What Is Love?

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● 1Thess 4:18 . .Encourage each other with these words.

Below are the words to which Paul referred

● 1Thess 4:13-17 . . Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about
those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will
bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to The
Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the
coming of The Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

. . . For The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in
the air. And so we will be with The Lord forever.

In other words: when non Christians and such lose a non Christian loved
one, the loss is assumed permanent; but when Christians lose a Christian
loved one, the loss is presumed temporary.
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● 1Thess 5:11 . . Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.

Building up is just the opposite of tearing down. Christians in Galatia were
busy doing just that.

● Gal 5:15 . . But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be
not consumed one of another!

Biting and devouring one another describes cannibals and carnivorous
beasts.
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● 1Thess 5:13b . . Live in peace with each other.

In this instance, "each other" probably refers to fellow believers.

The category of peace Paul is talking about is social; viz: harmony in
personal relations. The Hippies and the peace-nics failed to achieve peace
primarily because they couldn't be civil among themselves unless they were
high on mood-altering drugs.

Peace can be defined as: calm, pacific, tranquil, at rest, quiet, and free of
trouble and strife.

A lack of peace is characterized by war, quarrelling, debating, vendettas,
hostility, grudging, fault finding, nit picking, chafing, competition, rivalry,
cold shouldering, factions, taking sides, cliques, hostility, militancy, disorder,
antagonism, fighting, conflict, struggles, et al.

NOTE: Never assume that everyone you meet in church is a fellow believer.
Going to church on Sunday is just what some people do, and probably have
done ever since they were kids. There was a time when going to church on
Sunday was considered good citizenship; and quite a few people were there
for no other reason; i.e. church sort of fills out their social résumé. And then
some people attend church because they're lonely and wanting to meet
some new friends; etc, etc, etc, etc.
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● 1Thess 5:14b . . Comfort the discouraged

A discouraged person is someone who's given up all expectation that a
situation will improve or change; viz: despairing.

In order to obey that directive, it's necessary to become personal with the
people with whom you attend church. Too many Christians are like little
islands of humanity in church. They warm a pew on Sunday morning and
then get up and leave without bothering to spend even one minute mingling.
They don't attend Sunday school because in Sunday school you meet
people-- you associate with them; you get to know them, and they get to
know you.

As disagreeable as that might be for private types of Christians, Sunday
school is the best place in church to go for sympathy, for encouragement,
and for support. Unfortunately, not many Christians can deal with negativity;
and tend to distance themselves from people down in the dumps.

NOTE: In Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book "Ten Stupid Things That Men Do To
Mess Up Their Lives" she lists men's propensity to fix things. In other words:
instead of simply lending a sympathetic ear to people's problems, some men
tend to see people with problems as "broken" and in need of repair; and
then of course they take the initiative to begin offering unsolicited remedies.
No; the idea is to console the discouraged rather than "fix" them.
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● 1Thess 5:14c . . Support the weak

That could probably be stretched to mean any number of things; but I should think it includes care for your church's aged and/or infirm; viz; people on crutches, people getting around in wheel chairs, people who can no longer drive a car, people lacking enough health to even leave their residences and go shopping on their own, people stuck in assisted living: that sort of thing.
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● 1Thess 5:14d . . Be patient with everyone.

The Greek word for patient is makrothumeo (mak-roth-oo-meh'-o) which
has little to do with getting fed up with people. In James 5:7-8 it speaks of
giving things space to happen in their own good time.

I would say that in this case, makrothumeo speaks of giving people a chance
to either catch on or catch up. For example: we all perfectly understand
what we're saying while those hearing may need to have us restate
ourselves in different words in order to clarify a misunderstanding.
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● 1Thess 5:15 . . See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever
follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Christian conduct isn't a temporary uniform kept in the closet just for
Sunday mornings like the rather odd patrons who wear costumes at Star
Trek conventions. No, Christian conduct is every-day wear: in the home, on
the job, at school, at the beach, at the mall, at the park, at the beach, in
restaurants, in amusement centers, at the zoo, at the circus, on the internet,
et al; in other words: ever-followed; not just at church on Sunday morning;
which makes ever-following that which is good somewhat stressful at first;
until it becomes second nature, i.e. a habit.
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● 1Tim 5:1a . . When speaking to an older man, appeal to him respectfully
as though he were your own father.

