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How Does Love Cover Sins? (Part 2)

By Rich Vermillion, March 13, 2008 9:24 pm

Well, it’s time to delve deeper into this topic and examine the Bible way for covering sins through love. In Part 1 we discussed the fact that there is tremendous scriptural evidence to conclude that none of the New Testament saints considered the “ostrich approach” a fulfillment of the commandment of love—including Jesus Himself, Paul, John, and many others. Ignoring the sins of others is NOT at all a Biblical approach to “covering” them. So what is the right way? Well, let’s start with our base text and then expand from there:

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1Peter 4:8, NIV)

Types of Love

There are primarily four root words for “love” in the original Greek language of the Bible—only three of which are used in the New Testament (and these are all often combined with various participles to form the other words). These words are agapé, phileo, and stergo (eros is the one not used in the NT, and it is the Greek word for physical attraction and lovemaking). In other words, whereas English speaking people today might say “I love pizza” and “I love my wife,” the Greek speaking people of Peter’s day had a different word for each. (And we all certainly hope there is a significant difference in which type of love the person is expressing for pizza and their wife.)

The first type of “love” (agapé) is a covenant-based love that is by decision, rather than by feeling. This is the one we are talking about in this blog post, and which we are commanded to walk according to as Christians. The second (phileo) is a soul-based affection, and can be for people or things.

The third (stergo) is familial love—such as the love we all should have for our children, siblings, parents and other relatives. This is a kind of love that causes family members to bond together, protect each other, and take care of each other (even if they do not particularly like each other). This form of “love” within the world—exhibited even among non-believers—is somewhat comparable the Christian agapé that should be demonstrated among believers (i.e. we should “stick together” because we all are of the family of God). Interestingly, this word is used also in the NT in the negative (astorgos) in Romans 1:31 and 2Timothy 3:3, where Paul was discussing the depravity of some people in the last days as being “without natural affection” (KJV). (You learn more about stergo by examining also what Jesus said in Mark 13:12 about these same end-time reprobates, and comparing that with what Paul said about taking care of relatives in 1Timothy 5:8.)

Now, let’s examine the differences between these “love” types by using a marriage metaphor…

The Four Loves in Display

A man should demonstrate agapé to his wife because of the covenant he made before God when he committed to her in marriage—regardless of how he “feels” towards her at any particular time. However, if their relationship has grown “platonic” (lukewarm, business-like) over time, then the fires can be easily rekindled.

To begin, the husband should start “fanning the flames” of their relationship by consistently acting on covenant-based agapé-love by praying for his wife (according to HER needs, not his wants) and doing things that he knows will please her…like doing the dishes, taking her out for dinner (instead of asking “what’s for dinner?”), surprising her with flowers/gifts (within their budget, of course), and speaking sincere words of edification (i.e. compliments, NOT complaints). As he does this, the husband will eventually begin to re-experience phileo (affection) for her within his OWN emotions as his commitment to agapé-love her is manifest day-in and day-out. In short, he will begin having fun doing acts of agapé and fall in love with her all over again.

This combination of agapé and phileo shown by the husband should result in his wife recipricating such agapé and phileo towards him (after she recovers from shock) because “what soever a man sows, that he shall also reap” (Galatians 6:7-10). Such reciprocating agapé and phileo will cause them both to regain their “newlywed” behavior and will subsequently result also in frequent and passionate displays of eros between them. (Note: According to God’s Word, such physical intimacy is ONLY supposed to happen within the covenant of marriage between a husband and his wife. Anything else is sin.) If the couple is still within the years of their youth, the fruit of this eros (children) will provide ample opportunity to display stergo (familial love) as this growing family then cares one for another and provides for each other.

(And, of course, all of the above can be done in reverse: The wife taking the initiative to rekindle the flames within the marriage.)

Now that we have a basic understanding of the various forms of love, let’s get back to discussing the agapé-love Peter is admonishing us about in our passage above. Remember: we are discovering how to “cover” sins in the God-kind of love—agapé. (Now, don’t let yourself get too distracted with that metaphor above!)

Opinions, Opinions

There can be a thousand opinions about how “love” covers the multitude of sins. However, “opinions” are like belly buttons: Everyone has one, they are not good for anything…and they need to be cleaned out once in a while to avoid causing infection. (Yes, I added that last part to this classic saying.)

What we really need to do is to properly discern what God Himself is expecting of us Christians. When we stand before Him, He is NOT going to commend us on our “opinions” but rather He will judge us for our application of His Word to our lives (or lack thereof). Thus, we need to “rightly divide the Word of truth” as 2Timothy 2:15 admonishes us—and then apply it. And the only way we can “rightly” assess how we are to walk in love, therefore, is to study and remember Who Love is…God Himself:

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1John 4:8, NIV)

(Just in case we did not get it the first time, the apostle John then repeated himself in v. 16 saying simply, “God is love” which is literally “God is agapé.”)

