"God is Love'" "Jesus Loves Me." Love in the Bible Usually Means Something Else
I been reading A Most Peculiar Book; The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible by Kristin Swenson. She is a professor with training in Greek and Hebrew languages. Normally I find discussions about translations a little tedious but her breezy style keeps one engaged.
Quoting the Bible or claiming to know what it is saying is a big mistake made by those in the faith. I'm always reminded (she did not discuss this) of the copious notes taken by those who worked on the 1611 King James Bible. According to those who have looked at them those working on the project pondered various texts in the ancient writing and concluded often they really had no idea what was meant.
An example is the word translated from ancient languages into the English word, "love." It is often used as a command. The person of lower standing is to "love" the person over him. "You shall love the Lord your God." You are to love your king. The slave is to love his master.
I recall being at a meeting to discuss religion at NDUS a few years back. The discussion was among atheists and religious people both on the campus and in the community. A pastor of a conservative Lutheran denomination argued the major theme of the Bible is love. He of course meant an emotional concept we consider the word to mean. I assume he was taught incorrectly in a Lutheran seminary.
This illustrates the problem of taking a book written two or three thousand years ago in different languages over a long period of time and trying a apply it to today's world. The computer has helped uncover aspects of the Bible never understood before. For example, one word can be entered and instantly the number of times the word was used comes up. From there, scholars can see if the word was used the same way each time or if it had several different uses.
I'll be discussing in subsequent blogs why some many of the claims about the Bible commonly used today by conservative Christians are based on faulty interpretations from ancient languages. Nearly every current hot button issue of the right is not based on the Bible as they claim to be.
Oh my goodness, perhaps you need to consider a complete concordance with word studies using the Hebrew and Greek, as a start. There are no less than seven applications of the simple word; "love", and the contexts contained in them. Eros--philia--agape--ludus--pragma--philautia-- and storge.
ReplyDeleteThis is not new news. There are many many comprehensive word studies books, unknown to most or to the lazy.
Unfortunately there are those those who place their own applications to fit their goals.
Today, consider the words "liberal, or conservative ", and how they are used today as compared to the original intents and contexts.
I rather doubt the translators of the 1611KJV had a large knowledge of the depth of word studies at the time. In fact today's moderns have a hard time understanding the 1611 itself. For example, "Suffer the children". Do you think this means to beat the hell out of the little rug rats?
Yes, the computer is an aid, but it is and has been all available in books if you have the ambition or the cash.
No, "love" need not be an emotional concept if used in the correct context.
re. last paragraph; many of the current "conservative" (or not) preachers and writers have just as a shallow understanding as you.
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DeleteHelper--re: Eros--philia--agape--ludus--pragma--philautia-- and storge.
DeleteWhich one of these is the "slaves must love their masters?"
Jon; philia would fit. Brotherly- of friends- love of fellow humans- care- RESPECT. Root word for Philadelphia. (It's on the computer).
DeleteAnother often misunderstood term is "Fear the Lord". Not with actual fear, but with respect. Another modern misappropriation of meaning from late middle English. More from the 1611 KJV. Those living in the 17th century would have understood.
Er. Unless your boss / master is a woman, and you would like to screw her. That would be eros. ie. erotic. Take your pick.
DeleteHelper "Not actual fear, but with respect." Sounds very much like what the class at the top with the money and education would say when pretending to know what those at the bottom thought of them. "These people we have authority over really love us." The Lord thing was part of the class power structure.
DeleteJon; I find it funny those who constantly accuse others of being literalists are equally, if not more literal than their opponents in an argument, especially on this topic. Invalidating your position.
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Delete“These Are the 7 Types of Love”
ReplyDeletehttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201606/these-are-the-7-types-love
tsm May 25, 2021 @ 7:05 AM
ReplyDeleteWhat type of love drove God to create humankind? Or was it pleasure?
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Deletetsm May 26, 2021 at 6:26 PM; “agape. or as you chaps would have it maybe God was a sadist who created us for the fun (ludus) of torturing us.”
DeleteI was leaning toward Philautia, love of self, as God’s motivation.
So “God is love.” Perhaps God’s image, from which humankind was fashioned, is the septenary bundle of love under discussion. Throw in some free will, roll the seven dice, and things get messy on the love front. Jealousy, envy, suspicion, greed, domination, persecution, oppression, they’re all there. Even “hate” has an element of affection. But “indifference”, there’s the beast.