Shades & Colors of Love-Words of Affirmation

 Shades & Colors of Love—Words of Affirmation

By Rev. Nicholas Sybrowsky 

Heb. (נּט רּקהץ מּןביםךשד דּטנרם'דלט)

Gk. (Βψ Ρεω. Νιξηολασ Σψβροωσκψ)

Opening Word & Reading for Worship:

Psalm 119:97-104 Mem

"Just like water, the Word sustains us daily." 

~Tatyana Yaremkiv 

In these verses, the psalmist talks to God about his love for the Word and reveals how it has helped and affected his life.  In prior sections of this Hebrew alphabet Psalm 119, he seems to cry out to God about enemies, difficulties, and trials more than anything.  But here [I agree with writer Tatyana Yaremkiv] that it's more than a coincidence that the definition of Mem connects with these verses.

Just as water is a symbol of life, growth and refreshment, so is the Bible for us today.  We need it daily!  As we read through the verses, think about the various ways that God's Word affects you each day:

"MEM. O how love I thy law! it [is] my meditation all the day.  98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they [are] ever with me.  99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [are] my meditation.  100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.  101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.  102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.  103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way." ~Psalm 119:97-104

 

Back in September I preached on this topic, Love.  And we examined the idea that without love none of the spiritual gifts will be effective or productive.  Unity in love is crucial to progress & advancement of God's Kingdom Come.

We expounded on this Principle:  Worship services should be conducted in an appropriate & orderly manner 14:40.

1. Spiritual Gifts for the Church bring Order into Chaos
2. Apostleship is a ministry gift of the church
3. Watch out for false imitation of the supernatural
4. Gifts & Manifestations are null & void without love  

Today let's begin to get into the some of the various shades & colors of love described in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians & other locations in scripture.  

When I opened this series, the objective set was to get a grip on what love IS and IS NOT.  Reflecting on the opening sermon one should or could agree that worship that is benevolent promotes order not chaos, service that has goodwill empowers new growth & church planting, appropriate charity doesn't permit falsehood & imitation of the supernatural and that the Spiritual Gift Manifestation is all for NOT without love.  

What is the "love" Paul is speaking of in chapter 13?  For 365 days you could examine love as I did by reading a :05-:10-minute devotional with your spouse daily.  This will in fact empower a Biblical understanding of love.  That was a fun year of examination and continues to be a useful grounding exercise in our private & public relationship.  I encourage everyone to spend a year examining love.  One way you could do this is by taking the Love Dare by the Hendricks brothers.  This Love Dare certainly Fireproofed our marriage.  Praise God for the Hendricks brothers' and their ministry!

Again, what is the "love" Paul speaks of in chapter 13?

Before I share a little bit about Love Languages let's get into the Hebrew & Greek definitions of this word "love".  And before we dissect the original language let's look at an overview of various English translations.   And Hawaii Pidgin (HWP), for my southern gal that once spoke Hawaii Pigdin with a southern draw & a sprinkle of twang.  

Today's Main Text is Chapter 13.  Verse 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."  

~ 1 Corinthians 13:1 KJV

1. With love you'll stay in harmony.

A clanging symbol (Tuned-out) It becomes noise that is insignificant.  Tongues and messages from Heaven that cannot be translated into a language that we understand becomes as such, useless.  Or out of harmony with God's Kingdom Come & His will on earth as it is in heaven.

This video is an attractive object lesson for helping children understand this passage of scripture.

Depending on the translation you use when examining scripture, on the surface this is the rendering you may witness:

Here is a list of 30 different translations, mostly English, that reflect the Word "Love" & It's Corresponding Translation/s:

Word:  Love	Translation
…have not charity…	KJV, Webster’s Bible (WEB), BRG Bible (BRG), Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA).
…have not love…	NKJV, Revised Standard Version (RSV), American Standard Version (ASV), Youngs Literal Translation (YLT), Darby Translation (DBY), Bible in Basic English (BBE) & Amplified Bible (AMP) Modern English Version (MEV) Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC).
…didn’t love others…	NLT & The Living Bible Paraphrased.
…did not love others…	Contemporary English Version (CEV).
…do not have love…	NIV, CSB, NASB20, NASB95, Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), New English Translation (NET), Interlinear Bible A Literal Translation of the Bible (Jay Green, Sr.), Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT).
…have not love…	English Standard Version (ESV)
…don’t have love…	Hebrew Names Version (HNV), Common English Bible (CEB)
…don’t love…	The Message (MSG)
…if I lack love…	Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
…live without love…	The Voice (VOICE)
…but I no mo love an aloha…	Hawai’i Pidgin (HWP)

If I wen talk all da diffren kine languages, da peopo kine language an even da angel kine languages, but I no mo love an aloha, wat den? I ony talking rubbish kine, jalike one junk kine bell o one kalangalang cymbal. 

