morosoph wrote on Aug 19
The personification of love is not love, any more than a painting of a pipe is a pipe.


paji2 wrote on Aug 19
morosoph saidThe personification of love is not love, any more than a painting of a pipe is a pipe. You are thinking in physical terms - God is not physical, he is a spirit. And when the writer says God is love - he means that literally. God is the personification of love - he IS love - just like a pipe is a pipe.People are not love personified - they cannot be as physical beings. But they are supposed to imitate God's love toward each other. Christians are to love other Christians .. and they are supposed to love even their enemies - but let's leave that out.I can think of several examples of Christians displaying anything but love - oh, couched in other words, sure ... freedom, democracy, equal rights, independence - still not love!Just think of Ireland .. loving Christians killing other loving Christians.God's principled love (agape) extends to all.


ullangoo wrote on Aug 19
morosoph is perfectly right. Body or spirit, plant or artifact, an individual entity (a particular) is not IDENTICAL with any concept (a universal). The two groups of "things" have different forms of existence, just like a pipe and a picture of it. God is a spirit (maybe), but love is not a spirit. We may say that love is the most essential characteristic of God, but it's not the only one, and God is not the only being who feels love. They are not identical.As logician Gilbert Ryle said back in the 60es: "God, however perfect, is a particular."Thank you, morosoph. I didn't say this before because they aren't so fond of logic in this context.

paji2 wrote on Aug 19
As right as you are, you are also wrong. :) You are mixing apples and pictures of oranges.T o accept that scripture at its face value, one must first believe in God - the God of the Bile I hasten to add!:) One must believe that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God .." (2 Tim 3:16a). The words "given by inspiration" literally mean "God-breathed".Only from this viewpoint can the scripture under discussion be contemplated. The linking word "is" ties "God" and "Love" into one and the same. Love as spiritual entity is the same as God, the spiritual entity. Again, let me emphasize that the "Love" here is the Koine Greek "agape" - love based on principles.It is not "philia", "eros" or "skorge" - brotherly love, erotic love (love between two people), family love (father/daughter for example). Those are loves that man is well acquainted with and comfortable in applying. Agape comes in hand-in-hand with Jesus' command to "love you enemies" .. not so comfortable for mankind.It is not possible to apply man's philosophical thoughts or logic to God or to understanding of God. Only belief in God can accomplish that.I grant you this is a very narrow-minded point of view, but the only one applicable to this particular scripture - and to understanding God.


ullangoo wrote on Aug 19
Sorry - I mean formal logic. I don't mean that any of you are illogical in a broader sense.