Cultivate Intense Love for One Another

“Love one another intensely from the heart.”​—1 Pet. 1:22.

1, 2. (a) How important is love? (b) Why do even atheistic scientists recognize love to be vital?

LOVE is vital to the enjoyment of peace, happiness and contentment. Indeed, life is not worth living without love​—a fact that even materialistic scientists recognize. “I want to affirm the unique importance of love . . . Love is indispensable,” wrote the well-known scientist Sir Julian Huxley.

² Why do even those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Creator stress the importance of love? For one reason, scientific studies have documented our need for love. These studies indicate that, as hunger must be satisfied for a person to survive, so humans also need to love and to be loved. Scientist Ashley Montagu wrote: “We now know from the observations of a number of physicians and investigators that love is an essential part of the nourishment of every baby and that unless he is loved he will not develop as a healthy organism . . . Even though he is physically well nurtured, he may nevertheless waste away and die.”

WHY HUMANS POSSESS LOVE

3. (a) Why do children usually receive the love they need? (b) Where did humans receive this capacity and ability to love?

³ Happily, however, there is little danger that a child will fail to receive the tender, unselfish care it needs. This is because instinctively, as the Bible says, “a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” (1 Thess. 2:7) Where did mothers get this love for their offspring? It did not develop by chance. Is it not evident that it was implanted in them by a loving Creator? All of us have the ability and capacity to love and, with cultivation, this quality can be expressed in the most beautiful, heartwarming ways.

4. (a) Why do we know that Adam was endowed at creation with the quality of love? (b) What evidence is there that Adam had love for Eve, and that this capacity to love one of the opposite sex was passed on to his offspring?

⁴ Jehovah God bestowed this gift of love at the creation of the first human pair. We know this because Adam was created “in God’s image.” And since “God is love”​—love being his dominant quality—​the creature made in his image would also possess love. (Gen. 1:26, 27; 1 John 4:8) That the first man Adam was endowed with love for his beautiful new wife is evidenced by his joyful expression at seeing her: “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” (Gen. 2:23) Even though Adam sinned and lost perfection, he passed on to his offspring the ability to love, including the capacity humans have to find intriguing delight with one of the opposite sex. Indeed, an ancient wise man said that one of the four things too wonderful for him to understand was “the way of an able-bodied man with a maiden.”​—Prov. 30:19; Gen. 24:67; 26:8.

LOVE IS EXPANSIVE

5. Besides romantic love between men and women, what evidence is there of love existing between fleshly relatives?

⁵ But in addition to this romantic love that can exist between men and women, humans ordinarily have a natural, deep feeling of affection for their fleshly relatives. Thus when Joseph, after many years of separation, saw Benjamin, “his inward emotions were excited toward his brother.” Later, “he fell upon the neck of Benjamin his brother and gave way to weeping, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.” (Gen. 43:30; 45:14) This family love also moved Andrew, when he had found the Messiah, to look for his brother Peter to tell him this grand news.​—John 1:40-42.

6. What Bible examples show that a person’s love can include others besides fleshly relatives?

⁶ Yet this quality of love is capable of reaching out and including persons other than one’s fleshly relatives. Jonathan, the Benjamite son of Israel’s King Saul, was so moved by the good qualities of David, a descendant of Judah, that his “very soul became bound up with the soul of David, and Jonathan began to love him as his own soul.” Later, when Jonathan was killed, David was moved to call him “brother,” and to say: “My brother Jonathan, very pleasant you were to me. More wonderful was your love to me than the love from women.” The Moabite Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law Naomi is another example of how love can include persons other than natural fleshly relatives.​—1 Sam. 18:1; 2 Sam. 1:26; Ruth 1:16, 17.

7. How inclusive must a Christian’s love be?

⁷ Those who become true Christians must also have warm brotherly love for one another, regardless of the race, nationality, social position or economic status of their Christian brothers and sisters. Jesus showed this, saying: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) And yet, a true Christian’s love cannot be limited to just fellow servants of God. It must reach out to include still others. In fact, Jesus commanded: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens.”​—Matt. 5:44, 45.

THE LOVE THAT WE NEED TO CULTIVATE

8. Explain how love can be expressed in various degrees and senses.

⁸ Clearly, this quality of love with which God endowed humans can be expressed in various degrees and senses. How so? Because obviously the love a Christian has for an enemy who is persecuting him is not the same tender affection that a nursing mother has for her baby, that Joseph had for Benjamin, that Jonathan felt for David, or that a Christian feels for a fellow believer. God does not expect us to be fond of an enemy, or even necessarily to like him. Yet we are obligated to love him. Is this contradictory?

