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NASB | 1 John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 4:8 The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] |
Subject: Does God love everything? |
Bible Note: Terrifel, I have a book collection called the "Dictionary of the History of Ideas", a great resource, now out of print. Last night I was reading a topic, "Islamic Conception of Intellectual Life", which examines the how and why of early Islam's embracing of the worldly arts and sciences, the ancient Greek in particular, when I came across this striking quotation: "Islam is a religion based on knowledge--and not on love as is for example Christianity--a knowledge in which the intellect (al-aql) plays the positive role of leading man to the divine." “…knowledge…plays the positive role…” Love is a rare word in the Koran, particularly in conjunction with its god, which reveals the Koran’s origin, Satan, who cannot know love or fathom the heart of God. This may well explain why the worldly religions--Islam, Shinto, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, now Scientology--all tend to exalt knowledge and, where expedient, to pay lip service to God’s love while rejecting His saving love in Christ Jesus. It’s a cinch to know a thing (or to think I do!), but it’s nigh impossible to love, especially to love the ones I can’t stand. That God can love us in spite of ourselves, that He is love itself, that Jesus died for us, is so incomprehensible to me that sometimes it just hits me and I want to cry. So you’re right, this string is a good one. Thanks for getting it started. Colin |