Notes

See LAB 148 here Principle: from desiringgod.org Ground A “ground” is an argument or reason for another statement. One way to remember this is that the ground is the ground upon which another statement is built. The supporting (or grounding) statement comes after the statement it supports. When you come to a grounding statement in the Bible, ask what came before it that it supports. Study Questions: 1. We’ve heard it said, “Love covers a multitude of sins,” but what does it mean? Just off the top of my head, I think of enduring with one another's failings. Waiting for each other in the midst of sanctification. 2. Does the great presentation of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4–13 have any allusion of this idea of covering sins? What does Colossians 3:12–13 and James 5:19–20 contribute to our understanding? Pastor John explains that in the last days (context of preceding verse 7), there will be the sins in times of stress relationally, and threat to faith. Love is patient and bearing with one another (1 Corinthians 13) so this helps with the relational aspect of sin. Love also motivates us to seek someone to turn back to Christ (James 5:19--20) thus "covering" the wanderer's sin. I also think that the contrast of Proverbs 28:13 helps -- that 1 Peter 4:8 refers to how we can cover another's sin, but we cannot cover our own sins ourselves. To deal with our own sins, Prov 28:13 says we are to confess them. I found this helpful. 3. Which sins are the hardest for you to overlook in the name of love? Whose sin is most challenging for you to endure and forgive? In the past three years, I struggle with two who hold overseer positions in the church but who sin in ways that do harm to the church body and to individual believers under their pastoral care. One is an elder of a church who can not forgive a woman for what he perceived, but was not true, as wrong on her part. This led to slander and gossip resulting in the woman needing to find another church in a very tight small community. The other is an elder who controls the choice of pastoral staff, and has used his authority to slander and vote against some good pastors. This has resulted in the departure of a very good competent senior pastor, the leaving of one other junior pastor, and the grave illness of a third. This church has great problems in finding pastoral staff today. I find enduring and forgiving these two elders in particular a constant daily struggle. I have had to preach to myself on many many related passages and pray for help and ability to have this supernatural love that is found in the children of God, and that is Christ-like. Do pray for me. Thank you

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1 Peter 4:8

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πρὸ πάντων τὴν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀγάπην ἐκτενῆ ἔχοντες,

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,

Double clicking on ἐκτενῆ, gives the definition of "intent, constant, strenuous, intense"

Above all keep 22 your love for one another fervent, 23

ὅτι ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν.

since q love covers a multitude of sins.

Clicking on the NET Bible's superscription "24" after "sins" opens a study note giving this explanation: The statement of v. 8b, love covers a multitude of sins, is proverbial: It is quoted from Prov 10:12 (cf. Jas 5:20). It speaks of the forbearance that comes with love: Christian love is patient and forgiving toward the offenses of a fellow Christian (Matt 18:21-22; 1 Cor 13:4-7).

because love covers a multitude of sins . 24

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Using BibleArc Search for parallel passages

1 Peter 4:8

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8 πρὸ πάντων τὴν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀγάπην ἐκτενῆ ἔχοντες, ὅτι ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν.

1 Peter 4:8

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since q love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

8 Above all keep 22 your love for one another fervent, 23 because love covers a multitude of sins . 24

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

4 e Love is patient and f kind; love g does not envy or boast; it h is not arrogant 5 or rude. It i does not insist on its own way; it j is not irritable or resentful; 1 6 it k does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but l rejoices with the truth. 7 m Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, e endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For n we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but o when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For p now we see in a mirror dimly, but q then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as r I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Colossians 3:12-13

12 d Put on then, as e God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, f compassionate hearts, g kindness, h humility, meekness, and patience, 13 h bearing with one another and, i if one has a complaint against another, g forgiving each other; g as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

James 5:19-20

19 My brothers, f if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone g brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering h will save his soul from death and i will cover a multitude of sins.

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Proverbs 10:12

12 Hatred stirs up strife, but w love covers all offenses.

Proverbs 28:13

13 Whoever x conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who y confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

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