The Disciplined Life Through Agape

Jerry D. Brown

Description

The Disciplined Life through Agape expounds upon the Greek word agape, capturing nearly 45 years of biblical research. Even though other sources commonly translate it “love” and “charity”, this work delves far deeper into all 16 robust characteristics. Human sentiment and secular literature are left behind; deliberate consideration and action are brought to the forefront. The Disciplined Life through Agape delves into God’s Word to deliver a thorough understanding of the most significant code of conduct given to the Christian Church.

Sujets

• Psychology of Religion
• Philosophie et théologie
• Agap?
• Religion
• Agape
• Discipline
• Life

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 20 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669851073
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

The Disciplined Life through Agape
Jerry D. Brown

Copyright © 2022 by Jerry D. Brown. 844671
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
 
 
ISBN:
Softcover
978-1-6698-5108-0

EBook
978-1-6698-5107-3
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 10/19/2022
CONTENTS
Chapter 1:The Disciplined Life through Suffering Long
What’s behind the English?
Makro
Thumos
Golden Nugget
Compassion
Chapter 2:Charity Is Kind
What’s behind the English?
Kind
Yoke
Golden Nugget
Examples of How to Conduct Yourself in Usefulness
Chapter 3:Charity Envieth Not
What’s behind the English?
Zeal
Golden Nugget
Chapter 4:Vaunteth Not Itself
What’s behind the English?
Golden Nugget
Chapter 5:Charity Is Not Puffed Up
What’s behind the English?
Golden Nugget
Chapter 6:Charity Doth Not Behave Itself Unseemly
What’s behind the English?
Unseemly
Golden Nugget
Chapter 7:Charity Seeketh Not Her Own
What’s behind the English?
Seek
Golden Nugget
Offence
Chapter 8:Charity Is Not Easily Provoked
What’s behind the English?
Sharpness
Golden Nugget
Chapter 9:Charity Thinketh No Evil
What’s behind the English?
Thinketh
Evil
Golden Nugget
Chapter 10:Rejoiceth Not in Iniquity but in the Truth
What’s behind the English?
Rejoiceth
Not in Iniquity
What’s behind the English?
Iniquity
Rejoiceth in the Truth
What’s behind the English?
Rejoiceth
In the Truth
What’s behind the English?
Truth
Chapter 11:Charity Bears, Believeth, Hopeth, and Endureth All Things
Beareth All Things
What’s behind the English?
Believeth All Things
What’s behind the English?
Hopeth All Things
What’s behind the English?
Endureth All Things
What’s behind the English?
All Things
What’s behind the English?
Chapter 12: Corinthians 13: 8–13
Charity Never Faileth
What’s behind the English?
Faileth
Prophecies Shall Fail
They Shall Fail
Tongues Shall Cease
Tongues
Cease
Knowledge Shall Vanish Away
Knowledge
Prophecies
Knowledge
Vanish Away
1 Corinthians 13:8 Summary
1 Corinthians 13:9–13
Chapter 13:A Study of Friendship Love
What’s behind the English?
God with Jesus
Jesus and Lazarus
Jesus for Mankind
God for the Disciples of Jesus
Jesus and Peter
Strangers toward Paul
Brotherly Love
Be Given to Hospitality
A Holy Kiss
The Love of Money
Family
God to Mankind
Friendship of the World
A Comparison
Chapter 14:The Love of God
Chapter 15:The Whole Duty of Man
Heart
Soul
Strength:
Mind
Chapter 16:The Perfection of Love
The Day of Judgment
Chapter 17:Other Examples of Makrothumia
Chapter 18:Kind
Kindness Leads People to Salvation
Chapter 19:Envieth Not
Chapter 20:Other Usages of “Puffed Up”
Chapter 21:Other “Unseemly” Acts
Chapter 22:Seeketh Not Its Own
Chapter 23:Thinketh No Evil