9, 10. (a) How does knowing the meaning of agápē, and Jehovah’s exercise of it, help us to appreciate that persons might be loved but not necessarily liked? (b) How can we show love for evil, immoral persons?

⁹ No, it is not, when once we understand the meaning of the principal Greek word translated “love” in the Christian Greek Scriptures, or so-called New Testament. The noun form of that word is agápē. Regarding God’s agápē for mankind, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W. E. Vine says: “This is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects.” And it is a fact: Humankind as a whole are not a very lovable lot. But this is not really their fault.​—Eph. 4:17-19; Titus 3:3.

¹⁰ Due to inheritance from Adam, all humans were conceived in sin and brought forth with an inclination toward wrongdoing. (Ps. 51:5) God knows this. So he is moved to love mankind, not because of any merit or excellency on their part, but particularly because he realizes that, in time, many humans will respond to his love and bring their lives into harmony with his will. (Rom. 5:8-11) Agápē, therefore, carries the meaning of love that is distinguished by respect for principle. So, then, if we copy the example of our heavenly Father we will love even those who give no evidence of deserving our love. They may be cynical, selfish and even immoral or criminal. We will hate what they do and say, yet, at the same time, we will be concerned for their personal welfare. We will do all we can to encourage them to respond to God’s love. Are you cultivating such a love for humankind in general, one that is guided by principle?

11, 12. (a) Should a Christian’s love for his brothers be guided only by principle? (b) How does marital love and Jehovah’s love for his Son indicate that agápē includes more than just love guided by principle?

¹¹ But it is not love guided only by principle, and lacking affection and warmth, that the apostle Peter had in mind when he wrote fellow Christians: “Love one another intensely from the heart.” (1 Pet. 1:22) While respect for principle is a distinctive feature of agápē, this love can also include affection and fondness. Thus we read: “Husbands ought to be loving [verb form agapáo] their wives.” (Eph. 5:28) Obviously this does not mean that Christian husbands should love their wives simply as they love their enemies! No; but, rather, the admonition “to be loving their wives” means that husbands should also have feelings of warmth, tenderness and affection for their wives, as the Creator purposed.

¹² That the Greek word agápē may include very deep feelings of affection and fondness is also indicated in other Bible examples. For instance, we are told: “The Father loves the Son.” (John 3:35) The love of God for his Son, Jesus Christ, is not simply governed by respect for principle. Jehovah has tender affection and compassion for Jesus, as the Bible says: “The Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does.” Jehovah God said: “This is my son, my beloved, whom I myself have approved.”​—John 5:20; 2 Pet. 1:17.

13. (a) What degree of love should Christians have for one another? (b) How does the basic meaning of the Greek word for “intensely” indicate the proper degree of our love?

¹³ So, then, this is the degree of love that Christians need to cultivate for one another. It is not a halfhearted love, or love shown simply out of duty for persons whom they may not even like. But it is a warm, tender affection for others, comparable to the tender love that one has for a cherished relative, and which Jehovah has for his dearly beloved Son. The apostle Peter stressed that our love for one another should be of this kind or degree when he encouraged: “Love one another intensely,” or, as other translations put it, “fervently,” “with all your strength.” (1 Pet. 1:22; New American Standard Bible, The New English Bible) The original Greek word rendered “intensely” means, literally, “outstretchedly.” (Kingdom Interlinear Translation) Our love, therefore, must be exerting itself to the limit with intensity. Are you cultivating this kind of love?

14. (a) Why do we need to work on cultivating love? (b) How can we learn to love one another?

¹⁴ We all need to work on doing so. This is because Adam’s disobedience about 6,000 years ago has sunk the human family deep into sin and imperfection, adversely affecting our capacity to reflect Jehovah’s dominant quality of love. Even the instinctive feelings of love that close relatives naturally have for one another are sometimes twisted and perverted, as in the ancient cases of Cain, Esau and Joseph’s half brothers. The Bible foretold that this would also be evident “in the last days” when people would have “no natural affection.” (2 Tim. 3:1-3) How vital it is, therefore, that we cultivate love so as to keep it alive in our hearts! But how can we who are living in this critical period of the “last days” learn to love one another? The apostle Paul explains: “With reference to brotherly love, you do not need us to be writing you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” (1 Thess. 4:9) How does God teach us this?

HOW TAUGHT BY GOD TO LOVE

15. (a) In what way might it be said that Jehovah teaches us to love one another? (b) How much are Christians obligated to love one another?