 ~ 1 Corinthians 13:1 (Numba 1 Fo Da Corint Peopo 13:1 Hawai‘i Pidgin (HWP)

Like synonyms in our English language there are a variety of types of loves or shades &/or colors of love used within scripture.  This list is extensive in the coverage on 1 Cor. 13:1 kind of love Paul preaches to Corinth and now to us.  These various translations appear to match well.  

2. With love we stay in-step with the Throne Room of God.

The various translations make clear to me that if I have access to the throne room of God and I can hear and communicate with the Kingdom of God it's of no use if I do so without love.  You can't share the promises of God nor the power of God with others here on earth if you don't do so with the love of God.  It's an imputed love.  Pure love, free of ALL carnal lusts.  You can't give what you don't have yourself.  If you, yourself don't have harmony with God you won't be able to lead others to the harmonization He has to offer us all.

3.  With love the New Testament was originally written in Greek & now in our English language.  

Septuagint. What is the Septuagint in simple terms?  According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary:  it's a Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures redacted in the third and second centuries B.C. era by Jewish scholars and adopted by Greek-speaking Christians.

In other words, the Septuagint was a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament.

Now for the color of Greek!  The Greek word for our English word "love", Paul uses here in our New Testament main text is:  

ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α 13:1

13 Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον.

Tyndale House Greek New Testament

  ἀγάπην , agapē  pronounced ag-ah'-pay; from (AMG's Annotated Strong's Dictionary) Nos. 25 [Greek literally translated as] love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.

Noun from agapao, (25), to love.  Love, affectionate regard, goodwill, benevolence.

So much can be said on these Greek shades of love in the original texts.  We can continue in this effort throughout our series.  

According to Dr. Gary Chapman, Author of The 5 Love Languages, "[His] conclusion after thirty years of marriage counseling is that there are five emotional love languages—five ways that people speak and understand love.  In the field of linguistics, a language may have numerous dialects or variations.  Similarly, within the five basic emotional love languages, there are many dialects."  He goes on to explain "that this accounts for the magazine articles titled "10 Ways to Let Your Spouse Know You Love Her," "20 Ways to Keep Your Man at Home," or "365 Expressions of Marital Love"  There are not 10, 20, or 365 basic love languages.  In [his] opinion, there are only five.  However, there may be numerous dialects.  The number of ways to express love within a love language is limited only by one's imagination.  The important thing is to speak the love language of your spouse [or neighbor]."  ~Page 15 of The 5 Love Languages

"Your emotional love language & the language of your spouse [or neighbor] may be as different as Chinese from English." 

 

~Dr. Gary Chapman—5 Love Languages

Here are the 5 shades of Love Language: 

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

Today I'll begin share briefly some scripture in relation to each of these distinct love languages, beginning with "Words of Affirmation."  To get an in-depth view of Dr. Chapman's descriptions and teaching on the five love languages I recommend you invest in any of his various books in the subject.  Without a doubt in my mind reading this and having it in my personal library has positively impacted my marriage and other interpersonal relationships.  The horizontal relationships on earth.

List of other books produced by Dr. Chapman:

• The 5 Love Languages Men's Edition
• The 5 Love Languages Gift Edition
• The 5 Love Languages of Children
• The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers
• The Five Love Languages Singles Edition
• The Five Love Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
• The Love Languages Devotional Bible
• God Speaks Your Love Language
• The Marriage You've Always Wanted
• The Marriage You've Always Wanted Bible Study
• The Family You've Always Wanted
• Hope for the Separated
• How to Really Love Your Adult Child
• Desperate Marriages
• Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married
• Anger
• When Sorry Isn't Enough
• 101 Conversation Starter Series
• A Perfect Pet for Peyton

19 books & counting, wow!  This man of God has been busy, admirable!  For more from Dr. Chapman & Moody Publishers follow link above.

