📖 Biblical Definition
Christ's explicit ethical command in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36): love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you. The command is rooted in the Father's own pattern — He sends rain on the just and on the unjust. To love only those who love us is the ethic of tax-collectors; the children of the Father do more.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
LOVE, n.
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Strong affection. To love one's enemies — in scripture, the highest expression of Christian love, set by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.
📖 Key Scripture
Matthew 5:44 — "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
Luke 6:27 — "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you."
Romans 12:20 — "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."
Luke 23:34 — "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern outrage culture rewards hating enemies; Christ commanded loving them.
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Christ's command to love enemies is the most counter-natural ethic in the Bible. The Old Testament permitted hatred of enemies as a national survival posture (Ps 139:21-22 even commemorates it). Christ raised the bar to inhuman heights: love them. Bless them. Pray for them. Feed them when they are hungry. Christ Himself did this on the cross: Father, forgive them.
Modern political and digital culture rewards exactly the opposite. The algorithm pays for outrage; the tribe rewards contempt; cancellation is celebrated. Christ's command remains. Love does not mean approval — you may still vote against your enemy, name his sin, refuse his policy — but you must want his salvation, pray for his soul, do good to him in personal interaction. The command is severe; the grace is sufficient; the witness is unmatched.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek agapao tous echthrous.
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Usage
"Modern outrage culture rewards hating enemies; Christ commanded loving them."
"Love does not mean approval; you may oppose policy and still pray for soul."
"Christ did it on the cross: Father, forgive them. The grace is sufficient for the command."