What is Love?

[king'sbloomingrose]

Love! I believe it is one of the most played-on themes of the entire Bible by Christians and non Christians alike. There’s a famous song or saying that goes, “All we need is love.” But in all this talk about love, do we really have love: the kind of love that Christ displayed towards others? Do we truly know what love means? I think that with all this talk about love, we’ve lost sight of what it is.

John 13:34 says: “34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Well, in order to be able to obey this command, we must first know how Christ loved us, the Church. We are told that He “gave Himself for her.”

And Romans 5:7-8 states: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
While we were yet filthy, stinking, hating, murdering people, Christ died for us. Not because we were good little Sunday school boys and girls, but because we were utterly lost and undeserving of His love or mercy. That my friend is how much Christ loves you and me.

So, you’re telling me that I’m supposed to love my fellow believers and others like Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her? To answer that we turn to 1 Corinthians 13, often called the great love chapter. Verses one to three give us the importance of love. Bear in mind that charity means love.

“1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.”

Love here is called the Law of Christ. It is in contrast to Moses Law which demanded love; however this Law of Christ (Law of Liberty) creates spontaneous love. Gifts, prophecy, and good works are all good, but only if used with love. Love for God and others seem to be the Elmer’s glue that pulls the exercise of spiritual gifts and righteous works together.


Verses 4 to 7 give us the characteristics of this love.

“Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,

5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;

6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

In the NIV these verses read,

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

For verse 5, the ASV says the same thing but in slightly plainer wording.

Love...is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

These verses contain hard truths that get right “where the rubber meets the road.” They reach right into your life and mine and are convicting indeed.

Verse 13 says, “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Love is not stationary; it must have an object because love flows outwards. There are three possible recipients for love: God, others, and ourselves. Its primary recipient is God. The first half of the Ten Commandments emphasizes our duty to God and the second half emphasizes our duty to fellow men. Jesus accurately summarized the all the books of the Old Testament when He said in Matthew

22:36-40:
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Verse 37 says we are to love God with all of our being: body, soul, and spirit. This leaves no room for devotion to other objects – i.e. making a god to suit yourself, or worshiping money or anything other than God. It is interesting to note that God gives this commandment first before He even states the second commandment. If we love God in the right way, fully and completely, then the second commandment will fall into its proper place.

How are we to love others? 2 John 5 says, “5And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.”
Luke 6:27-35: “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

29And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

30Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34And 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.

35But 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.”

This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, but apart from divine help, this passage is impossible for the natural man to fulfill. Its commands are completely foreign to sinful human nature. And it is something that immature Christians have a hard time doing. Why do I say that? Well, over in Matthew 5:46-48 it says,

46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The word perfect in verse 48 does not mean sinless perfection. Instead it implies a full-grown, mature believer who is abounding with spiritual gifts. Remember, however, that love is like the glue that binds and gives the spiritual gifts meaning and place. And without love, the exercise of the other spiritual gifts and fruits becomes meaningless, almost like a great fog that rolls in and covers everything. Then when the wind comes and blows it away, there’s nothing left of the fog but empty air.

John 15:13-14 says,
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

This is God’s supreme standard for love. I cannot imagine laying down my life for a horrible person, or dying for a Christian brother/sister. To me this verse passes comprehension. But, God asks us here to love one another as He has loved us. Without God’s help, we of ourselves will never be able to produce the kind of love that God showed to others. This topic reminds me of a famous song When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts.


When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

[LivnForChrist]

[Meg]

[mattfivefour]

[Hannah]

For those who read the King James version:-

1 Cor 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;

Now if you look at the KJV of 1John

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Which could explain why KJV readers don't know what "Love is?" Because the word charity replaces Love in many verses not only the above in Corinthians.

1CO 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

1PE 4: 6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

So from the above it sounds like all you ahve to do is give a few dollars to the Salvation Army and you have built yourself up and covered a multitude of Sins. The KJ a superior version of the Bible.


NIV comparison.

1CO 8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by God.

1PE 4:6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

So I guess the translation you use does have an impact on your understanding of God's Word and the way you apply it to your life.

Here is a good example why having a few good translations of the Bible is worthwhile and not holding one over all the others.