[asa] Re: What is Love?

I notice the verse I quoted got chopped off. Reposting as it is vital to the
discussion:

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows
something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who
loves God is known by God.

On 7/18/06, Rich Blinne <rich.blinne@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 7/18/06, Janice Matchett < janmatch@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > At 01:44 PM 7/18/2006, Rich Blinne wrote:
> >
> > On 7/18/06, *RFaussette@aol.com* <RFaussette@aol.com> <RFaussette@aol.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > "..As you say, the man who loves God is known by God, but be careful,
> > love is the wrong word. (Self) Surrender is a better word. Love is so often
> > mistaken for romantic love.
> >
> > So good of you to improve on Scripture. I didn't say that, the Apostle
> > Paul did. He used the word love and it couldn't possibly confused for
> > romantic love because it wasn't eros but rather agape. ~ Rich Blinne
> >
> >
> > @ "Love" By Any Other Name?
> >
> > What exactly is *agape*, or "love" as it is translated? The NT tells us:
> >
> > Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
> >
> > We read such passages and tend to assume at once that "love" means what
> > it does to us in modern times -- in this case, a mushy sentimentality that
> > never says a harsh word and never steps on the toes of others. The same word
> > is used in 1 Cor. 13 (though translated differently):
> > Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
> > 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.
> >
> > The question at issue: how is all of this actually worked out in
> > practice? Does agape mean not confronting others with error or sin?
> >
>
> The context of the verse I quoted gives a partial answer to your question.
> 1 Cor. 8 deals with the question of eating meat given to idols. The
> knowledge referenced is that we know that it is OK to do so. We have the
> truth but even though it is the truth it can do great damage to our brothers
> and sisters:
>
> 9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a
> stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees
> you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be
> emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak
> brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you
> sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you
> sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall
> into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
>
> Agape is to do what is in the best interest of the person to whom it is
> the object. Does that preclude correction? Not at all. Does it demand it?
> Not always. Jude shows a variety of responses depending on the situation:
>
> 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save
> them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained
> by corrupted flesh.
>
> I have observed that people define agape according to their personalities.
> The blunt person defines agape as "tough love". The easy going personality
> as being merciful. The article you posted noted that the apostles did not
> always confront nor always shrink from confrontation. That's because the
> loving thing is not always the same thing for different people in different
> situations. This requires true godly discernment built over a lifetime. In
> Matthew 18, Jesus let us know how to deal with discipline issues and it is a
> great comfort that He is there in our midst when two or three are gathered
> in His name. It is at these times we need to know what is truly loving and
> to have the courage and indeed the love to act on it once we do know.
>
>

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Received on Tue Jul 18 16:17:28 2006