Mennonite theological emphasis regarding Peter 4:8 and related verses

[unknown_dove]

Friends,

Q Regarding these scriptures:

Peter 4:8:

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins"

Which also echos Jesus in Mark 12:28-31 and also Matthew 22:37–40:

"28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

And Jesus again in Luke 7:47:

"7 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

So we have 3 clear repetitions of the same theme. It seems that sometimes every verse is given the same literal weight by theologians, even though it's clear that some verses are intended to be of greater importance. E.g. the distillation of what's most important. Is there any elegant way Anabaptist theologians account for scriptural claims of greater weight?

[JohnH]

Anabaptists are one of the few groups that actually will give a verse quite a bit of weight that only shows up once, instead of handwaving it away that we can somehow ignore it for just showing up once.

Of course, some things that show up multiple times (like the holy kiss) are still ignored by those who claim to give weight to repeated themes in scripture.

[Ernie]

Friends,

Q Regarding these scriptures:

Peter 4:8:

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins"

Which also echos Jesus in Mark 12:28-31 and also Matthew 22:37–40:

"28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

And Jesus again in Luke 7:47:

"7 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

So we have 3 clear repetitions of the same theme. It seems that sometimes every verse is given the same literal weight by theologians, even though it's clear that some verses are intended to be of greater importance. E.g. the distillation of what's most important. Is there any elegant way Anabaptist theologians account for scriptural claims of greater weight?

I'm an Anabaptist. There are around 800 separate commands in the N.T. (not counting commands to the wise men, etc.)
I agree with Jesus that some commands are weightier than others, even though all should be followed. In our discipling of unbelievers and people coming to God, I like to start with the sorts of things that Jesus indicates are weightier matters. I tell people that it is probably difficult to begin obeying all 800 at once so pick a few and get started. Each day, each week, each month, a person can keep obeying more things that they read in the N.T.

[Soloist]

Friends,

Q Regarding these scriptures:

Peter 4:8:

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins"

Which also echos Jesus in Mark 12:28-31 and also Matthew 22:37–40:

"28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

And Jesus again in Luke 7:47:

"7 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

So we have 3 clear repetitions of the same theme. It seems that sometimes every verse is given the same literal weight by theologians, even though it's clear that some verses are intended to be of greater importance. E.g. the distillation of what's most important. Is there any elegant way Anabaptist theologians account for scriptural claims of greater weight?

Wife: All of 1st John too. Also, I think this is one example of love in action

Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Jas 5:17  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
Jas 5:18  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

[barnhart]

So we have 3 clear repetitions of the same theme. It seems that sometimes every verse is given the same literal weight by theologians, even though it's clear that some verses are intended to be of greater importance. E.g. the distillation of what's most important. Is there any elegant way Anabaptist theologians account for scriptural claims of greater weight?

Jesus said the whole of the law and prophets is contained in two commandments, loving God with all your being and loving your neighbor as yourself. This points to the primacy of love as the rubric for judging proper relationships both vertical (with God) and horizontal (with people). This harmonizes with the scriptures you raise about the primacy of Love.

Jesus also developed the theme of love by defining how it is put into practice, with brothers (Matt 18), with people in need ( healing and feeding on the Sabbath), with enemies (Matt 5-6) and with the golden rule, "do to others as you would have them do to you." As a summary, his definition of love is seeking the good of others in ways they recognize.

Jesus also hinted at the primacy of love as a factor in final judgement as in the parable of the sheep and the goats where the deciding factor was the practical, expressed love for others in need.

In my opinion Anabaptist theology has done well to acknowledge the primacy Jesus placed on love, even at the expense of other pursuits like Nation, Culture, land and property, personal injury and personal fulfillment. It is not always carried out in practice but that is a different topic.

[Thomas_muntzer]

Friends,

Q Regarding these scriptures:

Peter 4:8:

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins"

Which also echos Jesus in Mark 12:28-31 and also Matthew 22:37–40:

"28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

And Jesus again in Luke 7:47:

"7 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

So we have 3 clear repetitions of the same theme. It seems that sometimes every verse is given the same literal weight by theologians, even though it's clear that some verses are intended to be of greater importance. E.g. the distillation of what's most important. Is there any elegant way Anabaptist theologians account for scriptural claims of greater weight?

For anyone wishing to follow the path of Christ whether Anabaptist or of any other denomination the Sermon on the Mount is the place to start; I believe it effectively encapsulates the guiding principles for Christians.

[barnhart]

For anyone wishing to follow the path of Christ whether Anabaptist or of any other denomination the Sermon on the Mount is the place to start; I believe it effectively encapsulates the guiding principles for Christians.

It is surprising how controversial this is.

[JohnH]

For anyone wishing to follow the path of Christ whether Anabaptist or of any other denomination the Sermon on the Mount is the place to start; I believe it effectively encapsulates the guiding principles for Christians.

It is surprising how controversial this is.

Well. The holy kiss is repeated how many times, yet it’s very controversial to practice it.