Since “God is Love” then we can easily end all argument about how to “walk in love” by simply observing God’s own revealed character in the Bible. Since everything agapé love is God is, then we can “translate and meditate” as one minister often says, and discover the true meaning of our discussion text. Thus, the logical equivalent then of our text in 1Peter is:

“God covers over a multitude of sins.” ( 1Peter4:8 in the light of 1John4:8 )

Can we determine clearly from the Scriptures how God covers the multitude of sins? Yes, we can. Consequently, we can discern how to walk in agapé-love (and cover the multitude of sins) by examining agapé-love in the light of God’s revealed nature and character in the Bible. Too often, we Christians have tried to understand God within the context of our warped opinions about love rather than understanding love by studying the One Who personifies agapé-love—Our Heavenly Father.

Moreover, Jesus (in Hebrew, “Yeshua”) is not only revealed in the Bible as God’s Son but Jesus is also revealed to have been “God manifest in the flesh” (1Timothy 3:16). Therefore, studying the person of Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha Meshiach) in the Gospels will reveal to us what “love manifest in the flesh” is supposed to look like within our own lives.

In our following installments of this series we will examine HOW God Himself covers the multitude of sins—and consequently, how we should too. We will also examine Jesus and His personality as revealed by the Gospels to see even more clearly how Christians today should look if they are walking in the “perfected love” John discussed in his first epistle.

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How Does Love Cover Sins? (Part 1)

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By Rich Vermillion, December 7, 2007 11:03 pm

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1Peter 4:8, NIV)

Have you ever pondered the above Scripture and asked yourself, “How does love cover sins?” I have, because I recognize that this is a SERIOUS matter. Families, marriages, businesses, churches—and sometimes people’s lives—are at stake.

Like you, I have heard this verse quoted many times in many pulpits—and out of the mouths of many believers discussing various issues at hand. To a person, however, it seems that they all have the same concept of how love “covers the multitude of sins.” Although the exact bent of each individual might vary a bit, you could sum up the popular opinion by rephrasing this passage, “Love sweeps things under the rug and refuses to deal with them…except maybe in prayer…but that’s about it.”

However, is that what the Holy Spirit was telling us to do in that verse? Is prayer the only recourse for a Christian when being confronted by the sins of another? Let me cite you a few biblical situations to illustrate the point that at least sometimes, you have to hold people accountable:

Peter interrupted his church service at two different times to rebuke a Christian couple, Ananias and Sapphira (separately), regarding their lies and hypocrisy. These two believers subsequently dropped dead as God confirmed Peter’s condemnation of each. Ananias was judged for his deceitful actions and hidden agenda…and Sapphira for her misguided submission to her own husband in a wicked scheme. (Acts 5)
Paul publicly rebuked his elder apostle, Peter (who actually mentored him for a short while during Paul’s own ministry training), when Peter disassociated from the Gentile converts to please religious Jewish converts who recently arrived from Judea. Paul explained why when he stated, “He [Peter] walked not uprightly according to the Gospel.” (Galatians 2:11-21)
John, the “Apostle of Love” as he is often called, actually wrote a brother (Gaius) a letter that exhorted him to leave Diotrephes’ congregation because of that pastor’s wicked behavior. He then recommended Gaius attend Demetrius’ congregation instead saying, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.” (3John)
Even the Lord Jesus (love Himself) entered the temple and created havoc as he threw over tables and freed animals, while rebuking the merchandisers for defiling God’s “House of Prayer.” Moreover, He whipped a few of them with a “scourge” he made from some small cords while he chastised them! (John 2:14-16)

There are many, many more examples I could list here—and I realize I kicked over a few extra “sacred cows” while I was listing these (but I’ll save further comments on those issues for other blogs). Nevertheless, with these few examples in mind let me ask you, does love “sweep sins under the rug” or is there something perhaps in our interpretation of 1Peter 4:8 (and similar verses) that has been terribly flawed?

It would seem that neither Paul, Peter, John—nor Jesus Himself—believed sins should be swept aside and ignored. Yet, most believers I have talked to seemed to adhere to an “ostrich” approach regarding walking in love towards others. Concerning this common “ostrich” approach to love: I have noticed (and experienced myself at times) that those who attempt to live this way generally experience failure after failure in their relationships…and bring upon themselves much anguish besides.

Consequently, I have re-examined our commandment from the Lord to “walk in love” in the light of the context of the entire Bible. After many years of study, trial, and error…I am pleased to say that I can now clearly explain from the Scriptures the correct way to apply these verses:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2Timothy 2:15, NKJV)

In the following articles of this series, I will share what Love Himself (God) has shown us within His Own Word about walking in love towards others. Yes, He—above anybody else—knows what is the proper way to actually “cover the multitude of sins” that we might fulfill the mandate given us in our opening passage from 1Peter 4:8.

Buckle up, stay tuned…and get ready for some eye-opening revelation.

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