Bible Discussion Thread

Hi Christine -- Because the original King James Bible which we are reading here was translated back in 1611, and from the Greek, the word "charitie" may not have quite the same meaning as "charity" today. Today we think of charity mainly as giving to others less fortunate, who need help. But other translations of the Bible both before and after the original King James version translate the Greek word as "love." If you read 1 Corinthians 13 using the word "love," it has a broader and deeper meaning. Love includes charity, but is more profound, especially when we consider that our human love is but part of God's love. No matter what we do, if we don't do it with love, we haven't done it fully, and in the end we're not left with much. Everything else will pass away, but love is eternal. Of faith, hope and love, the greatest of these is love. (verse 13.) As for your helping your friend, it sounds to me like your help was coming from a place of love. Are you sure that your friend meant her message the way you understood it? Was she saying that she would value your friendship even without your help? Sometimes these messages need to be straightened out. Psychology gets involved. Maybe she was feeling guilty for accepting your help. Maybe a longer discussion with her would help straighten it all out. And it also sounds like a Bible-study group might be of great use to you as far as Biblical meaning is concerned. Reading the Bible can be daunting. Is there a church that might have a Bible-study group that they have put on-line that you might attend, and that you might attend in person after the pandemic?