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NASB | John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 13:34 "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. |
Subject: ....one another! |
Bible Note: Isn't it ironic, though? It was such a wonderful idea, to start this thread! In some sense this is a getting-together of Christians, like we might have in church. What an opportunity to do some of these things for one another. And yet ... Look back over the thread and see what we did to one another. It is like church, at least when we try to get away from sitting in rows and actually start interacting. I was very glad to see this list. I have made one myself. But I wonder now what good it is to have it when it is so hard to put any of it into effect. It is ironic because, in the plan of God, love is the be-all and end-all of it all. We have to begin with love. The command is to love, and that one command consolidates all commends, including love of God. When we love one another we have fulfilled the whole law, including the command to love God. But love means we think no evil (1 Corinthians 13:5). In this case, that means we do not assume that the brother is out to get us. We give one another the benefit of the doubt, that we mean well, that we are here for each other’s welfare. This could be a place where we have great joy and consolation in the love of the brethren (as in Philemon 1:7). It is ironic because we are not sure that anyone can afford to do that here. We realize that someone can come on even now to disagree with every point that has been made here. We can see into each other’s hearts and know each other’s motives and be just plain nasty and dismissive. But this was an opportunity for us to practice loving one another. Why do we miss it? Since no one is going to answer, I will say that the reason is fear. That strange emotion, that appeared in the Garden of Eden, comes to ruin everything. We have to overcome it in order to love. We have to take a chance. Take a stand, and do it. |