____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ February 1, 2004 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Love "Thinketh No Evil" (Tom Edwards) 2) Abstaining From All Appearance of Evil (Tom Edwards) ____________________________________________________ -1- Love "Thinketh No Evil" by Tom Edwards What does this aspect of love really mean in 1 Corinthians 13:5, that it "thinketh no evil"? At first glance, one might wrongly assume that this denotes that love frees the mind of all sinful thoughts: that with God's love residing in one's heart, there will be no bad, immoral, or smutty imaginations there; and that would be true (as seen from elsewhere in the Bible) in what should characterize the heart of the Christian; but it would be a wrong application of the above phrase to prove that. For love "thinketh no evil" is actually referring to something more specific than merely a broad generalization of all evil that needs to be excluded from one's heart. Viewing this verse in various Bible translations can help us to better see this. For instance, love "...is not...resentful" (RSV), "...keeps no record of wrongs" (NIV), "...keeps no score of wrongs" (NEB), "...doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do" (CEV), "...Doesn't keep score of the sins of others" (MSG), and "...does not take into account a wrong suffered" (NASB). Could you imagine, though, someone actually keeping a record book that is entitled, "All the Bad and Hurtful Things That People Have Said Or Done To Me"? If a person were keeping such an account, that would be a good illustration of what this phrase, "thinketh no evil," is specifying that we should not do -- as we saw more clearly in the other translations. For the love we have is not to be retaliatory, so what need would there be of remembering any injustice inflicted upon us? And even if we do not keep track of all these grievances in a book, how many times have we gone over them again and again in our hearts? Sometimes one bad and hurtful remark -- though said only once -- might be painfully thought of hundreds or thousands of times by the one to whom it was said. Wouldn't it be better just to forget it? Some commentators have expressed that this phrase, "thinketh no evil," also pertains to viewing others in a good light rather than charging them with wrongful motives. As Albert Barnes states, "love...is not malicious, censorious, disposed to find fault, or to impute improper motives to others." Rather, "it puts the best possible construction on the conduct of others, and supposes, as far as can be done, that it was in consistency with honesty, truth, friendship, and love." He shows that this type of love "does not reckon, charge, or impute to a man any evil intention or design. We desire to think well of the man whom we love; nor will we think ill of his motives, opinions, or conduct until we are compelled to do so by the most irrefragable [not to be disputed or contested] evidence" (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament: 1 Corinthians, p. 250). But from the context, and other passages in which the Greek word is used, it appears that the offenses committed against an individual were genuine; but how love is to deal with them is the main point. In addition, to not impute improper motives to others is actually expressed in the phrase that love "believes all things" (1 Cor. 13:7), which we will consider in a future bulletin. The same Greek word (logizomai) for "thinketh" is also used in Romans 4:8: "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not TAKE INTO ACCOUNT" (emp. mine). As we understand what it means for God not to take our sins into account, we should realize what it means for us to "not take into account a wrong suffered." In other words, when someone does us wrong, we are not going to continually dwell on that in a resentful, bitter, and unforgiving way. Rather, we need to have a heart willing to forgive, pray (with a genuine concern) for those who have done us wrong, and "forgive and forget" when they do repent. That entire phrase "take into account" comes from one Greek word (logizomai) that means "to reckon" or "to consider," "to think," "to ponder," to "let one's mind dwell on." Mike Willis writes: "It [logizomai] was used as a technical term in commercial dealings for entering a debt on a ledger. If the technical meaning is what Paul has in mind, he is saying that love does not keep a running account of offenses against itself with a view toward revenge. However, if the meaning is its ordinary meaning, which is more likely, the idea is that love does not allow its mind to dwell on the offenses which it has incurred. To do this would be to allow bitterness and resentment to fill one's life" (A Commentary on Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 457). Usually this Greek word (logizomai) is used to express things that we are to do. It is translated with 17 different English words or phrases in the NASB. Most of these are used just one time, but "consider" is used 8 times; "reckoned," 11 times; and "take into account," 3 times. Let us see a few of these to better understand the term and make some applications. (I'll put the words or phrases that come from this Greek word in all caps.) "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be COUNTED AGAINST THEM" (2 Tim. 4:16). Rather than being one who would hold a grudge, or keep a record of wrongs, Paul was the opposite -- even toward those who refused to help him in his time of need. We saw this same type of forgiving spirit recently when we considered the stoning of Stephen and his merciful attitude toward his murderers (Acts 7:60). This is the nature we are to also develop. Part of the model prayer that Jesus gave to His apostles teaches this truth also: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt. 