The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The word “love” is certainly not new to our generation. In fact, it is used so often to mean so
many things that it is often difficult to know exactly the intention of the word. We “love” the rain
at the right time of the year; we ”love” the sun when it is a cold day. We “love” tasty foods. We “love” people, some, admittedly, more than others.

It’s even often difficult to know what the Bible mean by the use of the word. Most of us use an
English Bible. There’s a long history of the English Bible; and many deeply committed believers have paid a high price for even possessing one. Long before its translation into English, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek.

The word “love,” and its related words, such as “loving” and “loved,” is mentioned more than
850 times in our English Bible. The Hebrews and the Greeks themselves had various words, each of which translates as “love” in our English language. The Hebrews were taught to love (????? aheb) their neighbors as themselves (Lev. 19:18). Ethan sings of the LORD’s lovingkindness (????? chesed), (Psa. 89:2). In the New Testament we have ????? phileo (Matt. 23:6); and ????? agape, the highest form of Love (Lk 11:42). There is yet another Greek word for “love”; however, it speaks of things so vile, that it is intentionally omitted from the Greek New Testament.

It is the agape love with which the LORD Jesus loves us! And it is that same love He wants from us and with which He entrusts to love our fellowman. If we wish and expect the LORD
to love us, we should resort to the same love by which we love our fellowman.

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another;
for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom