Loving and hating one's enemies in different dispensations

[Confessor]

In Theonomy and Christians Ethics, Bahnsen establishes in detail the abiding validity of God's law as Jesus espoused in Matthew 5:17-20. Bahnsen then says that Jesus restates the requirements of the law (not adding anything).

I was thinking, since one of the examples is Jesus' command to love our enemies, how does that play out given the immutability of God's law? Was not hatred of God's enemies justified during the time of Israel (cf. Psalm 139:21), and are we not going to hate God's enemies with Him for all eternity once the righteous and wicked are eternally separated (cf. Revelation 19:1-3)? This question is interesting because it seems there is some sort of change (from hatred of enemies to love of them), but Jesus is establishing the abiding validity of the law. So, it seems there should be continuity when there is a sort of discontinuity.

I have a feeling what the answer is: that we are always to hate enemies of God, and that enemies of God cannot be conceived apart from residing in human form (i.e., it would be wrong to say that humans cannot be enemies of God just because we are dealing with spiritual warfare), do not negate the fact that we have no idea who the elect are among unregenerate men. Seeing as this is the case, even in Israel David could not tell which Gentiles might enter the covenant community in the future, and he was therefore still required to treat his neighbors with love. Therefore, the general moral principle set forth (love of God and hatred of things contrary to Him) would be consistent, but with a different application in different dispensations (since we would have better knowledge of who His enemies are after the eternal separation).

But I would not be surprised if this answer is wanting or otherwise inappropriate, so I would appreciate some input on this topic.

EDIT - I just came across a sentence of Bahnsen's that is very pertinent: "At one point not only does what is quoted have additions to the Older Testamental law, it blatantly contradicts the law of God (cf. Matt. 5:43)."

And then I saw this verse in my Bible linked to Lev. 19:18, an explicit command to love one's neighbor.

Therefore, I guess now that my questions now are, 1. What passages speaking of hating one's enemies, if any, are there in Scripture? 2. How are we to interpret these? 3. Are we called to hate our enemies after the eternal separation?

 

[Herald]

Ben,

I want to key on Matthew 5:17,18:

Matthew 5:17-18 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Two things are being spoken of here. 1. The codified Law of Moses (both ceremonial and moral). 2. The declarations of the Prophets. There is a distinct fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled aspect to the Law and the Prophets. The ceremonial aspect of the Law has been fulfilled in Christ. It's requirements have been met by Christ. Jesus says as much in verse 17, "I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." See also Hebrews 8-10.

The moral law, codified in Exodus 20, continues to this day. What has changed is how the church is supposed to respond to law breakers. The magistrate is responsible for public crimes committed by both the righteous and the unrighteous. What about lawlessness that the magistrate is not able to address? I think a look back at the Old Covenant economy sheds some light on this question. The Old Covenant was imperfect. Christ had yet to come and fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law. The Law became the measuring stick by which all behavior was judged. It could not measure the attitude of the heart. That was one of the major changes that occurred when Christ kept the Law in all it's parts.

Christ has fulfilled the ceremonial Law, and eventually will judge all those in rebellion against God's moral law. When that occurs (Revelation 20), all of the Law will be fulfilled. Not one iota, not one dot of the Law will be left undone. Will we join with God in hating His enemies? To the degree that God hates sin, I believe the answer is "yes." But what of the now? Is there a disconnect between loving our enemies and hating them? I don't believe so. Jesus Christ is the righteous judge, and all judgment belongs to Him (Romans 12:19). We participate in God's ultimate judgment on the wicked by good works, that effectively pour hot coals on their head (Romans 12:20). There is no disconnect. No inconsistency.

 

[Davidius]

Augustine addresses something like this in Book III of the Confessions, where he talks about the Manichees and their mocking of the Patriarchs.

Nor knew I that true inward righteousness which judgeth not according
to custom, but out of the most rightful law of God Almighty, whereby
the ways of places and times were disposed according to those times
and places; itself meantime being the same always and every where,
not one thing in one place, and another in another; according to which
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and David, were righteous,
and all those commended by the mouth of God; but were judged unrighteous
by silly men, judging out of man's judgment, and measuring by their
own petty habits, the moral habits of the whole human race. As if
in an armory, one ignorant of what were adapted to each part should
cover his head with greaves, or seek to be shod with a helmet, and
complain that they fitted not: or as if on a day when business is
publicly stopped in the afternoon, one were angered at not being allowed
to keep open shop, because he had been in the forenoon; or when in
one house he observeth some servant take a thing in his hand, which
the butler is not suffered to meddle with; or something permitted
out of doors, which is forbidden in the dining-room; and should be
angry, that in one house, and one family, the same thing is not allotted
every where, and to all. Even such are they who are fretted to hear
something to have been lawful for righteous men formerly, which now
is not; or that God, for certain temporal respects, commanded them
one thing, and these another, obeying both the same righteousness:
whereas they see, in one man, and one day, and one house, different
things to be fit for different members, and a thing formerly lawful,
after a certain time not so; in one corner permitted or commanded,
but in another rightly forbidden and punished. Is justice therefore
various or mutable? No, but the times, over which it presides, flow
not evenly, because they are times. But men whose days are few upon
the earth, for that by their senses they cannot harmonise the causes
of things in former ages and other nations, which they had not experience
of, with these which they have experience of, whereas in one and the
same body, day, or family, they easily see what is fitting for each
member, and season, part, and person; to the one they take exceptions,
to the other they submit.

