I think anyone whos ever read the Old Testament knows that and so Jesus is correcting this idea thats so prevalent in his day that not only is it okay to hate certain people that you label as enemies, its commanded by God but it wasnt. [1] In addition to ethical Docetism, attempts to see Jesus as a lone and subversive revolutionary often lead to the anachronistic claim that he taught something completely unprecedented here. God bless you. 3 Lessons on Real Ways to Love Your Enemies. Too bad Jason can't trouble himself to have a ", "Hi Dave, I read your article with great interest. You can love your enemies too. He believed it was nearly as vital as loving God with your whole heart. 1123573), Ali Blacklee Whittall Seeing the Women of the OT, Ruth Perrin and Ed Earnshaw Student Ministry, Jasper Knecht Reading the Scriptures with the Early Church, Christine Westhoff Reframing the Prophetic, Tim Mackie Biblical Studies and Christology, The Bible as Narrative Tobias Siegenthaler, The value of friendship in the Christian life Andy Hudson, Tobias Siegenthaler The Bible as Narrative, Bridging the funding gap for deaf students Janey Lawry-White, The Bible and Culture by Ben Witherington. Matthew 7:12. Love for ones enemy even extended to his animal. However, we need to stop hating one another because hating one another is the easy way out. Loving your enemies, is that a New or an Old Testament concept? To become more like Christ, we need to harness feelings of love and acceptance., Many times Jesus was betrayed and persecuted, and time and again, he chose forgiveness and understanding. Psalm 136:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. You may have similar interests or similar experiences while growing up. Jesus began to teach a message very similar to the Sermon on the Mount. Wealth & Archaeology. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord. So, let's talk about what it means to love one's enemies, as well as some examples of how to do so. And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power. Now more than ever, we need to implement these teachings into our lives. Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master. So the king prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. (2 Kgs 6:21-22), Did this non-violent response work? But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you've done. Luke 6:38. As an Old Testament scholar, the proposed contrast is like nails on a chalkboard. Love Your Enemies Matthew 5:43-48 Delivered 11/24/2002. Proud member First, seek to understand their side and try hard to understand where they're coming from. Lewis Aslan, on the move! When faced with the enemies of God, it is best to take those who have hurt us or even persecutors and leave them at the foot of the cross in prayer. Remember that Jesus prefaces this whole section of His sermon by saying: For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 5:20). [1] As with other Jewish teachers of his day, Jesus drew fresh teachings from the deep well of Scripture. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. We skipped over the third one, looked at the fourth one last time. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. Yet as Jesus implied, it's similar to the first. When Jesus says, "You've heard it said," then he says, "You shall love your neighbor, hate your enemy," he's smart enough to know that the second part of that is not in the Old Testament anywhere. Yeshua said, "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy" (Mathew 5:43). God is an unchanging God of love (cf. While you handily dismantle his claim ". Milton has also served as chancellor and president of seminaries and is the author of more than thirty books. Proverbsand we have to remember that these were popular sayingseven states that those who rejoice over anothers misfortune will not go unpunished (17:15). Thats how you can tell who your neighbor is, the person who loves you. Solution: God never commanded His people at any time to hate their enemies (see comments on Mal. However, your enemies will force you to take a closer look at your life. This is the first and greatest commandment. Its not in all caps because its not a quote. He and his wife, Mae, reside in Western North Carolina. These, like Matthew, and Zacchaeus, were tax collectors. Well that's the Old Testament. God loves your enemies. If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at [emailprotected], by Matt Slick | Apr 1, 2023 | Questions, The Occult. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. 1 Samuel 25-26: Love Your Enemies - The Church of Jesus Christ of ' And in my Bible, those one, two, three, four, five words You shall love your neighbor are all capitalized indicating thats a quote from the Old Testament, from the law. Love your enemies - what Jesus tells us about loving others (from the I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, You are my Son; today I have begotten you. He said to the woman, Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. Amen. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. And prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die., Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.. The question were asking today is about a very familiar commandment, love your enemies. It simply means you cant let bitterness and hatred grow in your heart. [2] John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, was identified as a new Elijah, who was the forerunner of Elisha. Is that really what the Mosaic Law taught? Whos my neighbor? The fault here, however, is not with Jesus or the Old Testament. 4:12; 1 Pet. I did a proximity search in my online Bible of hate+ enemy / enemies and could find only one passage even suggesting hatred of enemies: St. Paul cites and further interprets this teaching: Furthermore, not only is this ethical teaching found in the Old Testament and Judaism, but also in virtually all of the major world religions: C. S. Lewis noted that these affinities with other religions, along with various pagan precursors to Christianity far from being a, Definition of "Radical Catholic Reactionary": Dialogue, "This is, obviously, a very detailed paper on parallels for Solomon's Temple. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. What Does It Mean to "Love Your Enemies"? What the Bible Says, and What He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? When we show respect to our enemies, we allow ourselves to become more like the Holy Spirit. Pray for those who persecute you! He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit. 5:44, "pray for those who persecute you," is a synonymous parallel to "love your enemies." Thus, those persecuting you are included in your enemies. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'. Examples of Loving your Enemies in the Bible: True Love A blog by WTC faculty and friends where we can post our latest thoughts and reflections, write about what were working on, or what were teaching on, as well as hosting a variety of contributors. Why will you still be struck down? R Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life and grow your faith journey. To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. I will strike them down. (v. 21a). V That sounds like something out of the New Testament, no? But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. 30 Bible verses about Loving Your Enemies . Examples of Loving your Enemies in the Bible; "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.". 1 Corinthians 16:4 - Let all that you do be done in love. Thank you! When you need guidance, turn to God. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. Its authenticity is not seriously questioned and yet it is a revolutionary command. 65:913; Luke 12:16, 17; Acts 14:17, NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, NKJV, Woman's Study Bible, Red Letter, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying Gods Word, NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People. Is that something that started with the New Covenant? And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Are you kidding me? Matthew 5:35: Psalm 48:2 . Yet, there are those who cry foul here, saying that Jesus statement is predicated on a misquotation of the Old Testament and a false assumption that the Old Testament taught people to hate their enemies. The result was that they no longer raised Israel: So where do we find love of enemy in the Old Testament? Matthew 5:43-48 ESV / 168 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. Love for Enemies. Like the man in Luke 10, religious people have compartmentalized who gets God's love through us. Berean Bible Church: Love Your Enemies - Matthew 5:43-48 We are in no permanent position of hatred and enmity with others. The alien is the same as the citizen. And God separated the light from the darkness. He's the inspirer of it, the . Hes raising the standard, so under the Law of Moses, God didnt want Israel to love their enemies? But Jesus doesnt stop there. The command to love your neighbors comes from Leviticus, and reads: You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord, (Leviticus 19:18). 4:4. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. "1 Samuel 25-26: Love Your Enemies," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 98 "1 Samuel 25-26," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 98 1 Samuel 25-26. In other words, Gods character is loving and merciful. Often our most profound need as humans is the love of God and to be appreciated by others. But I Say to You, Love Your Enemies, Part 1 | Desiring God I realize this doctrine poses a significant . That is a valid question because under the Old Covenant, God told Israelites in some cases to wipe out people and to be separate from certain people, not to associate with certain people because of their incredibly sinful cultures and lies. 10:30], Matt. Other enemies are probably apathetic. Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. We are also concerned with Luke 6:27: But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. No, the Old Testament never teaches to hate our enemies any more than the New Testament does. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. J Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.. This site and all its content 2023 WTC (Reg. First, note from Matt. Jesus was consistent with and upheld all that had been revealed before His earthly coming. Pray for them. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. And he prayed to the Lord and said, O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Do not even pagans do that? Love your neighbor and your neighbor is this very, very narrow group of . Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. W Notice that Jesus actual words, you have heard it said, are replaced with the formula behold it is written. Now, whenever Jesus used the words It is written, in Matthew, He is always referring to the words of Scripture. A crowd awaited. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God. Learn what manipulative behavior looks like and strategies for how to deal with manipulative people. Today's climate makes it easy to harbor feelings of resentment toward others or toward a specific group of people. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Therefore, we are taught by Jesus in the same passages to pray for them. It's not in all caps because it's not a quote. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. Well, no. What happened in the past cannot be changed. Of course I have already talked in previous little lessons about how confusing that must have been if it were true to his disciples because often times people who hold to that premise will say, Well, this is the New Covenant law, but yet Jesus was ministering under the Old Covenant. Of course hes quoting from the Old Covenant law, the Law of Moses and hes making counterpoints but hes not correcting himself.
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