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Today's Lesson Is Taken From: 1 John 2:9-11 (New International Version)
In his letter John is interested primarily in the Christian community. That does not mean he would deny the fact that Christians are called to love their neighbors and even their enemies; but this is not his concern here. Hating one's brother is a strong statement, and we may not like applying it to us and our behavior. We may prefer to say that we are irritated or offended; but Scripture oftentimes uses the term hate in ways that we don't commonly use today. How is the term hate used, and how is it to be understood in the following texts? Matt. 6:24; John 3:20.
Matthew 6:24 (New International Version) 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
John 3:20 (New International Version) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
1 John 2:9-11 (New International Version) 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Footnote: Thursday's Lesson - Loving Others; http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/09c/less04.html
In his letter John is interested primarily in the Christian community. That does not mean he would deny the fact that Christians are called to love their neighbors and even their enemies; but this is not his concern here. Hating one's brother is a strong statement, and we may not like applying it to us and our behavior. We may prefer to say that we are irritated or offended; but Scripture oftentimes uses the term hate in ways that we don't commonly use today. How is the term hate used, and how is it to be understood in the following texts? Matt. 6:24; John 3:20.
Matthew 6:24 (New International Version) 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
John 3:20 (New International Version) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
1 John 2:9-11 (New International Version) 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Footnote: Thursday's Lesson - Loving Others; http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/09c/less04.html