¹⁵ He does so in a number of ways. We might say that by creating man in his image, endowing mankind with the capacity and ability to love, God has, in effect, inclined us, even though now sinful, to be loving. Then, too, God has taught us to love one another by repeatedly making the exercise of love a command. According to Jesus Christ, one of the two principal commandments of God’s law to Israel was: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” The disciple James called this “the kingly law.” (Matt. 22:39; Lev. 19:18; Jas. 2:8) However, speaking as God’s representative, Jesus revealed that Christians must have even superior love, loving one another just as he had loved his disciples. (John 13:34; 1 John 3:16) But in another especially appealing way Jehovah God has taught humankind to love one another.

16. (a) In what particularly fine way does Jehovah teach us to love one another? (b) What is the greatest manifestation of God’s love?

¹⁶ This is by example. The apostle Paul spoke to a crowd in the ancient Roman province of Galatia, Asia Minor, saying about God: “He did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:17) Thus God not only commands us to love one another, but shows by example how we should do it. (Matt. 5:44, 45) His finest example of showing love is the provision of his most precious possession for our benefit. The Bible explains: “God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. . . . Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.”​—1 John 4:9-11.

17. What should be the result of our learning the truth about Jehovah and his grand provisions for us?

¹⁷ So, as we consider the marvelous things Jehovah has done​—providing us with bountiful material blessings, but especially with the gift of his Son that makes possible everlasting life in a new system of righteousness—​we learn the truth about what a fine God and Creator Jehovah is. What should be the result of our acceptance of this grand truth regarding Jehovah’s provisions and then living in harmony with it? The apostle Peter spoke of “unhypocritical brotherly love as the result,” yes, a beautiful family relationship of brotherhood and love! And so in our appreciation, what is it vital that we do? Peter added: “Love one another intensely from the heart.”​—1 Pet. 1:22.

WHY INTENSE LOVE VITAL THEN

18. When did Peter write his first letter, and what was then near?

¹⁸ To appreciate why intense love was vital in Peter’s day, we need to examine the circumstances then. Peter explains: “The end of all things has drawn close. Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. Above all things, have intense love for one another.” (1 Pet. 4:7, 8) It is true, the end was then near. Peter wrote sometime between 62 to 64 C.E., and it was shortly after that, in the year 70, that the end finally came to the Jewish system of things. The Roman armies devastated the whole area of Judea, and especially Jerusalem. A prophecy of Jesus helps us to appreciate why Christians then needed “intense” love for one another.

19. (a) What sign did Jesus give so that Christians would know that the end was near, and how was this sign fulfilled? (b) How were Christians able to heed Jesus’ command to flee, and was it wise that they obey?

¹⁹ Jesus foretold: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near.” (Luke 21:20; Matt. 24:15) It was in November 66 C.E. that the Roman armies under Cestius Gallus did surround Jerusalem. They pushed right into the city, a place considered “holy” to the Jews, and made an attack on the temple wall, undermining it. Easily the Romans could have captured the entire city, but suddenly, without any apparent reason for doing so, General Gallus withdrew and retreated. This gave Christians opportunity to heed Jesus’ next admonition: “Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains.” (Luke 21:21-24) Later the Roman armies under General Titus returned and ravaged the land, resulting in 1,100,000 reported deaths in Jerusalem alone, indeed a “great tribulation”!

20. What evidence is there that Christians heeded Jesus’ command?

²⁰ But what about the Christians? The third-century historian Eusebius Pamphilus notes: “The whole body, however, of the church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation, given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella.”a Yes, the Christians apparently heeded Christ’s instructions and, after Cestius Gallus and his armies withdrew, fled to the mountainous region around Pella, thus escaping with their lives. But they did not have it easy.

21. (a) Why did Jesus stress the urgency of immediate flight? (b) What circumstances may have been experienced by fleeing Christians?

²¹ Knowing that developments in connection with the return of the Roman soldiers​—under General Titus—​would soon make it nearly impossible to get out of the doomed city, Jesus had long before urged: “Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment.” (Matt. 24:17, 18) As a result, hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of obedient Christians left in haste as soon as Gallus and his armies withdrew, taking few possessions with them. It was good that they were not loaded down, for the journey was long, the terrain rugged and the weather conditions no doubt oppressive at that time of the year. Under such circumstances, arguments and other troubles between the fugitives could easily have occurred. Then, too, there was the question of where they would all live.

22. (a) What conditions then existed throughout the area? (b) Why was it vital that Christians then apply Peter’s admonition?