Words of Affirmation:

    This language is one of encouragement using your words.  People who feel loved by this can sense and usually discern if it's flattery or sincere feedback.  Benevolent words of affirmation can be protagonistic and still promote a sense of value in the person who's primary love language is words of affirmation.  

To express love emotionally, use words that build up!  

Solomon knew the importance of this!  He learned from his Dad David.

King David champion over Goliath is credited with writing 73 of the 150 Psalms (Note 701 MEV).

Psalms 1; 34; 37; 73; 112; 119 & 133 are great examples of Wisdom & Instruction Songs:  These reflect on God's activities and purposes and teach us what is right & wrong according to God's standard.

"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth!" 

                        ~Psalm 119:103 KJV

Who was the author writing to here?  This is considered a Meditation & Prayer Relating to the Law of God.  The author is writing or singing to God.  It's a song of adoration!  

Psalm 119 is actually the Hebrew alphabet.  Twenty-two letters in this alphabet.  MEM is the 13th letter in the Hebrew alphabet.  

ם

מ

According to Tatyana Yaremkiv on her Blog the definition of Mem is

"Just as the waters of an underground spring rise upward from an unknown source to reveal themselves, so does the spring of wisdom rise from the mysterious Source that is God."

 

Hebrews 4 describes well how a "believer" finds rest in the Word of God like that of affirmation.  Honey for our souls!  

"For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 

                ~Hebrews 4:12 KJV

The writer, Tatyana goes on to describe "The direct meaning of Mem is water.  To a Jew, it might illustrate the spring of the Torah (living water) or the sea of Talmud (deep mysteries of God), reminding them that there is always more to learn in addition to what they already know.

And just like there are 2 bodies of water, you can write the [Hebrew] letter in two forms: open and closed: 

        

An open body of water flows from one place to another, whereas a closed one is more like a basin; a lake, pool, or even the ocean.  According to some Hebrew scholars, the open form represents the revealed truth of God, while the closed form represents the mysteries of God.  In shorter terms, there's the accessible truth and the mysterious. 

Ultimately, we can see how there are two sides to the Word:  things we do and do not understand.  Along with this dual truth comes another:  it's essential for us to study the Word, but equally important to rest in the truth that we don't have to figure it all out right away.  We must trust that through constant dripping of the Word, God is at work in us." ~tanyaremkiv.com

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure." ~Philippians 2:13 KJV 

 

Dwelling within the Word of God daily empowers "work within" us and if it's satisfying to God we experience pleasure in that work to.  Again it is like honey to the soul.  If your primary love language is "words of affirmation"  Seek ye the Word of God and have all the loving affirmation needed from God himself.  He will fulfill all that your soul needs and desires!  These Psalms are like instruction to the believer, ever satisfying!

Solomon the offspring of King David and author of some of the ancient Hebrew Wisdom & Poetry wrote:

 "Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." 

                              ~Proverbs 18:21 KJV

 "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad." 

                               ~Proverbs 12:25 KJV

 

Conclusion:

The Word of God is refreshing to the soul.  It's amazing how I can hear the same word over and over and still be newly refreshed by the same word that has satisfied me in the past.

Renewing our minds by the living word of God is a labor of love.  When I first started to devote time daily to the reading and examination of His Holy Scripture I had a strong need to explain or justify and/or prove to others the truth within the word.  But God helped me have great peace resting in simply proving it to myself.  Like the Faith Rest described to the Hebrews in chapter 4.

Exhortation:

Read the word of God and don the full armor he provides us as Warriors for Christ (Christians).  If you're new to the fight, take rest in His faithfulness and trust that you need not prove any of this Gospel truth to anyone but yourself.  Take time with the Lord and let Him lead you with the Holy Spirit.

The burning desire to share this good news of faith, hope & love hasn't subsided, obviously for here I am in the pulpit preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yet, the peace on my feet remain steadfast.  It's like the helmet of salvation has become ever more real instilling confidence and convincing of the ever here after.  The breast plate of righteousness has further matured throughout my lifestyle imputing fruit of the Spirit to grow.  The Sword is of the Spirit is sharp as a two-edged dagger written upon my heart, bring hope to the hopeless.  The shield of faith is raised high and when it gets heavy, I'm reminded that it is His faithfulness that carries me, not only me but us!  The belt of truth holds all of His Holy Armor together.  The love of God guards our rear and his great love endures forever!

Benediction.