Meditation on 1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:8
The word love here is specifically agape love. Agape love is probably the most talked about of the four kinds of love. It is the highest, most complete form of affection. God’s love for us is the foundation of this love. And Jesus gave us many lessons about and examples of agape - a strong, selfless and sacrificial love - during His earthly ministry.
The early church actually used the term to describe two separate activities they practiced. One was a sacred rite with bread and wine, similar to the Eucharist today. The other was a regular fellowship meal they held, to which the local poor were invited.
Jesus reminded His disciples over and over again that we are called to show this agape to God and to other people, whether they are friends or enemies.
Now marked by this knowledge, we can see in the introduction of the passage there is a command which states “above all”. In greek it is “pro pas” which more accurately translated means, “before all things”. The apostolic mandate here mirrors the command of Jesus in Matthew 5 and 22:
“‘You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” - Matthew 5:43-46.
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” - Matthew 22:37-39.
Peter (the chief apostle) addressed this epistle to Church members living in the five Roman provinces of Asia Minor. He was reminding the local church in what is now modern-day Turkey to be good stewards of the grace of God. To live holy lives that are generous to one another and to others. In both the verses before and aft verse 8, we see that verse 8 is the linchpin by which all are held together. Simply put… Peter is saying, “Be selfless and sacrificial in sincerely loving each other, because that kind of love helps us deal with our offenses”.
So today, remember this… someone you know is in need of love. Reach out. Help them. Be earnest. Know they too are carriers of God’s grace and need help stewarding it. LOVE LIKE HIM…