1 Corinthians 13:13 But the greatest of these is love
The Doctrine of Love and belief is echoed within 1 Corinthians 13:13. The Apostle Paul highlights "Love" contained in the First Epistle to the Corinthians.
I was Ten years old when my father chose to end his life. It was impossible for me to describe the loss at that age and the ability to share, discuss and emerge to help others during their own dark period has taken many decades. My father was named Drexel Lynwood Long.
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I am now 55 years old and only recently I discovered a major contributing factor for his suicide. When the time is right, I will write about this painful and tragic point which my father suffered and now broadened my understanding. The newest revelation about my father was discovered 45 years after his passing.
While it is true my father committed suicide using a shotgun, I never once blamed the gun for his suicide but deep-rooted trauma from his car accident. He used alcohol to cope with the pain because he didn’t know what else to do. Today, the political class is actively promoting and restricting gun rights among law abiding citizens and they are gearing up for a repeat of history meaning law abiding citizens become the target of greater tranny.
The Bible teaches issues can be generational. I have read that there are curses unto seven generations and I wonder sometimes about my own life. I have suffered major trauma though parental alienation, creating vast longsuffering. I invite you to read my story here. Maybe you know someone who endures parental alienation, or PA, and if so, please share my story with them.
After my father’s passing and since my youth, I always felt a duty to seek understanding from biblical perspective. I needed a much deeper understanding than Sunday school and Sunday service sermon. I started to read transcribed Hebrew and Greek texts and seeking to also learn the root meanings in Jesus’s language, Aramaic.
I will admit I sometimes can’t wait for the Sunday service to end so I can get to lunch and have a filling meal! I also know I want to hear and learn as much as I can, and that often means learning on my own. Overall, if we are interested in seeking wisdom, wouldn’t you choose to dig deeper into the foundation of the original biblical text?
The recent revelation about my father is the latest contributing factor to help me understand the last year of his life. This has help forge a deeper understanding of his life and, at the same time, has provided, a deeper understanding of some of my favorite verses. 1 Corinthians 13:13 is a favorite.
I have spoken at many churches regarding benevolence, and today is the first time I have written and posted an article about the word and its inspired meaning. I hope you are inspired in your own walk towards wisdom and things of Christ. If you have been inspired by this article, please leave a comment below.
My writing is commonly found within the boundaries of Life, Liberty, and Freedom. This Christ related series while released today will be pre-loaded and released a few Sundays each month and shared among social media the following Monday or Tuesday.
The latest revelation about my father as mentioned above help me consider his plight, my challenges and may help expand you own view.
Not long ago I coined the phrase “Love is the greatest Defender.” When we pause and reflect on the word “love,” I acted with great motivation to defend my daughter from the effects of parental alienation. Even though I won my custody case, in the end I lost because of PA. Regardless of the result, I defended my daughter as I issued my love, which was my greatest defense.
When I reflect on “Love is the greatest Defender,” my thoughts turned quickly to the mother of two who disobeyed the police orders in Texas, and with the heart of a lion, rescued her own kids from the recent school shootings. The cowards became the police, and the hero became this brave mother. Love truly is the greatest defender.
Love for us is from Jesus, our Greatest Defender. His love is our union in heaven and is the result of “love is the greatest defender. In truth, Christ issued is greatest love for us and is the Greatest Defender of love.
Our love for others asserts our best selves. If we are ever asked if we give it 100% to defend with our greatest love, we should be able to answer, “Yes, I gave it 110.” Wisdom also underscores our best and sometimes our emotional best. Other times, we may be 50%, yet at that moment in time, we did give 110%. Our best is based on our own emotional availability and standing at that time. No one can strip you of your affinity of life when you love and give your all. If we act, our summary of effort is most likely our 110% at that moment.
Today we are going to look at the NIV and King James version of one my favorite scriptures 1 Corinthians 13:13. New International Version: And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. King James Version: And now abided faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
When we focus on the word “Love,” as found in the NIV version, the word is Love. Isn’t it ironic the word Charity is noted in the KJV?
Why did the translators for the NIV choose the word love over charity? I’ve always sought this answer. During the last 15 years I’ve presented this question to many pastors and scholars of faith from prestigious universities, and no one had a resolute answer.