²² They may have eventually set up makeshift shelters around Pella, possibly establishing some sort of mountain refugee camp there. We do not know. But whatever the case, it was difficult for them. It was a time of shortages and hardship throughout the whole area. The end of that entire Jewish system was near! How appropriate, therefore, Peter’s inspired encouragement to readers of his letter, who were “temporary residents”: “The end of all things has drawn close. . . . Above all things, have intense love for one another.” (1 Pet. 1:1; 4:7, 8) With such love, Christians would not be selfish and exasperating to one another, but would share with one another and build up and strengthen one another to endure the trialsome circumstances they faced.

WHY INTENSE LOVE IS VITAL NOW

23. Do the Bible warnings about the nearness of the end have meaning for us today?

²³ We do not want just to look back at that time, however. For Jesus’ prophecy regarding “the conclusion of the system of things” has application today; in fact, its major application is now. And so, too, does Peter’s similar warning that “the end of all things has drawn close.” God’s purpose is to wipe out this entire wicked system and usher in his ‘new heavens and new earth’ in the immediate future! (Matt. 24:3-22; 2 Pet. 3:13) So we are living at a time when the horrible destruction of Jerusalem and its environs will pale into insignificance in comparison with the “great tribulation” now so near! The trials that most Christians will have to face during the “great tribulation” ahead may be similar to those endured on two recent occasions.

24, 25. (a) What experience did Malawi Witnesses endure, and why was obedience to Peter’s admonition important to them? (b) What self-examination would it be wise for us to make?

²⁴ The first of these involved Jehovah’s witnesses in Malawi. Beneath the headline “Jehovah’s Witnesses​—Fleeing For Their Lives,” the New York Times of October 22, 1972, reported: “Last week from the tiny East African country of Malawi came reports of massive harassment . . . the raping of women members of the group, the burning of Witnesses’ homes and what amounted to the forcible expulsion of most of the 23,000 adherents in the country.” Because of their faithfulness to God’s law, the Malawi Witnesses were driven across the border and forced into a huge refugee camp where, at first, there were severe shortages of life’s necessities. Many died due to the hardships. How important, under those distressful circumstances, to heed the inspired counsel: “Above all things, have intense love for one another.”

²⁵ The majority of Malawi Witnesses came through their experience faithful to God and spiritually strong, and what surely helped was their obedience to the above Bible counsel. But what about ourselves? Are we preparing for the trials ahead? Are we cultivating an intense feeling of tender affection for one another, as Joseph felt for his brother, as Jonathan felt for David, and as Jehovah God feels for his beloved Son Jesus Christ? Exercising such love is truly vital in these “last days.”

26, 27. (a) What occurred in December 1972 in Managua, Nicaragua, and of what could it be a small-scale preview? (b) How did Jehovah’s witnesses show love for one another during that disaster in Managua?

²⁶ The difficulties that lie ahead may also have been previewed by a disaster reported in the March 8, 1973, Awake!, which said: “The sign is still standing. In mute testimony it declares: MANAGUA, 404,700 INHABITANTS. And in the center of the city another silent sentinel bears witness. The clock on the main entrance of the National Palace stands at 12:35. At that early morning hour, Saturday, December 23, 1972, during the darkness, the capital of Nicaragua died in a terrifying earthquake.” Yes, the city simply ceased to function​—the plumbing did not work, the electricity went off, practically everything stopped. Soon this will happen, not to just one city, but city after city after city will break down​—the entire system of things will die! Under such circumstances, what is it vital that we exercise?

²⁷ Many hundreds of Jehovah’s witnesses in Nicaragua and in nearby countries demonstrated their intense love, as Awake! reported: “At once efforts were under way to care for these Witnesses [affected by the earthquake] and their families. The genuine love that exists among God’s people certainly manifested itself. By Saturday afternoon a Witness arrived with a truck and 300 gallons of water from a congregation sixteen miles away. . . . Then at 10 p.m. the first two truckloads of supplies arrived from Jehovah’s witnesses in Liberia, Costa Rica. A short time later, two more trucks arrived from Witnesses in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Thus food, clothing, medicines, water and gasoline were on hand within twenty-four hours or so after the disaster!”

28. (a) What can we learn from that Managuan experience? (b) In what other ways have Jehovah’s witnesses been receiving training in showing love for one another?

²⁸ We can learn from that experience. When great troubles and disasters are everywhere occurring, what we need most, above all things, is intense love for one another. And when we think about it, have we not, as Jehovah’s witnesses, been receiving training to face such circumstances? Regularly we meet together in assemblies, large and small, where we receive fine instruction and encouragement to love one another. Also, we have had cafeterias for feeding one another, and we have hospitably provided accommodations for fellow Christians in our homes. Really, what fine training in love and care for one another! But we must continue to express this marvelous quality of love with which God endowed humans, but which has been so distorted and perverted by about 6,000 years of sin and imperfection. It is vital that we continue to cultivate intense love for one another now, because the end of all things has drawn close.

