Fez Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 2.00 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Share Posted January 16, 2010 While I agree that the word love "fits" better, I also think the word charity has been misused today. "Charitable donations" for instance are still tax exempt and can be used as such in some countries. In others Charities are set up for reasons other than just charities (political), although of course there are charities that are wonderful. One should give because one loves, and then I think the word takes on it's true meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 How many other words have been changed and loss their meaning? What needs to be borne out is that words change in usage, not meaning. What I mean is this; Love is used in a variety of ways and only the context of a conversation will tell you what is intended. For example. You love your childrenyou love your spouse, you love your dog, and you love your favorite food. In each of those, a different understanding is intended. Most of us almost unconsciously adjust our understanding and nothing is misunderstood. But if you are from a country that does not speak English, and you have been in the US only short time, and the ONLY context you know about "love" is the romantic context, you might be forgiven for thinking someone who "loves" their dog is rather unwholesome. Words do not change meaning. What happens is that over time, certain contexts fall out of usage and new one develop our as culture changes. The word "meek" used to be a word that would describe a horse that could run through fire without bucking off its owner. Today, the word "meek" is viewed as "weak." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCISGD Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 64 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,345 Content Per Day: 0.24 Reputation: 30 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/05/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/10/1961 Share Posted January 16, 2010 How many other words have been changed and loss their meaning? In reality words only mean what people agree that they mean. I took a language class and was blown away to find that learning about language and its use is another little sub- world if you like. I cant remember any of it but we were shown many examples of words and meanings that have changed. This was one of the reasons many imputed teachings to Finney that he never intended, as they used a different meaning to a word(s) than he. Try a web search maybe, its fascinating. Heres one http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/li...tics/change.jsp I disagree with Shiloh, imo words do change meaning depending on what era we live in. But maybe we mean the same thing but im using the wrong words Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itocory Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 9 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/10/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/20/1965 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Think of Charity is a 'love that gives'. Also, God is Love, that's the 'love' that charity is. I love these sayings: You can give without loving but you can't love without giving. and Lust can't wait to take but love can wait to give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 287 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/26/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/07/1967 Share Posted January 16, 2010 (edited) The Greeks were wise to have at least 5 words for love. CS Lewis's book 'The Four Loves' is an excellent study on the many facets of love. Agape is definitely far removed from Eros (romantic love) but many people don't know the difference and mistake Paul's meaning. As for 1 Cor 13, if you substitute the phrase charitable heart where you see the word love, you will come up with a more profound understanding of that powerful scripture. Better yet get a good understanding of the word agape in your head and use that term instead of love in that chapter. It helped confirm to me what I had always felt Christianity should look like. Edited January 16, 2010 by canuckamuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.76 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.95 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted January 16, 2010 ἀγάπην, or agape, is the original word. The meaning is love. God speaks of a love that is of Him which now abides in us. This is the love spoken of, not worldly love. If we do not have His love, we are worthless. Yes, but the point is that the word "love" in English can mean so many different things depending on context. "I love my wife" is not the same as "I love pizza." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Shalhevet~ Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 334 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 2,049 Content Per Day: 0.38 Reputation: 120 Days Won: 4 Joined: 08/13/2009 Status: Offline Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 Is marriage charity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 The Greek word is agape meaning affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love <>< ><> NatheleBenevolence best fits the context of 1 Cor. 13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneLight Posted January 16, 2010 Group: Royal Member Followers: 22 Topic Count: 1,294 Topics Per Day: 0.21 Content Count: 31,762 Content Per Day: 5.23 Reputation: 9,762 Days Won: 115 Joined: 09/14/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted January 16, 2010 ἀγάπην, or agape, is the original word. The meaning is love. God speaks of a love that is of Him which now abides in us. This is the love spoken of, not worldly love. If we do not have His love, we are worthless. Yes, but the point is that the word "love" in English can mean so many different things depending on context. "I love my wife" is not the same as "I love pizza." I realize this and that is why I stated that it is the love God has given us. Without His love in us, we could not live according to chapter 13. I agree that people use the word too much, placing meanings to it that do not belong. The English language is full of descriptive words that could fit the chapter, but the word He choose to use was love. It is up to us to understand His meaning. Sometimes it takes a little digging, but it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B3L13v3R Posted January 17, 2010 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 11 Topic Count: 76 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,261 Content Per Day: 0.24 Reputation: 1,035 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/12/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted January 17, 2010 ...Charity is the same thing as love? 'Charity' Gleaned in part from the dictionary below: Charity is 'a very caring-affection because of a very high value placed upon the object of affection. It results in godly actions, such as edification (1Cor.8:1), Christ-likeness (1Cor.13:4-8), a kiss of charity (1Pt.5:14) and feast of charity (Jude.1:12) White's Dictionary of the King James Language had this for "Charity": (I put *** in place of the greek, no greek on this keypad! "NOI" = Note of interest.) Charity -28x., n. [A.D. 1154, < OF. charite < L. caritas = 'a love or dearness for something because of placing a high value on it' (NOI. The Gk. ***** (agape) is used 114x., in the NT. and is translated as 'love' in all but 29x., (where it is translated as 'charity 'or' charitable'). Jerome, in the LV., usually translated the NT. Gk ***** as dilectio ('caring affection') but then, in a number of instances, as caritas ('caring affection including a high value'). He did this to avoid the more worldly association of the word amor. The WB., in using the LV., followed suit and translated dilectio as "love" and then caritas as 'charity'. The translators of the 1611 recognized the validity of this and did likewise. Therefore, 'charity' stands in a 'love-class' of its own.)] Thus, charity is 'a very caring-affection because of a very high value placed upon the object of affection'. Eg. 1Cor.13:13, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (NOI. 'Charity' results in godly actions, such as edification (1Cor.8:1), Christ-likeness (1Cor.13:4-8), a kiss of charity (1Pt.5:14) and feast of charity (Jude.1:12). See also 'Love'.) {charitably 1x., tot. = 29x.} ... Are there any Bibles that kept the word "charity"? There may be others, these are the ones I have access to at home: (KJV)1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (KJVA)1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (MKJV)1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. (Webster)1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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