舍命的爱（Agape） 耶稣说：“我赐给你们一条新命令，乃是叫你们彼此相爱；我怎样爱你们，你们也要怎样相爱。你们若有彼此相爱的心，众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。”（约13:34、35） Jesus said: ”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciple, if you have love for one another.” 我们知道在希腊文中“爱”这个字有四种不同的表达：一是男女之爱，二是亲人之爱，三是朋友之爱，四是舍命之爱。而在这里，耶稣所表达的是第四种——舍命之爱，不仅是他用舍命的爱爱我们，也要我们用舍命之爱来彼此相爱。当我们说“我爱你”的时候，我们指的是哪一种爱呢？还是“我需要你”呢？ We know that there’s four different expressions in Greek: The first is eros which means the love between male and female. The second is storge means relative love. The third is philia which means deep friendship. The fourth is agape which means sacrificial love. In this Scripture, Jesus used agape. He loved us with sacrificial love so that we should love one another with sacrificial love. When you say ”I love you” to someone, which love do you mean?Does it mean “I need you” indeed? 保罗谈到爱时说：“我若能说万人的方言，并天使的话语，却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣、响的钹一般。我若有先知讲道之能，也明白各样的奥秘，各样的知识，而且有全备的信，叫我能够移山，却没有爱，我就算不得什么。我若将所有的周济穷人，又舍己身叫人焚烧，却没有爱，仍然与我无益。爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈；爱是不嫉妒，爱是不自夸，不张狂，不作害羞的事，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。爱是永不止息。”When Paul showed the more excellent way, concerning love, he said: ”If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 爱的重要性，是不容忽视的。仔细对照考察这段经文，便发现自己的种种亏欠，没有彰显上帝的爱。如果基督教不讲爱，那它便不是可信的，因为神就是爱。信离不开爱，最大的是爱。神爱我们，甚至将他的独生子赐给我们——这是耶稣基督舍命的爱。他做一切为了我们，他的人生是为了我们的益处，以至于为我们死和复活。我们因着他的爱所以有信的盼望，以感恩的心来爱他，也像他一样爱人。It shall not be ignored that love is important. Seeing these Scriptures, we will find our lacks and shortages because we did not manifest the love of God. God so loved us that he gave his only son to us. This love is the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. His whole life and all his actions are for our benefits. He died for us and was raised up for us. We have the hope of faith for his love and love others with heart of thanksgiving. “人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。”你愿意为自己的朋友舍命吗？我记得一个比方。如果我在期末考试的时候因为弟兄（朋友）生病而放弃复习去照顾他，而他在病痛中还在看书复习；最后他考试顺利通过，而我挂科了。这事该如何论呢？是我应该以自己的学业本分为重而不去照顾他呢，还是我应该为了他暂时放弃自己的学习呢？我想了又想，有一次听到一篇讲道，重新省察了爱的重要性。学习不是考试周的事，而是平时就要学习，我挂科是在乎不好好学习，而不在乎用时间去关心照顾他。爱，就是要付出的。”Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? I remembered a setting example. I looked after a brother (or friend) who studied hard even in sickness so that I failed my exams but he passed his exams. What is this? Should I go to study not look after him? Or on the contrary? I heard a message and thought over the importance of love. Learning is not only the matter of preparation for final exams. I failed my exams because of my slack for study not attending to him. Love means sacrifice. 还有一种说法是：爱是盲目的。感谢神，这句话不是真的。爱不是盲目的，而是智慧和清楚明白的。不喜欢不义，只喜欢真理，在爱中神会给我们当有的智慧和勇气。惟愿我们从心里彼此相爱，使我们团契的名称更加名副其实。阿们！A saying is known that love is blind. Thanks be to God for it is not true. Love is not blind but wise and clear. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. God shall give us wisdom and courage in love. Oh that we love one another with heart. The name of our fellowship be more suitable for us. Amen! 本文来源：https://www.wddqw.com/doc/7345325c0b1c59eef8c7b4ad.html