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Colossians 3:14
14 And [de] above [epi] all [pas] these things [toutois] put on charity, [agape] which [hostis] is [esti] the bond [sundesmos] of perfectness. [teleiotes] KJV-Interlinear
14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. NASB
There are basically three words used for love – ‘phileo,’ ‘agapao,’ and ‘eros.’
The first, ‘phileo,’ deals with the feelings of the heart. It connotes more of the emotional responses or reactions to something or someone, such as between a parent and child, or between friends, or even when listening to moving music or viewing a scenic wonder.
The third word, ‘eros,’ deals with the intimate relations that exist between married couples, or people in general.
The second word, ‘agapao,’ deals with the principles and policies, that form the basis for relationships, tolerance, and so forth, between God and man, between people, or between people and things.
This verse deals with the second word for love, which is the content of the scriptures.
The Word of God, is the glue, the material, the substance by which the perfect and complete life are constructed.
We have been commanded to pursue doctrine which is the content of the scriptures, and in so doing, knit together our life in order to form a complete life within ourselves, and to create a perfect bond or relationship or orientation between ourselves and God, and life, and people, and everything that makes up reality.
Bible doctrine is the ingredient which unites, and knits, and bonds, and completes ones life and total self existence.
Learning academically, anything and everything that exists in the world, is not enough. There are two sides of truth – the spiritual side and the temporal side. The temporal side is inadequate and cannot peer into the spiritual side of life.
The spiritual side in the only side that permits you to see and understand, all that is.
Just as our current life is virtually nothing when compared to eternity, so to, temporal knowledge and wisdom amount to virtually nothing, when compared to the vastness of spiritual knowledge and wisdom.
Without doctrine in your soul, you will never amount to anything.
Without obedience to the mandates of doctrine, you will never be productive.
The spiritual life requires both desire to learn, obedience to its obligations, and consistency in its application to your life. Without this, you can never accomplish a fulfillment of your life as defined and designed by God.
And without advancement to spiritual maturity, you will never achieve your full potential in life.
