contemporary English and Greek sense of the word “love.” CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH WORDS FOR “LOVE” In present-day English, a nearly inexhaustible number of words are used for the term “love.” Just a few of these are shown in EXHIBIT 1. 5
EXHIBIT 1 CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH FOR “LOVE”
WORDS
AS A NOUN: affection . . fondness . . adoration . . devotion . . attraction . . friendship liking . . attachment . . intimacy . . passion . . infatuation . . fancy . .desire rapture . . longing . . yearning . . sweetheart . . romance . . harmony amour . . affinity . . tenderness . . affair . . spouse . . intended . . lover relationship . . warmth . . adulation . . enjoyment . . concern . . closeness esteem . . caring . . accord . . cherishing . . wanting . . craving . . flame feeling . . beloved . . sympathy - - benevolence - - reverence - - worship. AS A VERB: like . . care for . . cherish . . treasure . . be fond of . . attracted to . . adore worship . . idolize . . desire . . yearn for . . infatuated with . . delight in dote on . . embrace . . romance . . enjoy . . approve . . appreciate . . savor think the world of . . admire . . relish . . caress . . require . . fancy . . hug prize . . be in love with . . pine for . . cuddle . . smitten - - revere.
6
GREEK WORDS
FOR “LOVE”
In the Greek language, the word “love” can be divided into four basic classes. These categories and the approximate substance in contemporary English is presented below: GREEK WORDS FOR “LOVE”
ESSENCE IN ENGLISH
Storge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natural Affection Eros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Romantic Love Philia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friendship Agape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concern Storge is the Greek term for natural affection. It is fondness through familiarity, particularly between family members - - such as the love of a parent toward a child. It is natural in that it is present without arm-twisting. Storge is emotional because it is the outcome of tenderness due to familiarity. It pays very little attention to those personality characteristics which are considered “worthy” of love. It is not a discriminatory type of love but does place great importance on commitment. Eros is love in the sense of “being in love.” It is romantic love with sensual desire and longing but does not have to be sexual in nature. It can 7
be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than philia or
love of friendship. Although eros is initially felt for a person, it can become an appreciation of the beauty within that person. This means that eros can therefore, be applied to dating relationships as well as marriage. The term “erotic,” or seductive love, is derived from eros. As used in Greek, the word philia is usually translated as “friendship.” It usually exists because of a common bond or activity such as, for example, membership in a university fraternity or sorority. But the term philia is much broader than either of these examples and includes: fellow-soldiers, political or business contacts, members of the same tribe, or members of the same church. All of these relationships involve getting on well with other persons. Philia love must be mutual and therefore, excludes relationships with inanimate objects. It was the belief of the ancient Greeks that philia was a noble love because it looked not at the beloved ( like eros ) but “about” the affiliation on which the relationship was formed. Agape is the type of love that is given away without any expectation of having it returned. It is the “will” to accept, support, care for, forgive, give, serve, and nurture the growth of others for their well-being. 8
The Greek noun agape and the corresponding verb agapao were used by authors of the New Testament, particularly the apostles John and Paul to express self-sacrificing, active, and thoughtful love. This love is not dependent on any lovable qualities that the object of this love possesses but is a love of the will rather than a love based on emotion. To me, “concern” is the English word that best translates from the Greek terms agape and agapao.
Other synonymous
expressions are shown in EXHIBIT 2.
THE
GOD OF A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST
A disciple of Jesus Christ believes in the God who is revealed in the Old Testament and the New Testament. A careful study of Scripture clearly reveals: (1) there is one and only one God (Dt 6:4-5; 1 Ki 8:60; Isa 45:56, 21-22; 44:6-8; 1 Tm 2:5; Rom 3:30; 1 Cor 8:6); (2) God exists as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19; 1Cor 12:4-6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 4:4-6; 1 Pet 1:2); and (3) each person of this Trinity is fully God (Ge 1:1-2; Jn 1:1-4, 14:20-28; 2 Pet 1:1; Rom 9:5; Mt 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; Psa 139:7-8; 1 Cor 2:10-11. You may want to examine 1John 5:7 in the King James Version of the Bible). 9
EXHIBIT 2
ENGLISH SYNONYMS FOR THE GREEK WORDS AGAPE AND AGAPAO AGAPE: (noun) concern . . regard . . respect . . care . . consideration . . awareness attention . . carefulness . . watchfulness . . esteem . . admiration . . awe reverence . . honor . . worship . . deference . . homage . . adoration worthiness . . approval . . acceptance . . affirmation . . acknowledgment sanction . . recognition . . favor . . belief in . . tolerance of . . praise submission to . . high opinion . . appreciation . . goodwill . . benevolence.