[Footnotes]

Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

“Have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”​—1 Pet. 4:8.

1, 2. (a) What wrongs do we all commit, and why might we even commit them with greater frequency? (b) What will help us to overcome problems that occur?

HAVE you ever spoken sharply to someone, and immediately wished you had not? Or have you ever acted unkindly in some other way, and then felt sorry about it? No doubt all of us have. And as the pressures and hardships on us increase as the end of this system of things draws closer, the times when we hurt or offend one another may grow more frequent. So what should we do when problems occur?

² In seeking an answer it is helpful to take a closer look at what is said at 1 Peter 4:7, 8. There it mentions that, since the end of all things has drawn close, we should “be sound in mind,” “vigilant with a view to prayers,” but especially we should “have intense love for one another.” Now notice the reason given as to why this love is so important. The account says: “Because love covers a multitude of sins.” This is a very important aspect to consider.

3. (a) What fact do we all have to face? (b) What correct observation does the Bible make about us?

³ We have to face the fact that, due to the disobedience and imperfection of our original parents Adam and Eve, we have all inherited an inclination toward wrongdoing or sin. (Rom. 5:12) All of us frequently miss the mark of what is righteous. Within us is a proneness to be envious, to become provoked, to brag, to be unforgiving, and so forth. And do we not get angry with ourselves when we at times give in to these sinful inclinations? Yet these bad tendencies exist, and we simply have to realize that, on occasion, they are going to be expressed in words and actions. The disciple James, writing under God’s inspiration, correctly observed: “We all stumble many times. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man.” But none are perfect. “There is no man that does not sin,” the Bible says.​—Jas. 3:2; 1 Ki. 8:46.

4. (a) What should not be our reaction when sins occur, but what should we do? (b) What will help us to examine things realistically when problems arise?

⁴ So it is vital that we be realistic about our relations with one another. Sinful inclinations are going to find expression among Christians, regardless of how hard they try to prevent this from occurring. (Rom. 7:15-20) We should not be terribly shocked and upset, perhaps concluding that these wrongs are an indication that we are not associated with the true Christian congregation. No; rather, we should look for evidence that love has covered over these sins. It is, therefore, vital that we exercise love to prove that we are part of the true Christian congregation. However, it is not always easy to do the right and loving thing. The Bible helps us to appreciate this. It gives us insight into goings-on within the first-century Christian congregation that can assist us to examine things realistically, so that we can maintain balance should problems arise.

PHILIPPIAN WOMEN WITH A PROBLEM

5. (a) Describe some of the background of the Philippian congregation. (b) What kind of letter did the apostle Paul write to the congregation?

⁵ First, let us consider a circumstance that developed within the Christian congregation in Philippi, the principal city of the district of Macedonia. The apostle Paul established this congregation in 50 C.E. on his visit during his second missionary tour. (Acts 16:11-40) A few years later, in the course of his third missionary tour, Paul was evidently able to visit the Philippian congregation again. (Acts 20:1-6) Then, about ten years after first establishing the congregation, Paul was moved by the Philippians’ extraordinary deeds of Christian kindness and zeal to write them a moving letter of love and encouragement. He highly commended them throughout, with only one short hint of correction toward the end of his letter.

6. What did Paul write concerning Euodia and Syntyche, and what questions does this raise?

⁶ Paul wrote: “Consequently, my brothers beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand firm in this way in the Lord, beloved ones.” But now notice his next statement: “Euodia I exhort and Syntyche I exhort to be of the same mind in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:1, 2) Why did Paul say this? Why did he give encouragement for the congregation to “stand firm in this way in the Lord,” and then pick out these two women, Euodia and Syntyche, and exhort them to be of the same mind in the Lord?

7. (a) Why might these two women not have been of the same mind in the Lord? (b) What does the fact that Paul knew about their attitude perhaps indicate?

⁷ Clearly, there was some problem between these two women; they were evidently not united in the same mind. Now the Bible does not tell us what their difficulty was, or what had led to the trouble between them. Perhaps they were in some way jealous of each other. Both of them may have had strong personalities, and they may have simply gotten on each other’s nerves to the point that they were no longer speaking to each other. But whatever the problem, there was some friction involved, because they were not “of the same mind in the Lord.” And Paul knew about it hundreds of miles away in Rome, from where he was writing, which indicates that the difficulty may have been of long standing and fairly well known among the brothers.

8. (a) Basically, what kind of women were Euodia and Syntyche, and what indicates this? (b) What lesson can we draw from that first-century experience?

