My Text this morning is found in 1 John 3:1. A verse familiar to most Christians, focusing on the Love of God.
“Behold, what MANNER of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” This single Line of God’s Word!
With the objective “us” (in Greek “hemin,” the dative case of “ego”) meaning “us” Christians. We who have been born again by the Grace of God, by trusting in Jesus and His shed Blood on Calvary.
The opening verb, “behold,” is literally a command! And it indeed means “to look” but also “to understand, perceive, comprehend!” My laptop lexicon defines “eido” this way: “to see with the mind’s eye, most often signifying a clear and purely mental perception.” APPARENTLY GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO MISS THE PARTICULAR KIND OF LOVE HE HAS GIVEN/SHOWERED UPON US! “Behold …!”
And the Sentence’s main noun, “love,” is of course “agape.” One thought behind this word’s origin is that it derives from the Greek “agan,” which clearly means “MUCH!” As if there is MUCH of God’s Love available, perhaps even an INEXHUSTIBLE Supply! Divinely unlimited, in other words! And according to John 3:16 this “love” is sacrificial … “God so loved this world that He GAVE …”
Now to the verb “hath bestowed,” translating “didomi” in Greek. It means “to give” 365 times in our New Testament! “To grant” (freely) 10 more times! It even means “to show” 4 times! We love a “giving” God! (This is an indicative perfect verb, suggesting that God GAVE in the past, but is STILL GIVING right up to this very second!) Hallelujah!
But the little vocabulary jewel I mentioned in the Lesson Title is found here: “what MANNER of love!” This word is actually an adjective meaning “of what sort,” or “of what kind,” and often “from what country?”
Love that is “out of this world!”
Yes, from Heaven!
Yes, from the very Throne of Almighty God!
And yes, from the Heart of Jesus Who died for us!
A love that is indescribable, that is “foreign” to this old world, that is from another land!
Wow!
Vocabulary study, what a blessing … that is … if you really believe that God’s Word is inspired word for word!
I do.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
.