Expert: Brenda Martin - 4/5/2009

Question
Hello, Brenda, would you help me to answer the questions: 1)what is the social sense of the Christian doctrine about love? 2)what were the social reasons of the Christian conception/beginning (in other words, why it was the necessity of rise the Christian doctrine about love?)

Answer
Hi there Oksana, you asked--"1) WHAT IS THE SOCIAL SENSE OF THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE ABOUT LOVE?"

In nearly all its occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures, or “New Testament,” “love” is a translation of the Greek word a•ga′pe. A•ga′pe is a moral love based on deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty, and propriety. A•ga′pe, however, is not without feeling but can be warm and intense.—1 Peter 1:22.

Among the things that differentiate the pure worship of God from all other forms of worship is its emphasis on this kind of love. Rightly did Jesus Christ state the two greatest commandments: “The first is, . . . ‘You must love your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.’ The second is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

How would this love be shown—

The Bible says: “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments.” (1 John 5:3) Love for God moves people to respect the Bible’s moral standards. For instance, God’s Word has laws on sex and marriage. Sexual relations are permitted only within marriage, and marriage is to be permanent. (Matthew 19:9; Hebrews 13:4)

True Christians are easily identified by the way they show love for their neighbours. Their most important work is speaking to others about mankind’s only hope, the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 24:14) Nothing can bring more lasting benefits to their neighbours than to help them gain knowledge of God.(John 17:3)

Besides loving God and neighbour, true Christians love one another. Jesus said: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”—John 13:34, 35.

Such love reaches across racial, social, and national boundaries, drawing people together in genuine brotherhood. So strong is this love that it sets them apart as being truly different. When the nations go to war, they have enough love for their Christian brothers in other lands that they refuse to take up arms and kill them. That is what early Christians did.

The Bible states: “The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother. . . . We should have love for one another; not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother.”—1 John 3:10-12; 4:20, 21.

Of course, genuine love means more than not killing others. True Christians unselfishly use their time, energy, and resources to help and encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) They help one another in times of distress, and they deal honestly with others. In fact, they apply in their lives the Bible counsel to “work what is good toward all.”—Galatians 6:10.

"2) WHY IT WAS THE NECESSITY OF RISE THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE ABOUT LOVE?)"

We are told that God possesses the qualities of power, wisdom, justice etc but when it comes to love, the bible says “God IS love” He is the very personification of love, which is his dominant quality. So it is only natural then that “Christianity” is based on that quality.

God’s Word, the Bible, reveals God as “the God of love.” (2 Corinthians 13:11) The Bible describes how love moved God to give to the first humans’ life free of sickness and death. But rebellion against God’s authority introduced suffering to mankind. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5; Romans 5:12)

God acted to restore what was lost. God’s Word says: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

The Holy Scriptures illuminate God’s love still further when they describe how God has provided a perfect government in the hands of Jesus to restore peace to obedient mankind.—Daniel 7:13, 14; 2 Peter 3:13.

Jesus’ own example of giving his life in behalf of others stressed the importance of love. Those who love others are demonstrating a quality vital for salvation.

The doctrine of Love wasn’t something that was invented in the first century by Jesus, worshipping the Creator has always been based on love; man was created out of love, we exist because God loves his creation, God sent his son out of love, soon God will rid the earth of wickedness & all who cause it out of love.

Love is a necessity because True Christianity is based on a “God of LOVE”. (1 John 4;8)

This true love is only shown today by one religion & they are Jehovah's Witnesses.

All the best
Brenda