⁸ Yet at the same time, these were basically good Christian women. Both of them were serving Jehovah God with their brothers and sisters. For Paul goes on to write the congregation: “Keep assisting these women who have striven side by side with me in the good news.” (Phil. 4:3) Thus Euodia and Syntyche had been Christians for some time, having worked earlier with Paul in the furtherance of the preaching work. But now they were having a problem. So, then, if troubles like this existed in the first-century congregation, should it upset us excessively if similar ones occur today? But not only women had such problems.

TROUBLES BETWEEN CHRISTIAN ELDERS

9, 10. (a) What had happened to John Mark during the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas? (b) Why might Barnabas have wanted to take Mark along on the second missionary trip, yet what were Paul’s thoughts?

⁹ Christian elders, too, had problems, even prominent elders. Consider the apostle Paul and his early traveling companion Barnabas, for example. They had completed a first missionary tour, establishing a number of Christian congregations, and now they were considering a second tour, as the Bible explains: “After some days Paul said to Barnabas: ‘Above all things, let us return and visit the brothers in every one of the cities in which we published the word of Jehovah to see how they are.’” (Acts 15:36) On that first journey John Mark had accompanied them, but for some undisclosed reason, the account says, “John withdrew from them and returned to Jerusalem,” where his mother Mary lived.​—Acts 13:13.

¹⁰ So, as Paul and Barnabas were discussing their second missionary tour, Mark’s name came up. The Bible tells us what occurred: “For his part, Barnabas was determined to take along also John, who was called Mark. But Paul did not think it proper to be taking this one along with them, seeing that he had departed from them from Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.” (Acts 15:37, 38) So here was a difference of opinion. Barnabas may have felt that Mark had a good excuse for returning to Jerusalem during the first tour; possibly his mother was sick and he returned to be with her. We do not know. But, on the other hand, if Mark’s leaving was indeed a rash, inexcusable move, Barnabas evidently felt that Mark had learned a lesson and would this time stick to the work. But Paul did not think so. He did not want Mark along. Now, would you not think that these two mature Christian elders could settle such a difference in an amiable way? Yet what happened?

11. (a) What was the result of this disagreement of Paul and Barnabas over Mark? (b) Did this trouble between Christian elders prove that they were not servants of the true God?

¹¹ The Bible says: “At this there occurred a sharp burst of anger, so that they separated from each other; and Barnabas took Mark along and sailed away to Cyprus. Paul selected Silas and went off.” (Acts 15:39, 40) Can you imagine that! Here two prominent elders had, not just a minor altercation, but “a sharp burst of anger” between them, and over such a seemingly small matter. So they parted company, evidently not having the best of feelings toward each other. If you had been there and seen this, would you have concluded that surely this must not be God’s organization, because of the way these prominent elders had acted?

12. What sin did Peter commit during a visit to Antioch, and what caused him to act in this way?

¹² Or consider another, somewhat different type of experience that occurred in Antioch. When the apostle Peter visited this city in Syria, he associated with the whole congregation, fearlessly eating and socializing freely in the homes of the Gentile believers. He knew that this was proper, since, years before, he had been divinely directed to preach to Cornelius, who became the first uncircumcised Gentile convert to Christianity. However, when some Jewish Christians, who came from Jesus’ half brother James in Jerusalem, visited Antioch, Peter, out of fear of criticism from “those of the circumcised class,” began withdrawing and separating himself from the Gentile Christians. Other circumcised Jewish Christians there began doing likewise. This clearly was not right. It was a sin on Peter’s part to cause such a division in the Christian congregation.

13. (a) What was Paul’s reaction when he was in Antioch and saw what was occurring? (b) Why was Peter hypocritical in his actions, yet what was it like to be corrected before the whole congregation?

¹³ About this time the apostle Paul also was in Antioch, and he was incensed by what he saw occurring. In his letter to the Galatians, he explained: “When I saw they were not walking straight according to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas [Peter] before them all: ‘If you, though you are a Jew, live as the nations do, and not as Jews do, how is it that you are compelling people of the nations to live according to Jewish practice?’” (Gal. 2:11-14) Peter knew that the Mosaic law was no longer in force, and had shown this earlier by freely associating with Gentiles. (Acts 10:28, 29) Yet now, because of fear, he was reinstituting the divisions provided for under the Mosaic law, but which Law he knew no longer applied to Jewish Christians. (Eph. 2:13-18) So his “withdrawing and separating” from the Gentile Christians was clearly a hypocritical act prompted by fear of what certain Jewish Christians, especially those of Jerusalem, might think of him. And so Paul, before the whole congregation, exposed Peter’s hypocrisy. How would you have felt if you were Peter?​—Heb. 12:11.

