Love your enemies

[Jacob]

If you have any enemies, you are to love them.

Matthew 5:44 NASB - 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Luke 6:27, 35 NASB - 27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ... 35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Perhaps the love of God in your life will be that you no longer have any enemies.

God's command to love your neighbor knows no boundary.

 

[Zeke]

Yet the flesh in Romans seven gets an unloving response from Paul who was under its guidance and will power. Why, if love your enemies is the goal?

 

[Jacob]

Yet the flesh in Romans seven gets an unloving response from Paul who was under its guidance and will power. Why, if love your enemies is the goal?

I am not sure what your question is about Romans 7. I believe you have a misconception of it.

As for the goal being love, we have this.

1 Timothy 1:5-11 NASB - 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. 8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

There is no instruction to hate your enemy. There is not even instruction to have an enemy. But if you do, you are to love them.

Matthew 5:43-44 NASB - 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

You should be on God's side. Then love those who are, and love others as well. This is by your actions.

Galatians 6:10 NASB - 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

So, or rather... love all (do good to all) and know that those who love God... we ought especially to do good to them.

This says nothing of ever doing anything evil to those who are not believers.

 

[aikido7]

It’s run-of-the-mill humans who hate their enemies, nurse revenge fantasies and do evil to others.
Jesus is the ultimate disclosure of God on earth.
He was not "just a human being."

 

[Bradley D]

If a Christian does not love their enemy what makes them different from others.

Love for Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48).

 

[Bradley D]

If a Christian does not love their enemy what makes them different from others.

Love for Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48).

 

[Jacob]

It’s run-of-the-mill humans who hate their enemies, nurse revenge fantasies and do evil to others.
Jesus is the ultimate disclosure of God on earth.
He was not "just a human being."

What's that?

It is not good to hate your enemies, nurse revenge fantasies, or do evil to others.

If you have seen Jesus you have seen the Father.

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

 

[Jacob]

If a Christian does not love their enemy what makes them different from others.

Love for Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48).

Does anyone else love their enemies? Are you saying that love of enemies is what sets Christians apart from others?

 

[ok doser]

was Christ loving when He said "it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck "?

 

[way 2 go]

was Christ loving when He said "it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck "?

yes


Luk 12:47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.
Luk 12:48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Mat 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Mat 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

Mar 14:21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

 

[way 2 go]

Perhaps the love of God in your life will be that you no longer have any enemies.

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 

[Jacob]

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Are your enemies the world?

 

[Jacob]

was Christ loving when He said "it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck "?

Yes. He told the truth so yes.

 

[way 2 go]

Are your enemies the world?

do you understand Jesus statement "of the world" in the context below?

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 

[Jacob]

do you understand Jesus statement "of the world" in the context below?

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

I believe that I do, yes.

 

[aikido7]

What's that?

It is not good to hate your enemies, nurse revenge fantasies, or do evil to others.

If you have seen Jesus you have seen the Father.

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

These are examples of theology and dogma. They are faith statements that testify to the importance of Jesus and when we take them literally we forfeit their epic claim and truth.

 

[Jacob]

These are examples of theology and dogma. They are faith statements that testify to the importance of Jesus and when we take them literally we forfeit their epic claim and truth.

It is possible to say things that have meaning.

 

[aikido7]

Yes. He told the truth so yes.

This verse clearly shows Jesus was a hypocrite.
Otherwise, how does the verse stack up against Jesus’ God as a God of Mercy, infinite grace and a God of compassion.

This passage was clearly written by a later writer who unwittingly placed his own revenge and violence, revealed in his own writings.

I use a corollary in separating the authentic “voice print” of Jesus from the theological utterances placed into his mouth by later followers after his death:

Jesus did not speak after he died.
Sayings that make sense before the Easter events do not make sense after Easter.
Any words or deeds that have been changed is due to the gospel authors' sayings own creativity.
Anything that points to a Gentile context is under suspicion.

So, too, these guidelines...

--Offensiveness such as Matthew 13:44
--Differences such as that found in Mark 2:18–22
--Growth such as the addition of Matt 5:34–37 to an original saying of Jesus found in Matt 5:34
--Coherence [with Jesus’ orignal mission and his vocabulary.

I am not so irritatively arrogant to assume I am absolustely correct about anything, nor can I absolsutely prove anything to BE correct.

Common sense tells me it is indeed difficult to know what exactly said and done 2,000 years ago.

 

[Jacob]

This verse clearly shows Jesus was a hypocrite.
Otherwise, how does the verse stack up against Jesus’ God as a God of Mercy, infinite grace and a God of compassion.

This passage was clearly written by a later writer who unwittingly placed his own revenge and violence, revealed in his own writings.

I use a corollary in separating the authentic “voice print” of Jesus from the theological utterances placed into his mouth by later followers after his death:

Jesus did not speak after he died.
Sayings that make sense before the Easter events do not make sense after Easter.
Any words or deeds that have been changed is due to the gospel authors' sayings own creativity.
Anything that points to a Gentile context is under suspicion.

So, too, these guidelines...

--Offensiveness such as Matthew 13:44
--Differences such as that found in Mark 2:18–22
--Growth such as the addition of Matt 5:34–37 to an original saying of Jesus found in Matt 5:34
--Coherence [with Jesus’ orignal mission and his vocabulary.

I am not so irritatively arrogant to assume I am absolustely correct about anything, nor can I absolsutely prove anything to BE correct.

Common sense tells me it is indeed difficult to know what exactly said and done 2,000 years ago.

This has to do with how you read what you do. The way in which you read it or what you see when you do. I do not have any problem with anything that Jesus has said.

 

[genuineoriginal]

If you have any enemies, you are to love them.

Matthew 5:44 NASB - 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Luke 6:27, 35 NASB - 27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ... 35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Perhaps the love of God in your life will be that you no longer have any enemies.

God's command to love your neighbor knows no boundary.

If we are to love our enemy as we love our neighbor, then it is our duty to rebuke our enemy and not allow them to continue living in sin.

Leviticus 19:17-18 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.​