AGAPAO: (verb) concern . . respect . . regard . . hold dear . . relate to . . honor prize . . revere . . protect . . keep safe . . be involved with admire . . treasure . . look after . . be engaged in . . acknowledge cherish . . obey . . consider . . be affected by . . praise . .care for esteem . 10
GOD’S
LOVE FOR DISCIPLES AND OTHERS
Before discussing the love of disciples, perhaps it would be useful to give thought to the love that God has for His disciples and others. God’s love for all people is best labeled as agape. The perfect example of God’s agape is seen in His gift of His Son (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:9-10). This obviously was not a love of affection or friendship. It was God’s deliberate choice. It was exercise of His “will” in a way that expressed His “ love” toward all humans. Contrary to common understanding, agape is not “unconditional love” nor is it philia or storge - - which are loves of “emotion.” It is God’s nature to love, but He loves with His “will” ( Rom 5:8). His love - - agape - - is doing what is best for man although this may not be what man desires. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the volume of vocal remarks and written statements, too many people simply do not grasp the meaning of God’s love. They intermingle the agape of God with their own preferences and think of His love as: affection . . warmth 11
tenderness . . friendship . . or sweetness. Such an all-inclusive but misinterpretation of God’s love is used by some people to give them the rightful authority to commit
any sin against God with
His blessing.
A
DISCIPLE’S
LOVE
FOR
GOD
The love that is God’s nature is within disciples because it was placed in their hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). This means that God’s love flows through
disciples of Jesus and is demonstrated in
them. Lord Jesus told us that the love that a disciple must have for Himself goes far beyond any of the closest relationships that exist on earth (Lk 14:25-27,33 ). A disciple must put Jesus first. This kind of love, put in hearts of disciples by the Holy Spirit, is in the character that would be expected from Father God toward His own Son. It is clear that Jesus expects His disciples to love Him just as He loves His Father and the Father loves Him (Jn 15:12). The knowledge that Father God and Jesus Christ have loved everyone beyond all limits compels Jesus’ disciples to love Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit 12
in the same way. This love is agape.
It is a deep and constant
love given to humans (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8) by a perfect God whose very nature is love (1 Jn 4:8). God’s love inspires in “believers in Jesus Christ ” a “ reciprocating” love toward the Giver (Jn 14: 21; Eph 2:4; 3:19; 5:2). This benevolent love toward God is the inspired fruit of the Holy Spirit harvested in disciples (Gal 5:22). Jesus encourages His disciples to know Him and to draw closer to Him (Jn 14:9). He also calls them friends (Jn 15:15). Such comments make it clear to me; Jesus wants His disciples to have philia (friendship) with Himself. Indeed, all life experiences of disciples are intended to help them have an intimate relationship with Lord Jesus. When a disciple achieves the perfect friendship with Jesus Christ, he or she is doing God’s will. To maintain this relationship with Jesus, a disciple must be very careful to see that nothing interferes with it. Jesus’ talk with Peter leads me to believe it is perfectly proper for His disciples to
exhibit agape (concern), philia (friendship), and
storge (affection) toward Himself (Jn 21:15-18). times if he loved Him.
