 |  |
Let it be the earnest desire of every reader that our love shall keep pace with our
advance in knowledge, otherwise our words must be written off as "sounding brass," and
our knowledge as nothing worth. As space allows in subsequent issues we hope to
consider some of the aspects of this chief of graces, and first of the Spirit's fruits,
"ABOVE ALL. . . . LOVE."
LOVE.
pp. 94-96
The prominence given to the manifestation of Christian love calls upon every believer
to consider his own relation to the teaching of the Word on this subject. It may be of
service to us all if we endeavour to trace out some of the scriptural definitions of this
grace, and to note the contexts of its many occurrences. Scripture speaks of "love
without hypocrisy" and "love unfeigned," which makes us feel that there is the danger
among believers of a counterfeit love, a feigned love, and causes all who have the truth at
heart to desire a knowledge of the real thing itself.
The thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians contains a most striking summary of love,
and to that chapter we will turn. After having "weighed in the balance and found
wanting" loveless gifts, knowledge, understanding, zeal and almsgiving, the apostle
proceeds to tell us something positive concerning love itself. The first statement which
he makes is, "love suffereth long and is kind." The first quality which it has pleased God
to tell us regarding unfeigned love is that it is longsuffering. Let is be ours at once to
seek grace to manifest more fully that which the Lord holds so high.
The word "longsuffering" is a translation of the Greek makrothumeõ. Makrothumos is
composed of two words, makros meaning love, or far, and thumos, the mind, anger.
Makros is translated "far" in Luke 15: 13 and 19: 12, "into a far country"; "long" in
Matt. 28: 14, "long prayer." The idea of distance seems to be uppermost, as in the
first example.
Thumos.--The A.V. translates this word 15 times by "wrath," "indignation" once,
"fierceness" twice. Dr. Bullinger in his lexicon has a full note on the word as follows:--
Thumos, the mind, the spirit that is breathed out, an intense passion of the mind. . . .
the animus, the working and fermenting of the mid, the demonstration of strong passion,
which may issue in anger or revenge, though it does not necessarily include it" (p. 905).
Among the many graces which the apostle Paul detailed as proofs that Timothy and
himself were approved as the ministers of God is found longsuffering. "In pureness, in
knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in holy spirit, in love unfeigned" (II Cor. 6: 6).
It will be observed that longsuffering is linked to kindness, and that both are connected
with "love unfeigned." As always, it will be found that the apostle practised what he
preached. The reference to pneuma hagion (holy spirit) in this verse leads us to
Gal. 5: 22, where fourth in the list there given comes longsuffering. "Love, joy, peace"