| dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study was to develop the foundations of a theology of Christian
love. The LORD’s command in Lev 19:18 enjoins believers to have love for one’s
neighbor as they do for themselves—a command affirmed by Jesus Christ in Matt
22:39. The apostle Paul in Eph 3:14-19 prays on behalf of the Christians in Ephesus,
that they may be strengthened with might through the Holy Spirit, and for the
indwelling of Christ in their hearts through faith. These conditions enable them to be
firmly rooted and grounded in love. Paul suggests that this is so that they may
corporately comprehend the vast dimensions of the love of Christ, and have an
experiential knowledge of the love of Christ which surpasses understanding. This will
result in their being filled with the fullness of God. The love of Christ is the basis on
which this study establishes the importance of Christian love. The call for Christians
to understand the love of Christ recognizes the tension between the limitation of
human knowledge, and the infinity of Christ’s love, hence the need for Paul to makethis study of Christ’s love the subject of prayer. This study attempts to pursue the
admonition of Paul to understand the love of Christ which ‘passeth all knowledge’
through which Christians can experience the fullness of God.
Chapter 1 reveals the emphasis that the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist
church placed upon an understanding of the love of God upon humanity, and several
appeals for that emphasis to constitute a more fundamental part of the Adventist
message. Chapter 2 explores the Hebrew terms אהבand חסדfrom the Old Testament
and the Greek definitions of love as ἔρως, φίλειν, and ἀγάπη in order to develop an
understanding of the love of God as a basis for a doctrine of Christian love. The
historical development of the understanding of divine love is surveyed in the works of
some thinkers and theologians. The relational considerations of Christian love are set
forth in the context of love’s supremacy above all virtues, the transformative impact
of love, and the role of love in keeping the law. Finally, the relational considerations
of Christian love are also presented in the context of the risky—and yet
fundamental—need for freedom in order for love to exist.
An analysis of Lev 19:18 and Eph 3:14-19 as Old Testament and New
Testament bases for the development of a doctrine of Christian love in chapter 3
reveal that love is a foundational tenet of Christianity and that it plays a pivotal role in
the soteriological reality of believers. The attainment of missiological achievements
within the SDA church is directly linked to the church’s understanding and fervent
application of Christian love upon all people with no respect to race, religion, caste,
nationality, gender, age, education, or economic standing. The outcomes of Christian
love include the believers’ exhibition of the sign of love, as well as their observance
of the sign of sanctification. The ultimate purpose of the apostle Paul’s prayer in Eph
3:14-19 is that Christians attain to spiritual maturity. | en_US |
