panta dokimazete
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
Ok, call me a glutton for punishment, but I am still interested in exploring the concept of appropriate self-love and I am hoping we can reason together using a foundational Scripture as a springboard to examine the veracity of this proposition.
I am absolutely aware that this is a controversial subject, prone to misunderstanding and preconceived bias, but I am convinced that Scripture can be plumbed and a reasonable conclusion derived of "good and necessary consequence".
Now, I am not a trained logician nor a student of the science of logic, but I
believe that reason is a gift from God and is a substantiating element (among
many, many others) for the proof of God's existence, so I think it is appropriate to employ this gift to seek His truth.
I am also not a trained exegete, but I approach Scripture with fear and trembling and a regenerate seeker's desire to understand the mind of Christ and the logic of God.
With that being said, let's look at Christ's response to the questioning of the Pharisees in Matthew 22:
Look at vs. 39 - YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
There seems to be a hidden premise in this statement:
All people love themselves or all people have self-love
I would like to explore this hidden premise a bit.
If all people love themselves, does that mean the love that people feel for
themselves is always appropriate and appropriately expressed? Even a cursory
examination of Scripture will lead to the inevitable conclusion - "NO".
So, if there are inappropriate expressions of self-love, are there any examples
of appropriately expressed self-love?
Look at Luke 10:
If we take the hidden premise "All people have self-love" and apply it to this situation - which person expresses appropriate self-love?
Obviously, it is the Samaritan - but what makes this expression of self-love appropriate?
Do you agree that there is appropriate and inappropriate self-love or is self-love some neutral and given assumption with no additional derivable conclusions?
Thanks for your thoughtful and considerate responses.
I am absolutely aware that this is a controversial subject, prone to misunderstanding and preconceived bias, but I am convinced that Scripture can be plumbed and a reasonable conclusion derived of "good and necessary consequence".
Now, I am not a trained logician nor a student of the science of logic, but I
believe that reason is a gift from God and is a substantiating element (among
many, many others) for the proof of God's existence, so I think it is appropriate to employ this gift to seek His truth.
I am also not a trained exegete, but I approach Scripture with fear and trembling and a regenerate seeker's desire to understand the mind of Christ and the logic of God.
With that being said, let's look at Christ's response to the questioning of the Pharisees in Matthew 22:
34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they
gathered themselves together.
35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,
36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
38"This is the great and foremost commandment.
39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
40"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Look at vs. 39 - YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
There seems to be a hidden premise in this statement:
All people love themselves or all people have self-love
I would like to explore this hidden premise a bit.
If all people love themselves, does that mean the love that people feel for
themselves is always appropriate and appropriately expressed? Even a cursory
examination of Scripture will lead to the inevitable conclusion - "NO".
So, if there are inappropriate expressions of self-love, are there any examples
of appropriately expressed self-love?
Look at Luke 10:
30Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.
31"And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32"Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33"But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,
34and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35"On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.'
36"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"
37And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."
If we take the hidden premise "All people have self-love" and apply it to this situation - which person expresses appropriate self-love?
Obviously, it is the Samaritan - but what makes this expression of self-love appropriate?
Do you agree that there is appropriate and inappropriate self-love or is self-love some neutral and given assumption with no additional derivable conclusions?
Thanks for your thoughtful and considerate responses.