Hate is such a strong word, it's almost like you're murdering someone, just by using it. Whenever I say the words, "I hate you," it makes me feel bad and creates an uncomfortable feeling that runs throughout my body. I rarely use this word in normal conversation, because I realized a long time ago that there are very few things or people that I actually do hate. I might dislike some of their activities but to say that I hate them, seems to be a little out of my character.
While I was working on one of my books, I ran across something in the New Testament that is very confusing to me. Here's the verse that I am referring to, "1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him."
And here's the question that I have for the day, what exactly is brother referring to? I hear a lot of people in Christian churches, referring to each other as brother or sister. Is the author of 1John referring to everyone, fellow Christians, or fellow believers in God or is the author referring to your immediate family.
What does the word hate actually mean? To dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest: to hate the enemy; to hate bigotry. This should give you a pretty good idea what the word hate actually does mean. If I was to stand in the street and yell at someone, waving my fist violently, this could be taken as extreme hostility towards that person.
Am I only allowed to do this once, 10 times or a hundred times. It sounds like anyone who raises their voice to send an extremely hostile message towards another, might be considered a murderer. The Bible is very confusing and hard to understand, especially in a situation like this.
If this verse is true, I would imagine that 99% of all the people in the world are considered murderers, according to the New Testament and will not get to enter the kingdom of heaven, if eternal life is referring to the kingdom of heaven. In other words, if you've ever disliked someone passionately, you're not going to be living an eternal life.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a Religious Ideas filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
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