During the last few weeks, I finally have an opinion and answer, but first I will interject a little backstory into my past. When I fought valiantly for custody of my daughter and spending over $700,000.00 for custody related fees, for a period I had no other choice but live in my car with my little dog, Jenn. Amid all the conflict, I was reduced to being homeless and was full of many sorrows. When the time is correct, I will share the restoration I have witnessed, and I am truly thankful.
I will never forget the charity granted by strangers. When I awakened in the morning, a bag was laying on my window; inside were three bottles of water, peanut butter/jelly spread, and six pieces of bread, good for two sandwiches for lunch and dinner, sometimes two apples and other times two oranges. And for those who had dogs or cats, we were granted a small plastic bag of dog or cat food. A list of phone numbers to local charities, and often pamphlets with John 3:16, and a list of churches on the pamphlets.
At that time, I visited the library every morning to work on my business plan. I had been a banker, but my custody case ruined my credit history, and it was impossible to return to banking with my credit standing at that time. Overall, I became homeless after major medical issues.
I was amazed during my times of homelessness how much my dog loved me, and she did not mind living in the car. She was happy every day just like she is now. I was equally amazed how strangers, whom I’ve never met thought enough of me to place a bag of food on my window. I was also grateful for my brother and mother and yet during that time, I was too ashamed to inform anyone of my plight.
I never saw the person who left a bag of food on my front window, and Jenn never awakened me to the visitor. Most realize the homeless lifestyle is about sleeping during the day and being up most of the night. This is for protection from anyone wanting to harm them. And it was once my way of living. Jenn, like myself, was soundly sleeping when others provided their kind gifts. As I write this, I am reminded how thankful I was to live in my car as opposed to living under the bridge, in a tent, or sleeping on a bench during poor weather.
The life of a homeless person is the most difficult period one can endure. Many on the streets are further victimized from street violence. If anyone believes the police are compassionate about these lost souls, you do not realize the reality. I have witnessed many police beating these lost souls for no valuable reason and blaming the conflict on the homeless.
I can also state female police officers were the most compassionate towards the homeless population. Of course, many male police were shining examples, but if I had to issue a percentage of corrupt and brutal police officers towards the homeless. I can affirm based on my own witness, at least 40% of the police force are verbally abusive and at least 20% are physically abusive towards the homeless population. The worst of those assault the homeless population come from lesbian female officers.
The sad reality is the political class is eroding our nation with the highest levels of inflation, political chaos, abuses. The homeless population is exploding in Democrat controlled cities and states. Joe Biden’s crack pipe support weakens and increases the homeless population across the USA.
Now after reading the above, you have most likely come to the same conclusion as I have, but perhaps from a different pathway of logic. I ask the question again: Why did the translators for the NIV choose the word love over charity?
As I draw from my own history of events and quest for biblical knowledge, I will attempt to share and answer this important question. After you study the Hebrew and other biblical related texts, we find the word Charity is related to the word Agape. In Latin, the word Charity is derived from the word “charitas” which also means love. Many of the NIV biblical transactions into single words are derived from Latin. The King James translations use of the word Charity, derived from the Old English Text, referring to the early church benevolence towards those in need. The early Church recognized charity as a form of love.
I should have come the resolution long ago the true value and sacred affinity of this scripture is not only based on love but also charity. When I reflect on strangers leaving a bag of food for me and for my sweet dog it is indescribable to think someone “loved me and my dog and through their act of benevolence and charity many of us sleeping in the park may never forget the love and charity from strangers.
I opened this article about my father, and I will never forget the profound knowledge that one of my classmates shared. Her father, Mr. Smith, mowed my paternal grandparents back yard where my father committed suicide, for an extended period. This wasn’t only an act of charity, but love towards my grandparents, who could not face the reality of mowing in an area where my father committed suicide. I will always be thankful the kindness from this man who cared for my grandparents. I’ll never forget Pastor Smith sharing this kind story at a little store in Virginia. He cared deeply for my grandparents and shared his love and kind charity to mow my grandparent’s yard and I was not aware of this until less than ten years ago.
A few weeks ago, I meet a kind person who knew my father and revealed truths which I now understand and will share when possible. The understanding of Love and Charity has a deeper-rooted meaning for me than ever before. Has this affirmation given you clarity regarding charity, love?
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In the end, our Jesus echoes the Greatest Love for those who accept him as their Lord and Savior.
Also read: Parental Alienation: Epic Pandemic of Emotional Proportion