Articles
Love Life
Love Life
“Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it (1 Peter 3:8-12).
The apostles are well noted for exhorting brethren to give attention to relationships: 1) The apostle John in his admonition to brethren, saying, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7). 2) The apostle Paul, saying, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another…” (Romans 12:9-10), as he did so in every epistle.
Thus, as love of the brethren is command to be followed, as Jesus said to the apostles, “that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35), every reader should find a consistent reference to love being exhorted and encouraged throughout the scriptures.
The apostle Peter’s admonition makes a connection between “loving as brethren,” and “He that would love life.” Within the text of 1 Peter 2, and 3, an emphasis is placed upon proper conduct in relationships, i.e., “Servants be in subjection to your masters with all fear” (2:18), “wives be in subject to your own husbands” (3:1), and “husbands…dwell with your wives according to knowledge” (3:7). Having so stated, the apostle Peter brings us to an obvious conclusion, i.e., “Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:8-9).
What is a feasible way to nourish relationships, and what reward will follow? By following the admonition of the Psalmist, saying, “For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil” (1 Pet. 3:8-9 cf. Psa. 34:12-16). ret
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