6:12). Would we want God to harbor a remembrance of our sins so that He could bring them up at some future time? Then why are we sometimes like that? Is it out of love that one would be unwilling to forgive a person's wrongs in order to bring them up to use against that person at a later date? Is it not rather hate, bitterness, and an unforgiving spirit that would act that way? Henry Ward Beecher once said that "Forgiveness ought to be like a canceled note -- torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one." If we want to be more like the Lord, we cannot possess an unwillingness to forgive -- for that would actually keep us out of heaven. Consider also 2 Corinthians 5:19: "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not COUNTING their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." In the same context, Paul speaks of himself and the other apostles as being ambassadors for God. Their duty was to win men to Christ, and as they did this it was God who was working through them. It is a beautiful thought to know that God will not hold one's sins against those whom He forgives; but, rather, those sins are removed "As far as the east is from the west..." (Psa. 103:12). For he will not only "forgive their iniquity," but also will "remember their sins no more" (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12). Since God is kind, merciful, and willing to forgive and forget our transgressions, then shouldn't we be willing to be that way, too? But if we refuse, it is a sign of our immaturity and weakness -- rather than our spiritual growth and strength. As Gandhi once said, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." One of the OT commands was, "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" (Lev. 19:18). And that is what we also find true for the New Testament period as well. It is a noble virtue to be able to forgive and not hold a grievance -- and a virtue that will not only help us spiritually, but also physically. For many have done great harm to themselves by living a life filled with hate, resentment, and bitterness. Romans 3:28: "For we MAINTAIN that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." The dictionary defines "maintain" as "1. to keep in existence or continuance; preserve...6. to keep or hold against attack" (Random House Webster's College Dictionary). The embittered and unforgiving soul is one who wants to maintain his bitter grudges for the right moment of attack. He, therefore, causes them to continually exist in his mind. Ed Howe once said, "A woman who can't forgive should never have more than a nodding acquaintance with a man." Mr. Howe seems to be indicating that men sometimes do things that might upset others and bring a need for pardon. Are there not, however, better things to maintain than resentment? Though "maintain" in Acts 24:16 is from a different Greek word, Paul points out in this verse that he did his best "to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." That is what we need to maintain -- not our grievances. For if we are allowing a cruel and unmerciful spirit to govern us then how could we possibly have a blameless conscience? One last verse we'll consider in which the Greek word logizomai is used is Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your MIND DWELL on these things." These are the things that should be taken to heart -- instead of harboring resentment and nursing an unforgiving spirit that keeps grudges in its tight grasp. The real irony of not being able to forgive another is that usually it is just one or two things that we find so terribly offensive in someone who has done us wrong. While, at the same time, there has probably been hundreds -- or even thousands -- of sins (and much worse) that we have committed against the Almighty God. Offenses so terrible that it required the death of God's Son Jesus to be able to atone for them. In other words, the Christian has been forgiven of so much. Why, therefore, can't he forgive those who have committed much fewer sins against him? How can we better learn to eliminate the holding of grudges and bitterness in our lives? By doing our best to not give place to it -- but instead make room for the word of God, and to develop His love, in our hearts. Let us remember that love "keeps no records of wrongs." ____________________________________________________ -2- Abstaining From All Appearance of Evil by Tom Edwards In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Paul admonished the brethren to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." This passage is often cited to allege that the Christian is to refrain from even that which would not be wrong in itself, but might resemble or appear evil. For instance, I once heard of a person who, while in the dining room of a train, was served some grape juice in a wine glass. She, therefore, did not drink it, since it had the "appearance" of being an intoxicating beverage; and we can certainly respect and commend her for that. But would our text under consideration apply to this example? Though there is a need for the Christian to be concerned about his influence -- and which is taught elsewhere in the Scriptures -- 1 Thessalonians 5:22, however, is not addressing the issue of things which only "appear" to be wrong. Rather, Paul is referring to those things that are sinful in themselves. Other translations help make this clear: "abstain from every form of evil" (NASB, ASV, RSV); "avoid every kind of evil" (NIV). Note also the contrast in the context: we are to "...hold fast to that which is good" (v. 21), but to "abstain from every form of evil" (v. 22). So 1 Thessalonians 5:22 is instructing us to refrain from things which actually are sinful in themselves. ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________