To the entire Richardson Biblical Research Center that has supported this nearly forty-five-year effort to understand research and document the vast biblical subject of agape . I must make special mention of Jalene Utzinger, without whose help, this project would not have been completed. Thank you to all!
INTRODUCTION
The Disciplined Life through Agape expounds upon the biblical usages of agape and defines each characteristic. It shows the Christian what each characteristic means and how to manifest them fully. Biblical support is provided for each topic. The clear-cut information that follows will enable any Christian to attain a disciplined life through agape and begin to reap the benefits of such a lifestyle.
The text is written in an easy-to-follow and highly practical research style that anyone from a beginning biblical student to a seasoned scholar can understand. The focus of this study is taken from 1 Corinthians 13. As much as possible, this book’s general flow starts with the first characteristic in 1 Corinthians 13:4 and continues systematically until each one has been covered.
In its infant stages, this book bore the title “The Greater Love.” After many years of study, it became clear that agape is not really love at all. It is a collection of characteristics or qualities that God asks his people to exhibit. This collection can be viewed as life’s highest code, one that biblically disciplined Christians 1 manifest. That agape has been taught as a form of love cannot be ignored. These teachings are far too imbedded to expect acceptance of a universal terminology change. Therefore, the reader will see references to love many times. Please keep in mind that agape is a collection of qualities designed for the betterment of society. The intended audience are Christians, but that does not preclude others manifesting this same discipline. Indeed, from a biblical perspective, both groups potentially can live according to the code.
The purpose of this work is to expound upon the sixteen characteristics of agape , the Greek word commonly translated to “love” and “charity.” There have been many worldly works attempting to define and explain agape . Most have tried to do so using human emotions, logic, and secular literature. Three different Greek words are translated to “love.” They are eros , 2 phileo , and agape . Two of these are used in the Bible. Eros is not. Phileo love, often called brotherly love, is wonderful and necessary but is distinct from agape . While phileo is a natural type of love, often requiring significant thought, agape requires deliberate consideration and action to implement it. The intent of this work is to use God’s word to explain the collection of all sixteen qualities.
One of the most familiar sections of Christian gospel scripture has told us, for years, to love God and our neighbors.
Matthew 22:37–40, KJV: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Words of “love” in the above verses stem from agape . Man has been commanded to discipline his life toward God and neighbor with all the enablements of agape . While this may come as a surprise to some, it should cause those searching for the truth to want to understand agape more than ever before. I ask you, if we are commanded to live according to the sixteen characteristics of agape with God and man, how can we truly do so if we do not understand what agape really is?
The answer is quite simple. Man cannot discipline himself according to the sixteen characteristics of agape if he knows little to nothing about them.
I often do a little test before I teach this subject to a new group of people. I will ask what the characteristic “kind” means. I may even ask about a few more of the characteristics. To this day, I have never found one person who could answer me correctly. One says “kind” means “good.”
Another looks at me and boldly declares that “kind” means “kind.”
I quickly reply, “Kind does not mean any of those things. It means ‘beneficial to the church.’”
Before I lose their attention, I further ask, “Now how can you say you are living according to agape if you can’t even define one of these characteristics?”
Believe it or not, this is the same test that I ran on myself many years ago.
My own ignorance proved to be the initiative of the following research.
I immediately began researching the subject!
Anyone can manifest agape . Not all men choose to do so. Many people have disciplined their lives according to phileo and eros , two very powerful forms of love. God’s people must now discipline their lives to include agape , thereby enabling them to fulfill these two great commandments.
Biblically, agape is generally translated to “love” or “charity.” This study will show agape is better defined as “a disciplined life through agape .” Agape is not phileo friendship love or eros sexual love. Even though agape is technically not love, because most Bible readers are taught that it is love, in this book, references to agape will be the Greek word agape or sometimes “love.”
One chapter in the Bible contains a complete collection of the many different characteristics of agape . That chapter is 1 Corinthians 13. Chapter 13 sits between chapters 12 and 14. These three chapters are a complete unit that addresses the greatness of how to use the gift of holy spirit. One may be tempted to isolate chapter 13 from these other chapters. God designed these three chapters as a unit, and they must remain as a unit. This study will illuminate the characteristics of agape so that any willing Christian can most profitably operate all the wonderful enablements of God’s gi