There's probably nothing more humiliating to a parent than to be treated like
dirt by their children-- except maybe to be treated like dirt by a spouse.

Americans have the right to a trial by a jury of their peers. Well, a child is
not a parent's peer; he's not even the parent's equal let alone his peer.
Parents are not children's peers; no, parents are their betters, not their
equals. It's a thoughtless, wicked, insolent dunce who treats their parents
with no more respect than a college beer buddy.

I was in a Sunday school class one morning where a young fellow
substituted for the regular teacher. After practically every sentence during
his lecture, the fellow would pause, tighten his lips, turn down the corners of
his mouth, squint his eyes into narrow slits, and look around the room with a
fierce scowl on his face; and better than half that room was older than he
was. I don't know about the rest of the group, but as a man easily twice his
age; I deeply resented the looks that youngster was giving us.
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● 1Tim 5:1b . .Speak to the younger men as you would to your own kin.

In this case, the "kin" would be sort of like a man's younger siblings; viz: his
kid brothers. Young boys look up to their big brothers; who by all rights
should be setting the example as role models that a growing boy can be
proud of. Big brothers ought to be available too, and not treat their younger
siblings as excess baggage and/or uncool nerds and morons who are
beneath their dignity to be seen with.

Church officers who grew up in dysfunctional homes, where human
relationships were an ongoing cold war, are going to find that 1Tim 5:1b is
very difficult to obey in a manner that exemplifies peace, love, and
understanding. Were they to speak to the younger men in church the very
same way that they're accustomed to speaking to their own kin at home; it
would produce disastrous results.
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● 1Tim 5:2a . . Speak to the older women as mothers,

Speaking to older women as mothers means doing so in compliance with the
fourth of the Ten Commandments.

● Ex 20:12 . . Honor your mother

Honoring one's mother means giving her the respect that her age and her
maternal position deserve. It means watching your language, and it means
keeping a civil tongue in your head. It means speaking to her as a grown-up
instead of a child. It means treating her as superior and you as subordinate.
It means deferring to her wishes instead of demanding your own.
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● 1Tim 5:3-4 . . Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in
need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, her kin should learn first
of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so
repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

A widow in real need would be one who is unable to work and has no one of
her own to look out after her. Here in modern America that situation isn't
nearly as serious as it is in third world countries where there are no
government assistance programs for senior citizens. So you can see that in
those circumstances a widow's church may be the only thing between her
and grinding poverty.

A widow's Christian offspring have a sacred obligation to provide for their
aging ancestors.

● 1Tim 5:8 . .Those who won't care for their own kin, especially those living
in the same household, have disregarded what we believe. Such people are
worse than infidels.
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● 1Tim 5:5-7 . .The widow who is really in need, and left all alone, puts her
hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the
people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame.

The New Testament Greek word for "pleasure" means voluptuous; which
Webster's defines as luxury and/or sensual gratification.

People who live only for the best that life has to offer generally regard
religion as a ball and chain holding them back from living their lives to the
fullest. Well; not everyone has access to either the means or the
wherewithal to live life to the fullest. For some, life offers no options other
than a tin shack, a dirt floor, and a bowl of white rice; if that.

Basic necessities aren't the issue here, rather, the goal to satisfy one's
appetite for the best that life has to offer. It's said that one cannot serve
God and money, well neither can one serve God and one's inherent cravings.
True, it's difficult to stop one's self from craving the best that life has to
offer; but one can choose whether to let the satisfaction of those cravings be
the dominant force in their life.

● Mark 4:18-19 . . Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;
but the concerns of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for
other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
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● 1Tim 5:9-10 . . No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is
over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good
deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of
the saints, helping those in trouble, and devoting herself to all kinds of good
deeds.

There are unprincipled individuals out there who love nothing better than
taking advantage of a church's good nature, and its desire to be helpful.
Following Paul's directive is a good way to avoid being victimized by one of
them. (cf. Ruth 2:11)
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● 1Tim 5:16 . . If any believing man or woman have widows, let them
relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them
that are widows indeed.

