An old friend – evidently in the Facebook sense of the word
only -- recently attacked me publically for being unchristian because I am
conservative in my politics – I’m unloving
-- which I am from time to time -- which we all are from time to time, but
caring about the well-being of others in the name of Christ does not demand that
I steal from Peter to pay Henry to give the rest to Paul who always votes for
Henry. That isn’t what I call love.
It isn’t what the Bible calls love either.
Understanding biblical love requires knowledge about
language. Though English is one of the richest, most flexible languages to
develop on this earth, it isn’t very exact. Koine Greek, the main language in the
New Testament, is, because of its history (Alexander the Great developed it to
make communication with his troops foolproof), so it’s useful to look at the Greek
words that are translated love in English.
Love, that simple
English word, is an emotional word that can indicate how we feel about anything
from cookie dough ice cream to our firstborn child. The key word there is feel. But the biblical words that are
translated love aren’t all about
emotion.
