What Comes First: Love or Scripture?
I came across an interesting comic on my Facebook page that just saddened me. It was posted by a Facebook ‘friend’ who proclaims to be a Christian. She attends a church or at least I have seen her comment about her church so I assume she attends a service somewhat regularly.
I wanted to share this comic on my blog and comment on it because I think its sums up a very dangerous theology that is spreading throughout Christianity. It is dangerous because it is complete apostasy, and, from what I have seen, many churches and ‘Christians’ seem to be adopting this false doctrine at a staggering pace. Take a look at the comic below.
Do you see what is wrong with this picture? Put love first it says. It sure sounds really nice. But, this is unequivocally FALSE! Here we see that Jesus is correcting the Christians in the picture for interpreting love through Scripture. He claims that instead we should interpret scripture based on love.
The Bible absolutely rejects this notion, and I am going to show that. However, first I just want to point out that the reason that this false doctrine is so successfully stealing away Christians into apostasy is that is sounds close to the truth. The Bible does speak highly about love. In fact, the Bible says a lot about love and how important it is in the life of a Christian! I am including some really popular Bible verses on love below.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV)
Let all your things be done with charity.
John 15:12 (KJV)
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
I could go on and on. There are many verses about love in the Bible. Clearly, we are commanded to love one another.
But, know this: Satan is clever. He knows that it is a lot easier to believe a lie when it is close to the truth. Love is an important concept in the Bible, so, Satan already has Christians tied to it. All he needs to do is twist the concept ever so slightly and he will catch a lot of Christians, especially those who don’t know their Bible and are extremely susceptible to the influence of society.
Ultimately, the point of view portrayed in this comic denies two major truths of the Bible:
1. Scripture is our absolute authority
2. The Bible’s definition of love
I would like to address each one of these points with some verses to back up my claim. Please know, I am only going to attach a few verses to my claim, but the Bible speaks on both of these points throughout the entire Scripture. So, denying these is to deny Scripture and to deny God. You cannot be a Christian and do that!
Scripture is our absolute authority
The Bible is clear that we are to put God’s Word FIRST before anything else. Even something so wonderful sounding as ‘love’.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 5:17-19 (KJV)
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV)
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Deuteronomy 4:2 (KJV)
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Proverbs 30:5-6 (KJV)
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
When we read through these verses, we see that it is the Word of God that directs our lives and decisions. Also, anyone who adds to the Word of God (such as interpret the Scripture through their own understanding of ‘love’) is doomed. Note that it is not only the Old Testament that tells us that but Christ as well.
We do not consider scripture based on love, scripture should define love. We must take the Word of God as absolutely truth and not add our view of love into it. We need to be influenced by the Word not us influence the interpretation of the Word.
Let’s think about this from a practical perspective for a moment. LOVE. It is the catchword of the day. Everyone claims to be loving. Society has taken love to be the ultimate in moral decency. But what is love? Society tends to define love currently as accepting everyone just as they are. But, even in that, everyone’s individual view of love is different. So, when we are told to evaluate Scripture based on love, each person is going to interpret Scripture differently and then we end up with no solid truth in scripture at all! It is a nonsensical point of view even logically.
The Bible defines love
The Bible doesn’t leave us wondering what love is! God defines it for us! We don’t need to define love for the Bible.
First we must remember that love originates with God. God is perfect love. So, Christ is the ultimate example of love.
1 John 4:7-8 (KJV)
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 3:16-18 (KJV)
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Next, we can examine specifically what love looks like in our lives. As we can see from the Bible, love is ACTION! We don’t just say we love, we do love. However, we also see that love is obeying God. This makes sense. If God is love, then to love we must do as God commands. We cannot disobey God’s commands and still love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (KJV)
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Romans 12:9-10 (KJV)
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
John 14:23 (KJV)
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 15:10 (KJV)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Romans 13:9 (KJV)
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The Bible also tells us what love is NOT. Love is not accepting everyone how they are. Love is not just going along with what everyone is doing even if they are living contrary to the Bible. True love corrects the person in danger. True love stands up for truth.
1 John 2:15 (KJV)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Proverbs 3:11-12 (KJV) **(See also Revelation 3:19)
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. (See also Revelation 3:19)
Now that we have a solid foundation for what love is, all Christians can gather and stand behind the same absolute truth. Love is vital to accomplishing what the Scripture says, but Scripture defines love for us and it is that definition that we must follow.
Remember, the Word of God, not us, is the absolute authority in our lives. We never view Scripture through the lens of our definitions but we view our lives through the lens of Scripture, otherwise, we set ourselves up as the authority not God. We don’t define love, God does.
Society and fake Christians prefer this comic’s view on Scripture. The view removes God’s authority and all those “hard” doctrines that are difficult to follow because we can determine what is appropriate scripturally based on what we think love is. I expect that what we find is that these people who claim to love so much that they want to remove God, really don’t love at all. You cannot really love your neighbor without God, you will only love yourself. That is easy and we prefer the easy way.
Do you have a question? Do you have something to add? Leave a comment below or on my contact page! I am more than happy to engage in friendly discussions. Thank you!