Jesus asked Peter three
In the first and second times, Lord Jesus 13
was asking Peter if he had agape (concern or self-sacrificial love ) for Himself (Jn 21:15-16). The third time, the way in which Lord Jesus used the word “love” can, if broadly interpreted - - even though I am aware that it is different from the Greek authors translation of apostle John’s original writings - - to include both words philia (friendship) and storge (affection) in the same question. Jesus asked in effect, “Are you really My friend?” and “Do you have affection for Me ?”(Jn 21:17). It is the nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to love by “will” and to want all disciples of Jesus to show the same agape (concern) for each person of the Trinity. In my interpretation of His conversation with Peter, Lord Jesus also gives His approval for His disciples to show philia (friendship) and
storge (affection) for each
person of the Triune Godhead . In effect, all
three of these loves - -
agape, philia, and storge - - seem essential if a disciple is to fulfill the command of Jesus who said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”(Mk 12:30). 14
A
DISCIPLE’S LOVE A NEIGHBOR
FOR
It seems best to approach this subject by asking two questions. First, who is the “neighbor” of a disciple of Jesus Christ? Second, how
should a disciple of Lord Jesus “love” his or her neighbors ?
WHO IS THE “NEIGHBOR” OF A DISCIPLE ? In the ninth and tenth commandments,
the Israelites were
commanded to show concern for their neighbors (Ex 20:16-17; Dt 5:20-21). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus extended the concept of a neighbor to include not only a person who lives nearby but to embrace people of any race, creed, or background who are in need. According to Jesus, “neighbors” include “all mankind” (Lk 10:25-37). HOW SHOULD A DISCIPLE “LOVE” NEIGHBORS ? This “love for all mankind” means that a disciple of Jesus Christ must have agape - - or concern, regard, and respect for everyone. He or she is attentive and responsive to see that others are fed, clothed, housed and generally, strives to see that the needs of others are met. 15
This “concern love for others” is not a patronizing love for the unlovable. It is not a compassionate feeling for an unusually difficult person.
Rather, it is the genuine watchfulness that a disciple has for
mankind.
A follower of Jesus cares for all others and wants their
spiritual and basic secular needs to be met.
And a disciple does not
want others to be cheated or subjected to injuries. As the apostle Paul
said, “Love does no harm to its neighbors” (Rom 13:10).
Love for
neighbors
advocates that disciples forgive them for any
grievances they may have against them. The explanation is simple. The agape placed in their hearts by to
forgive as the Lord forgave Love for
example
neighbors
the Holy Spirit requires them
disciples and others (Col 3:13).
means that a disciple must
be a living
of “ loving opposition “ to the world’s sinful activities . Such
love does not even hint of placing derogatory labels on others who are different.
It does, however, not mean or imply that disciples should
approve of, or promote any sin against God action to meet any
by word, deed, or
the “individual freedom of choice” needs
other human. 16
or wants of
God’s that
agape for each and every human is perfect. This means
He has identical and complete “concern” for every individual on
earth. It does not mean that He
has
affection (storge) or harmony
(philia) toward all the people He has created. Nor does God’s love permit
Him to
overlook, condone, or excuse a sin against Himself
as though it never happened.
Disciples who follow Jesus must show
the same agape to all mankind that Jesus has for them.
HOW
SHOULD A DISCIPLE LOVE HIMSELF OR HERSELF ?
This question is somewhat complicated. The reason is simple. Sometimes disciples are annoying, bothersome, disagreeable, sarcastic, repugnant, and/or obnoxious. Not only do they not “love” themselves - - they don’t even “like” themselves.
But they don’t give up on
being “concerned” for themselves. So on the face of it, “love yourself” does not mean to have storge (affection) or philia ( good feeling) for oneself. That is a relief because, at times, most disciples are downright
irritating
or unpleasant.
Love for yourself does not mean that you like yourself. It 17
means
that
that
you
care
and
have concern for
yourself - - you
wish yourself well. You act to meet your own needs. You do not willingly let yourself go hungry. You clothe yourself in a reasonable manner, provide shelter for yourself, and try not to let yourself be injured or
or cheated.
herself
hearts
is
Summarily stated,
agape - - the
of disciples
by
concern
God
a disciple’s love for himself love
the Holy
18
of Spirit.
God
placed
in the