Love Fulfills the Law

August 28, 2016 Background Scripture: Romans 12:1, 2; 13:8 – 14 Lesson Passage: Romans 12:1, 2; 13:8 – 10 God revealed His perfect Law through Moses. Moses, who is known as the great Law giver, made known this Law to Israel and they, in turn, have made it available for the world. The Law describes holiness and righteousness—or characteristics of a right relationship with God. Since the Law is already perfect, it will never be amended or repealed. Everything of God works in concert with the Law and grace is no exception. In this letter, Paul made it clear that we don’t have the capacity, in our own strength, to keep or fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law because of sin in our flesh. Even when we desire with all of our heart to do as the Law demands, sin, in us, is present to hinder us. In this part of the letter to the Romans, Paul turned his attention to what is required for us to fulfill the Law. Paul stated that love, one for another, fulfills the Law. He reiterated the four commandments that govern peer to peer righteousness to show that they are summed up by simply acknowledging that we should love others as we love ourselves. When we demonstrate our love for others, we do not steal from each other; we do not tell a lie as a witness against another; we do not violate the intimate trust of marriage; and we do not desire to have anything that is the property of someone else. Because love avoids harming another person, it then is the fulfillment of the righteous Law of God in this regard. The actions Paul defined are a demonstration of benevolent love that is the meaning of the Greek word agape. Agape is the love that fulfills the Law. Agape love is benevolent action because it is motivated by the need or needs of another. Agape love does not have good feelings as its source neither is it sustained by emotions. Meeting the needs of another person is the source and sustainer of this type of love. The act of agape love may bring joy to the benevolent one but that is not the motivation for it. Agape is not done out of a sense of obligation as in the case of a parent meeting the needs of a minor child. Agape does not have an expectation of reciprocity as is often the case of two admirers caught up in a romantic affair. The English word love is too often restricted to feelings, reciprocity, or obligation and therefore could never describe actions that fulfill the righteousness of the Law. Only when we understand the Greek word agape that was used by Paul do we begin to comprehend how actions can fulfill the Law. We have to adjust our thinking when we see the English word love in the scriptures so that we can have a clear understanding of the Greek word it was translated from. This can be further complicated by the fact that three different Greek words are used in New Testament writing that are translated into the one English word love or some variation of it. The meaning of the Greek words range from: befriending, to being fond of or preferring, to being benevolent. The fulfillment of the Law could never be based on individual preferences or friendships. Only in the Greek word agape can the Law be fulfilled. A benevolent love motivated by the needs of others fulfills the Law. Robert C. Hudson August 22, 2016