There are many kinds of LOVE referred to in the Bible. The Hebrew language in the OT has its words and expressions for love, and the Greek language in the NT does too. Love takes its meaning from the particular words used, and from the customs of the people who used that language. In other words, THE LANGUAGE EXPRESSES THE REALITY THAT THE PEOPLE OF A SOCIETY EXPERIENCE.
Figuring out the meaning of the various Hebrew and Greek words used in the Bible can be quite a challenge because of the lack of historical information needed to ‘get a feel for’ what the authors themselves knew. The people who authored the Greek NT lived in a society which spoke Semitic languages (Hebrew and Aramaic). So the key to understanding the Greek NT involves knowing what Semitic words were translated into the Greek, as well as knowing what the “2nd Temple” mindset was that the author communicated using the Greek. This requires the work of scholars because we non-scholars can’t do the ancient languages work needed. But we hope to find scholars who are as honest and non-political as possible, since secular politics in religion can’t be avoided (i.e., the MONEY involved). Besides that, there’s a dearth of historical contextual information available, which adds to the difficulty of clarifying the language’s meaning.
A side note: “2nd Temple” refers to the days during which Jesus Christ lived. It’s called “2nd Temple” because that’s the time when ancient Israel built their 2nd Temple. The Temple was the SEAT OF GOVERNMENT for Israel. Most people think RELIGION when we say TEMPLE. But the fact is, the TEMPLE of Israel was their SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, their CAPITOL. Israel’s 1st Temple (which King Solomon built), was destroyed by conquest after decades of warnings by Israel’s prophets. These prophets repeatedly issued calls to repentance and obedience to God’s law, by God’s direct command (these prophets were God’s ‘mouthpiece’). But Israel’s national leaders refused to listen. They insisted on oppressing their people by following the laws and policies of the “gods” of their foreign over-lords. Israel was a vassal to some greater governmental power at that time (the COVENANTS reveal that).
After generations of corrupting Israel with foreign laws and customs, YHWH sent foreign armies to conquer the nation Israel and decimate the land while taking the ‘best and brightest’ into foreign captivity. These armies destroyed the government, most of the population, all their power and resources, and their way of life. When the government was destroyed, so was the TEMPLE (think: State Capitol). THAT was the 1st Temple.
Hundreds of years later, after a militant ‘nationalist movement’ arose under the Maccabees (similar to today’s “Zionism”), the temple was rebuilt. That’s known as the “2nd Temple”. That temple was built by King Herod (a half-breed Edomite). So that’s the temple being referred to when we say “2nd Temple”.
The idea behind the term 2nd Temple is this: A HISTORICAL EPOCH IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF ANCIENT ISRAEL. The 1st Temple was one epoch, and the 2nd Temple was another epoch. There were other epochs before the 1st and 2nd Temples, and prophetically speaking, there will be other epochs after the 2nd Temple.
During 2nd Temple times, the people spoke Semitic languages in Israel. Greek was ‘the lingua Franca’ of the time. It was the international language. So, almost none of the Greek in the NT is Hellenistic Greek. And nearly none of the NT Greek comes from the Hellenistic or secular mindset. So that’s the background perspective that will serve as a foundation for all these blog entries and Bible studies on the NT … at least that’s what I’ll try to do. Nobody’s perfect, and I’m no ‘expert’, so please bear with me.
Since the Bible has so many words for LOVE, we’re going to look at only the most important kind of love in the Bible: COVENANT LOVE. The reason I put this LOVE at the top of the list is because it’s what DEFINES YOUR “RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD”. Churches refer to this as SALVATION and THE GOSPEL. I’ll get into that RELIGIOUS DOGMA in another blog entry. In order to understand COVENANT LOVE, you have to understand what a COVENANT is, and what role LOVE plays in the COVENANT. That requires some historical digging.
Let me summarize this kind of Biblical love: COVENANT LOVE IS GIVING EXCLUSIVE ALLEGIANCE TO THE COVENANT GOD AND TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO HIS COVENANT STIPULATIONS. Christ said it like this:
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He [Jesus] said to him, “‘You shall love the YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
One of the scribes came and … asked Him [Jesus], “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is … you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:28-30)
Incidentally, that was a well-known LEGAL THEORY during 2nd Temple times. So that’s where I’m going with this type of LOVE.
Reality Bible 