LETTING LOVE COVER SINS

14. (a) How could Peter have felt about receiving this correction from Paul? (b) However, what later attitude toward Paul indicates that Peter let love cover over this sin of his?

¹⁴ Think how Peter could have felt. He was prominent among the apostles, having earlier been entrusted with special privileges of service by Jesus Christ himself. (Matt. 16:18, 19; Acts 2:14-41; 10:34-48) Paul was newer in the Christian organization, and now here he was before the whole congregation resisting Peter to his face. ‘How dare Paul speak to me that way before the congregation,’ Peter could have indignantly felt. But no, Peter was humble. He accepted the correction, and he did not allow it to cause his love for Paul to cool off. For note how Peter later referred to Paul in a letter of encouragement to fellow Christians: “Consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given him also wrote you.” (2 Pet. 3:15) Yes, Peter allowed love to cover over the problem, which in this case had resulted from his own sin. Surely Peter demonstrated the quality that distinguishes the true Christian congregation!

15. (a) Was the difficulty between Paul and Barnabas straightened out, and what indicates whether it was? (b) What evidence is there that Paul may have acknowledged any misjudgment of Mark?

¹⁵ What about the problem between Paul and Barnabas that occurred in connection with the taking of Mark along with them? Was this problem, which reached a climax in a sharp burst of anger, also covered over in time by love? Yes, it apparently was. For later when Paul wrote to the Corinthian congregation while he was doing missionary work in Ephesus, he spoke of Barnabas, along with Peter and the other apostles, as a close fellow worker. (1 Cor. 9:5, 6) Paul evidently acknowledged any misjudgment by him of Mark, and may well have humbly apologized to both Mark and Barnabas. For later Paul speaks highly of Mark. In fact, in one of his letters to Timothy, he wrote: “Luke alone is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministering.”​—2 Tim. 4:11; Col. 4:10.

16. (a) Is it reasonable to assume that Euodia and Syntyche settled their differences? (b) Yet, possibly, what wrong attitude could they have manifested?

¹⁶ Well, what about Euodia and Syntyche? Did they settle their differences, allowing love to cover over whatever sins they may have committed against each other? The Bible does not tell us what finally happened to them. But being good women who had striven side by side with Paul in his Christian ministry, we might reasonably assume that they humbly accepted the counsel given. When Paul’s letter was read, we can just imagine their going to each other after the meeting and straightening out their problem in a spirit of love. On the other hand, they could have been hardened by the counsel given. They could have taken the attitude: ‘What right does Paul have to write about our problem to the whole congregation?’ And so their differences could have been unresolved, and even grown worse. What if this occurred?

17. (a) If Euodia and Syntyche did not settle their differences, what possible developments could have occurred? (b) Can we learn something today from such a possible development?

¹⁷ Well, this letter to the Philippians was written about 60 C.E. A few years later, in 64 C.E., the Roman emperor Nero reportedly set fire to Rome and blamed the Christians for doing it. Soon afterward great persecution broke out against Christians. What if this persecution also spread to Philippi, and Euodia and Syntyche were thrown into prison, even as Paul and Silas, years before, had been imprisoned there? (Acts 16:19-34) What if they were put in the same prison, and in the very same cell together? Now, if they were not of the same mind, and if their differences had grown into hate for each other, what could have happened? They could have torn down each other spiritually, perhaps ruining each other’s relationship with Jehovah God. How sad that would have been! And how sad it will be today if we do not have intense love for one another when the “great tribulation” comes upon this system of things!​—Matt. 24:21.

LOVE VITAL AS THE END DRAWS CLOSE

18. (a) What do we need to learn to do? (b) As the end approaches, what possible world situation emphasizes the need to love the brothers and sisters in our own congregation?

¹⁸ This is something for us to think seriously about. The end of all things has drawn close, and we need to cultivate intense love to cover the “multitude of sins” that we all have. (Jas. 3:2) We need to learn to love our brothers and sisters despite their personality flaws, their irksome habits, or other features about them which may be distasteful to us. For think about it: As this system nears its total collapse at the “great tribulation,” and communications no doubt break down and modern means of travel become impossible, with whom will we be able to get in touch to offer help to them and to receive help from them? Not our brothers in a congregation a thousand miles away, a hundred miles away, or perhaps even twenty or ten miles away. No, but Jehovah God has provided fellow Christians in our own congregation to strengthen and help us. It is particularly these persons near us, our close Christian associates, that we need to love and be loved by. How important this close relationship will prove to be in the troublous times ahead!

