Undivided: The Jealous Heart of God
God’s love for you is a passionate, burning, jealous affair. Yet sometimes we return that passionate love with a lukewarm, half-hearted affection. Join us starting this Sunday July 11th for a 4 week journey called Undivided: The Jealous Heart of God.
Categories: Message Series
Where to start……… I have had many discussions with friends and relatives the last few weeks over translations. My visit to your church was most enjoyable and when you began your service and started explaining the translation of “Love ” I just totally connected to your message.Sometimes a direct translation leads us away from the true meaning of what the author was stating.Your reading and explanation of the discussion between Jesus and Peter in Matthew 21:15 was perfect.Jesus is asking Peter if he loved Him (in the “agape” sense of love) and Peter replies that he does love Jesus, but Peter answers in the philia (or philos) meaning of love . Jesus asks Peter once again using the agape sense of love and Peter answers for the second time using the philos sense of love.When Jesus asks a third time,he can see how humbled and humiliated Peter has become and Jesus now uses the philos sense of love.Jesus came to Peter’s level and Peter replies “Lord you know all things ,you know that I love you (in the philos sense).
The translation of the word “Love” is all so important in understanding the new testament.Lets face it I have a hard time understanding it, I have just come across this recently.Otherwise I would have no idea how important it is to understand “Love”.In English we have just this one word.And in Jesus’s own language (Aremaic) there is only one word for love.But the new testament was written in Greek so the writer sees the importance to properly convey the meaning of the spoken words of Jesus.Understanding the true use of the word love is really important . It is also good to understand that a direct translation of every spoken word does not give us the true meaning.
Well anyway there have been many councils and many scholars that have wrestled with this for almost two thousand years. but thanks for pointing this out.Great sermon !!!!!!
@Bob Smith
Sorry I meant John 21:15