Love. No. 2
by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor.
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The prominence given to the manifestation of Christian love calls upon every believer to consider his own relation to the teaching of the Word on this subject. It may be of service to us all if we endeavour to trace out some of the scriptural definitions of this grace, and to note the contexts of its many occurrences. Scripture speaks of "love without hypocrisy" and "love unfeigned," which makes us feel that there is the danger among believers of a counterfeit love, a feigned love, and causes all who have the truth at heart to desire a knowledge of the real thing itself.

The thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians contains a most striking summary of love, and to that chapter we will turn. After having "weighed in the balance and found wanting" loveless gifts, knowledge, understanding, zeal and almsgiving, the apostle proceeds to tell us something positive concerning love itself. The first statement which he makes is, "love suffereth long and is kind." The first quality which it has pleased God to tell us regarding unfeigned love is that it is longsuffering. Let it be ours at once to seek grace to manifest more fully that which the Lord holds so high.

The word "longsuffering" is a translation of the Greek makrothumeo. Makrothumos is composed of two words, makros meaning long, or far, and thumos, the mind, anger. Makros is translated "far" in Luke xv. 13 and xix. 12, "into a far country"; "long" in Matt. xxviii. 14, "long prayer." The idea of distance seems to be uppermost, as in the first example.

Thumos.-- The A.V. translates this word 15 times by "wrath," "indignation" once, "fierceness" twice. Dr. Bullinger in his Lexicon has a full note on the word as follows:-

"Thumos, the mind, the spirit that is breathed out, an intense passion of the mind .... the animus, the working and fermenting of the mind, the demonstration of strong passion, which may issue in anger or revenge, though it does not necessarily include it" (p. 905).

Among the many graces which the apostle Paul detailed as proofs that Timothy and himself were approved as the ministers of God is found longsuffering. "In pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in holy spirit, in love unfeigned" (2 Cor. vi. 6). It will be observed that longsuffering is linked to kindness, and that both are connected with "love unfeigned." As always, it will be found that the apostle practised what he preached. The reference to pneuma hagion (holy spirit) in this verse leads us to Gal. v. 22, where fourth in the list there given comes longsuffering. "Love, joy, peace" (these are more directly connected with the work of the Holy Spirit), then come three more which may be said to spring out of these -- the first of which is longsuffering. Not only do we find love and longsuffering linked in this cluster of spiritual fruits, but in Eph. iv. 1-3 we find that the exercise of longsuffering is a part of our walk, and also an important factor in the keeping of the unity of the Spirit.

"Walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called, with all humility of mind and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

It will be observed that longsuffering is manifested by "forbearing one another in love." So important is it that we should be made to understand that our walk demands this exercise of longsuffering that we meet with a parallel to Eph. iv. 2, 3 in Col. i. 10, 11. There, instead of being exhorted to walk worthy of the calling, we are told that the apostle prayed that we might:-

"Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."

Longsuffering is twice linked with doctrine in 2 Timothy, once in Paul's own case, and once in the charge to Timothy (iii. 10 and iv. 2). Such is the character of true Christian love, after all but a faint echo of that great longsuffering of the love of God Who is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." If only believers everywhere exhibited this precious characteristic, what a difference there would be. Yet even those who are truly members of the one body need the word of exhortation. If love suffereth long, should we be so easily annoyed and angered at the waywardness of our fellows? However great their offence against us our attitude is clearly defined. We should exhibit all longsuffering in the most aggravating case, or we have not this grace of love in its highest degree.

One more qualification must be noticed before we leave the consideration of the longsuffering of love, and that is the kindness which glows through the patience manifested. Just as Col. i. teaches us to have longsuffering with joyfulness, so I Cor. xiii. teaches us that love suffereth long and is kind. Love does not suffer long and grumble, or use hard looks and begrudge the longsuffering. Love suffers long and is kind. Love is ever ready to meet the offender more than half way. Offended and outraged, misunderstood and

misrepresented, love still has no hard thoughts for those who cause the pain. Let us examine ourselves before the mirror of the Word. Does the reflection cause us to fear that we are in danger of exhibiting too much love yet? As we see our lack of longsuffering, our impatience, our quickness to take offence, our unwillingness frankly to forgive, let us acknowledge our failure. If we have manifested longsuffering, yet that precious salve may have sent forth an evil smell because of the dead fly of unkindness. The Lord is kind unto the unthankful (Luke vi. 35); He was indeed kind to us (Eph. ii. 7; Titus iii. 4), and should not we, offenders as all of us are, should not we most earnestly pray that we may have a little more of the love that suffereth long, and is kind?