He's not talking about your specific example, but the same principle may apply. The fact of the matter is, whatever our interpretation of Jesus' statement that he did not come to "abolish the law" is, there are some "laws" given previously by God that no longer apply. In the sense that God's laws are given by a living being, they do not have the same nature as Kant's categorical imperative. We like for everything to be "absolute" so that we can (rightly) fend off moral "relativism," but sometimes that backs us into a difficult corner and we see that more nuance is required.

 

[Confessor]

But what of the now? Is there a disconnect between loving our enemies and hating them? I don't believe so. Jesus Christ is the righteous judge, and all judgment belongs to Him (Romans 12:19). We participate in God's ultimate judgment on the wicked by good works, that effectively pour hot coals on their head (Romans 12:20). There is no disconnect. No inconsistency.

I like this. Basically what you're saying is that we still hate enemies of God now, in that we attempt to bring men to repentance and away from Satan, and we do this through our good works and winsome dispositions (love). So, we hate enemies of God all the time, including after the eternal separation, but while we are with them (i.e. before the wheat and chaff are separated), we are commanded to love them in our actions and deeds. Is this what you're saying?

 

[Herald]

But what of the now? Is there a disconnect between loving our enemies and hating them? I don't believe so. Jesus Christ is the righteous judge, and all judgment belongs to Him (Romans 12:19). We participate in God's ultimate judgment on the wicked by good works, that effectively pour hot coals on their head (Romans 12:20). There is no disconnect. No inconsistency.

I like this. Basically what you're saying is that we still hate enemies of God now, in that we attempt to bring men to repentance and away from Satan, and we do this through our good works and winsome dispositions (love). So, we hate enemies of God all the time, including after the eternal separation, but while we are with them (i.e. before the wheat and chaff are separated), we are commanded to love them in our actions and deeds. Is this what you're saying?

Ben, no. We are to hate sin. Sin is our common enemy. I would not personalize it to where we hate the sinner (who is also, the enemy of God). It is not for us to know who will pass from this this life remaining an enemy of God. Only the Father knows the number of His elect, and far be it from us that we should consider one of God's elect, while still unregenerate, an eternal enemy of God.

Let your hatred be for sin; first your own, and then the sin of this world. Show the love of God towards this world by living the gospel.

Matthew 5:16 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 

[Confessor]

But what of the now? Is there a disconnect between loving our enemies and hating them? I don't believe so. Jesus Christ is the righteous judge, and all judgment belongs to Him (Romans 12:19). We participate in God's ultimate judgment on the wicked by good works, that effectively pour hot coals on their head (Romans 12:20). There is no disconnect. No inconsistency.

I like this. Basically what you're saying is that we still hate enemies of God now, in that we attempt to bring men to repentance and away from Satan, and we do this through our good works and winsome dispositions (love). So, we hate enemies of God all the time, including after the eternal separation, but while we are with them (i.e. before the wheat and chaff are separated), we are commanded to love them in our actions and deeds. Is this what you're saying?

Ben, no. We are to hate sin. Sin is our common enemy. I would not personalize it to where we hate the sinner (who is also, the enemy of God). It is not for us to know who will pass from this this life remaining an enemy of God. Only the Father knows the number of His elect, and far be it from us that we should consider one of God's elect, while still unregenerate, an eternal enemy of God.

Let your hatred be for sin; first your own, and then the sin of this world. Show the love of God towards this world by living the gospel.

Matthew 5:16 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Yeah, I didn't mean to establish some personal hatred, though I can see that I showed that in my words. I was trying to establish a hatred of evil and sin in talking about hating enemies of God.

 

[Skyler]

In the Old Testament the Israelite nation was commanded never to make peace with a couple nations whose identities I forget, but to perpetually be at war with them. This is the reference commonly cited by those who argue that "hate your enemies" was a command given in the OT.

 

[SolaScriptura]

There are some people I hate to love... and others I love to hate!

 

[Skyler]

There are some people I hate to love... and others I love to hate!

Couldn't those be placed in the same category?

 

[Confessor]

I just want to tell everyone that I came across Proverbs 24:17-18 today -- Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.

I saw John Gill's commentary on this, who made a distinction between private and public enmity, arguing that we are to deny and resist joy in the shame of private enemies (as it involves personal vengeance and vendettas) while appraising the shame of public enemies (as it involves God's righteous justice and wrath against sin). "Private" and "public" aren't the best terms, but the fact is that the former refers to harm befalling personal enemies whereas the latter refers to harm befalling God's enemies by God's own hand. I thought I would tell you all this, because it provides a clean distinction (though perhaps a misnomer) that makes these concepts very easy to understand and intermingle.