67 爱——爱人是基督徒的基本行为Love - Loving is basic toChristian behavior
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to
Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
67 爱——爱人是基督徒的基本行为
Love - Loving is basic to Christian behavior
爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈；爱是不嫉妒，爱是不自夸，不张狂，不做害羞的事，不求自己的益处，不轻易发怒，不计算人的恶， 不喜欢不义，只喜欢真理；凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐；（林前13:4-7）
新约圣经所介绍的基督教，在本质上乃是对造物主启示自己为爱之神所发出的反应。神是三个位格的实存，祂这样爱不敬虔的世人，以至父神赐下了祂的儿子，子神也赐下了自己的生命，父与子又一同赐下了圣灵，好将罪人从无法想象的悲惨境遇中救出来，并引领他们进入无法想象的荣耀里。肯相信这个惊人圣爱的实际，又被它所席卷征服的人，心中自然会生出并维持着自己对神和对人的爱，这两样都是基督最大的两条诫命所要求的（太22:35-40）。我们的爱表达出我们对神之爱的感激，并愿以神的爱为我们的楷模（弗4:32-5:2，约一3:16）。
基督徒的爱就是基督徒生命的标记。全心、无条件的顺服是我们爱神的度量与测试（约一5:3；约14:15,21,23）；而我们爱人之度量与测试则在于我们肯不肯为他们舍命（约一3:16；另参约15:12-13）。这种牺牲的爱包括为着别人的幸福而给予、而耗费自己，甚至肯为着给别人而使自己穷到了极限。耶稣所讲的那个好撒玛利亚人的比喻，提到他如何爱恨他的犹太人，正是爱邻舍之定义的模范（路10:25-27）。
邻舍之爱刻书在哥林多前书十三章4-8节里，这种毫不自显的爱是在令人惊讶。邻舍之爱只为邻舍求好处，而这种爱的真实度量，就在于我们究竟能为着这个目标给多少。
爱是一种行动原则，而不是情绪的表现。它的目的是存心要尊荣人，作出对人有利的事，与我们个人感情上对那个怎样无关。我们只是根据对别人需要所发出的一片怜恤之心，而为他们做些什么。耶稣的门徒之所以被人认出来他们是属主的，就是籍着他们切实的彼此相爱。
LOVE
LOVING IS BASIC TO CHRISTIAN
BEHAVIOR
Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 CORINTHIANS
13:4-7
New
Testament Christianity is essentially response to the revelation of the Creator
as a God of love. God is a tripersonal Being who so loves ungodly humans that
the Father has given the Son, the Son has given his life, and Father and Son
together now give the Spirit to save sinners from unimaginable misery and lead
them into unimaginable glory. Believing in and being overwhelmed by this
amazing reality of divine love generates and sustains the love to God and
neighbor that Christ’s two great commandments require (Matt. 22:35-40). Our
love is to express our gratitude for God’s gracious love to us, and to be
modeled on it (Eph. 4:32-5:2; 1 John 3:16).
The
hallmark of Christian life is thus Christian love. The measure and test of love
to God is wholehearted and unqualified obedience (1 John 5:3; John 14:15, 21,
23); the measure and test of love to our neighbors is laying down our lives for
them (1 John 3:16; cf. John 15:12-13). This sacrificial love involves giving,
spending, and impoverishing ourselves up to the limit for their well-being.
Jesus’ story of the Samaritan’s kindness to the hated Jew stands as his model
definition of neighbor-love (Luke 10:25-37).
Neighbor-love
is profiled in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Its total lack of self-concern is
breathtaking. Neighbor-love seeks the neighbor’s good, and the true measure of
it is how much it gives to that end.
Love
is a principle of action rather than of emotion. It is a purpose of honoring
and benefiting the other party. It is a matter of doing things for people out
of compassion for their need, whether or not we feel personal affection for
them. It is by their active love to one another that Jesus’ disciples are to be
recognized (John 13:34-35).