It's awful to think that a religion based upon love, has to command its
adherents to extend kindness to their own kin.

But in all fairness, I should point out that Paul's directive only impacts
believing widows rather than unbelieving, because a Christian church is
under zero obligation to support widows who fail to meet all the
requirements of a "widow indeed" as per 1Tim 5:9-10.

What we're talking about here are specifically Christian widows; so if those
among your relatives are say, Atheist, Agnostic, Muslim, Buddhist, Bahái,
Hindu, Jehovah's Witness, Scientology, or Mormon, et al; then don't even
think about asking your church to help support them. If you want to help
them, okay, but leave your church out of it.
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[Jane_Doe22]

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What we're talking about here are specifically Christian widows; so if those
among your relatives are say, Atheist, Agnostic, Muslim, Buddhist, Bahái,
Hindu, Jehovah's Witness, Scientology, or Mormon, et al; then don't even
think about asking your church to help support them. If you want to help
them, okay, but leave your church out of it.
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I'm sorry, but helping people is not based upon what faith they are. Such is not remotely love nor Christian behavior.

 

[aspen]

Love is serving your neighbor out of compassion. It is not shoving dogma down your neighbor’s throat. However, it can be helping them discover correct doctrine - thankfully, correct doctrine does not save....correct love saves

 

[aspen]

I'm sorry, but helping people is not based upon what faith they are. Such is not remotely love nor Christian behavior.

Were you raised LDS, Jane?

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Were you raised LDS, Jane?

Yes, but have attended in many different faiths.

 

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● 1Tim 5:17-18 . .The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and
teaching. For the scripture says: "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading
out the grain" and "The laborer is worthy of his hire."

The Greek word for "elder" is presbuteros (pres-boo'-ter-os). It corresponds
to aldermen; which Webster's defines as: members of a legislative body. In
other words; elders enact and enforce the proprietary rules and bylaws that
govern everybody in a local church; including its pastor. In some churches
those rules and bylaws are called a covenant; which new members are
required to accept. The aldermen are also responsible for settling disputes
between church members (1Cor 6:1-5) so that they correspond to "the
church" that Christ spoke of at Matt 18:15-18.

Aldermen aren't peculiar to Christianity. Councils pre-existed amongst
Moses' people prior to Moses' commission (Ex 3:16). Anon, seventy of
Israel's elders were established by God as a supreme council (Num 11:16
17). One's failure to submit to their church's aldermen is grounds for
removing their name from the role. (Matt 18:15-18)

Since Christian aldermen sometimes wear more than one hat as preachers
and teachers; then it's very possible in a large church for them to have time
for nothing else, like for instance holding down a job. For that reason, their
constituents should try and compensate them with a decent standard of
living. I mean, after all, if their service to a local church is invaluable, then
by all means the congregation should do whatever it takes to keep them on
staff where they can devote all of their time and energy towards governing
(that is; if you feel your church is a worthwhile endeavor).

Let's say for example, that one of your church's aldermen is a retiree trying
to survive on Social Security and a diminished 401K. He'll be a lot more
effective towards your church's good if the congregation, whatever its size,
pitches in to help him make ends meet; and the outside world surely won't
blame your church for doing so unless of course they're as callous towards
the needs of a senior citizen as the heels of a hobnailed jackboot.

But beware that the congregation doesn't overcompensate its aldermen to
the point where they can afford to drive a Cadillac Escalade, wear a Rolex,
and own an expensive home in an up-scale district. That will really make
Christianity look bad, and actually work against Christ's best interests.
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● 1Tim 5:19 . . Do not accept an accusation against an elder except before
two or three witnesses.

The Old Testament requires a minimum of two witnesses in capital cases
(Deut 17:6-7). But the Greek word for "accusation" doesn't specify capital
crimes. It can apply to every variety of conduct unbecoming.

The way I see this: it isn't required that two or three witnesses accuse the
elder, but that an accuser do so in the hearing of two or three witnesses.
The witnesses are not there to testify against the elder; rather, to testify
against the accuser in the event it's discovered that he's the perpetrator of a
slander.

The Old Testament requires that false accusers be punished with the very
same punishment that they expected for their victims. (Deut 19:16-21)
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