19. What may be the consequences if we fail to have intense love for one another?

¹⁹ If we do not have intense love for those in our own congregation, the consequences can be very bad. The apostle Paul showed this when writing to Christians in Galatia, who were apparently having some trouble in getting along together. He urged: “Through love slave for one another. For the entire Law stands fulfilled in one saying, namely: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ If, though, you keep on biting and devouring one another, look out that you do not get annihilated by one another.” (Gal. 5:13-15) Yes, if we do not have love for one another, we may tear down and even ruin one another’s relationship with Jehovah. This could result in our failure to survive the “great tribulation” so near at hand!

20. How does the Bible show that love for God must be accompanied by love for our brothers?

²⁰ So, then, we really do need to work on cultivating love for one another. We simply cannot be practicing the truth, and at the same time be holding grudges against our brothers, or in other ways treating them in an unloving way. The Bible is very clear on this matter, saying: “If anyone makes the statement: ‘I love God,’ and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should be loving his brother also.” There is no question about it, we are under obligation to love one another.​—1 John 4:20, 21; 3:14-16.

LEARN FROM THE BEST TEACHERS

21. (a) How might some feel about their Christian brothers? (b) Yet what example in showing love does Jehovah God provide?

²¹ But someone may say: “You do not understand. Certain ones in our congregation do not act like true Christians. They are so exasperating and obnoxious in their ways.” It may well be that some persons have a long way to go in developing true Christian qualities. Yet Jehovah God, our perfect Creator, loves them. He does not wait until we are nearly perfect, or even until we begin to make over our personality to conform to his ways, before he loves us. No, but the Bible says: “God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) Yes, while we were yet deep in a course of wrongdoing and had obnoxious, selfish dispositions, Jehovah loved us. This is the example in showing love that we are invited to follow.​—Eph. 5:1, 2.

22, 23. (a) What bad trait manifested itself among Jesus’ apostles near Capernaum? (b) How did this trait again manifest itself, and what counsel did Jesus give?

²² Jesus Christ, too, set a wonderful example for us in this matter. He gathered around himself disciples who were basically good men. Yet, they had bad traits. For example, on the road coming toward Capernaum, they got in an argument. The Bible account says: “They came into Capernaum. Now when [Jesus] was inside the house he put the question to them: ‘What were you arguing over on the road?’ They kept silent, for on the road they had argued among themselves who is greater.” So Jesus brought a young child into their midst, put his arms around it, and told his disciples that they needed to humble themselves like young children, and not seek prominence.​—Mark 9:33-37; Matt. 18:1-6.

²³ However, it was not long afterward, when they were approaching Jerusalem, that the apostles James and John came to Jesus and asked for the two most prominent positions in his kingdom, one at his right hand and the other at his left. The Bible says: “Well, when the ten others heard about it, they started to be indignant at James and John.” So Jesus gave them another talking to about this bad trait then existing in them. He told them: “You know that those who appear to be ruling the nations lord it over them and their great ones wield authority over them. This is not the way among you; but whoever wants to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.”​—Mark 10:35-45.

24. (a) What humble example did Jesus set for his apostles at their last Passover together, yet what were they soon afterward arguing about? (b) How did Jesus continue to show love to his apostles, and with what result?

²⁴ It was probably a little over a week later that Jesus met to eat his final Passover meal with his disciples. He knew the problem that existed among them; so apparently near the outset of that last meal together, what did Jesus do? He took a basin, filled it with water, and went around to each one of the apostles and washed their feet! (John 13:4-17) What a fine example of humility for them to follow! Yet what happened later, during that same evening? The Bible tells us: “However, there also arose a heated dispute among them over which one of them seemed to be greatest.” (Luke 22:24) Can you imagine that! Yet Jesus did not throw up his hands in disgust, and say, ‘You people are hopeless. I give up on you. You’ll never learn to be my true followers.’ No, but while they yet manifested such sinful traits, Jesus loved them. He continued to admonish and counsel them. (Luke 22:25-27) And they finally did learn, and later worked together in unity, with none of them ambitiously seeking prominence and prestige.

25. (a) What good will result from letting love cover over sins? (b) Why is it so vital that we have intense love for one another now?

²⁵ Love indeed will cover “a multitude of sins.” In fact, by exercising it​—by being forgiving, and by helping and admonishing one another—​we will prevent sins from causing any lasting harm or trouble. Never forget what the apostle Peter wrote about the importance of love at this critical time in history: “The end of all things has drawn close,” he said. “Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Surely we need to exercise intense love now. Our very survival into God’s righteous new system is dependent upon our doing so.​—1 Pet. 4:7, 8.