by Rev. Joda Collins
Jesus told his audience on the hillside to love their enemies and do good to them (Luke 6:27-36). What does that mean? Sometimes it is good to address a question in the negative first. Love your enemies cannot mean never go to war because God is a God of justified war (Exodus 15:3, Psalms 144:1). In war you kill your enemies (Ezekiel 9:6-11, 1 Samuel 15:3) and that is not good for them nor good to them. If that is love, it is a love I cannot understand.
It cannot mean not to hate some people, because David hates those who hate God (Psalms 139:21). It cannot mean that we should not hold enemies accountable for their crimes and see to it that crimes are punished, otherwise, we would have to close down all court houses and jails. It cannot mean that forgiveness for our enemies' wrongs is always automatic because the Bible establishes criteria for forgiveness (1).
I grow weary of people who claim that any action against an enemy that is not always forgiving in the face of continued attack, always tolerant when tolerance breeds increased terror, always returning good for evil when evil is always returned to us for all good deeds, and when laying down and taking it (turning the other cheek) means we never get up and the abuse never ends. If that is what "love your enemies and do good to them" means, then I reject the Bible cover to cover. Any reasonable thinker and/or student of the Bible knows that is not what it means.
Instead of telling what it means, let me share with you the errant study technique that is used to misinterpret "love your enemies and do good to them." Ready???!!! Here it is --- When the Bible states something in the absolute it is only absolute when adding the word "always" does not violate any other part of the Bible. If adding the word "always" violates other parts of the Bible, then the word "sometimes" should be added to the absolute statement and not the word "always." if you know this, you know more about proper Bible study than 80% of professing Christians!
For example, adding the word "always" to the command to "rejoice evermore" (1 Thessalonians 5:16) makes it "rejoice evermore always" and violates Romans 12:15, "...mourn (weep) with those who mourn (weep)." Therefore, the absolute statement of "rejoice evermore" is rightly stated, "rejoice evermore sometimes." In other words, always rejoice when rejoicing is right.
Psalms 91 promises no harm will come to the person who calls on God as his refuge and he will have a long and good life. However, there are a lot of godly people who endure much harm and have a short life, Jesus included. So, the promise of being godly and having a long and happy life is not always for all, but sometimes for some.
Proverbs 26:4 states "Do not answer a fool according to his folly...." If you add the word "always" to that command, then that makes Proverbs 26:5 a lie. Proverbs 26:5 states, "Answer a fool according to his folly."
Therefore, the word "sometimes" and not "always" applies to both commands. Not, "Answer not a fool according to his folly always" and not, "Answer not a fool according to his folly always," but "Answer not a fool according to his folly sometimes," and "Answer not a fool according to his folly sometimes." Get it?
The position of "love your enemies always and do good to them always" is not good Bible analysis. "Love your enemies sometimes and do good to them sometimes" is great Bible analysis. Why? Because even God does not love his enemies enough to do good to them always. They go to hell's eternal torment, always! Did your head explode yet? There are doctrines in the Word of God that are not for pansies.
And, finally, here is the real question, -- When should we do good to our enemies and when should we not?
Rev. Joda Collins
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jodacollins
I make no claim that anyone else agrees with me.
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ppsimmons.blogspot.com
by Rev. Joda Collins Part one of this article is at http://ppsimmons.blogspot.com/2017/12/it-is-not-sin-to-follow-jesus-example.html Part two of this article is at ...
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