Love and knowledge. They often seem to be two ends of a spectrum. We have churches, movements or leaders that are known for one or the other. We seem wired from birth to gravitate towards one end or the other. Yet when Paul talks about bearing fruit, he says it comes from love that overflows with knowledge and insight.
Then he tells his story of being in prison for the gospel and watching others with impure motives preach openly to make money. I wonder how I would feel in those circumstances. Would I so long to be with those I love that I would turn inward with self pity? Would I be so angry with those who make a profit from preaching truth with impure motives that I become bitter? What would happen to my heart and my head?
His response was to rejoice that God was using even lesser people for good. Only by combining knowledge and love does one get to that point. He could understand God at work and he could feel joy in his heart for it despite his circumstances. Paul's heart and head were united. It is the core concept of spiritual transformation. It is the Shema of Deuteronomy; the most important commandment to Jesus. "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." Commandments in hearts, not heads. It seems ironic to say it that way. It seems to be a corrective to our natural tendencies to gravitate to one end of the spectrum of love and knowledge.
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