The Love of God??

Several verses use the ambiguous phrase which might refer to God's love for someone or it might refer to someone's love for God? How do we tell which one is probably the intended message and how could we better translate the phrase?

Lets take a look at some verses:

Luke 11:42 (NASB)
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every kind of garden herb, and yet you ignore justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Here it is obvious our love for God is in view because "these are the things you should have done." Thus the verse should be translated "the love for God."

John 5:42 (NASB)
but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
Here the people addressed as "you" are rejecting Christ, thus they do not have actual love for God in themselves. Thus the verse should be translated "the love for God."

Romans 5:5 (NASB)
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Here it is not obvious which (or possibly both) meanings is intended. However, I believe the intended meaning, is God's love for us, reflects the most likely message. This translation choice still allows our resultant love for God (we love Him because He first loved us) to be inferred.

Romans 8:39 (NASB)
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here God's love for us, as declared in John 3:16, is the intended message. Thus the verse should be translated "God's love for us" in Christ Jesus our Lord. Once saved, always saved!

2 Corinthians13:14 (NASB)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Here, as we are the recipients of grace, love and fellowship from God, God love for us conveys the message. However to clarify the intended message we can add in "italics" manifest love. Thus the verse should be translated, "God's manifest love for us,"

2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NASB)
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the perseverance of Christ.
Here the same difficulty arises as in Romans 5:5 (above) and the best answer seems the same. Thus the verse should be translated, "God's love for us."

1 John 2:5
but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
Here God's love for us is in view, and the term "perfected" refers to our having reciprocated with our love and commitment for God. Thus the verse should be translated, "God's love for us."

1 John 3:17 (NASB)
But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God "remain"in him?
Here our love for God is absent, because if we love God, we would be committed to helping others, just as God helped us. However, the choice of "remain" is poor, suggesting the person once had a love for God, so the better choice is "abide" in him, because it is not there and the verse does not address whether it once was. Thus the verse should be translated, "the love for God abide in him?"

1 John 4:9 (NASB)
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.
Here God's love for us is manifested by our having eternal life. Thus the verse should be translated, "God's love for us."

1 John 5:3 (NASB)
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome
Here our love for God is in view. Thus the verse should be translated "the love for God."

Jude 1:21 (NASB)
keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
Here our action is in view. Thus the verse should be translated, "in this love for God." Note here translation of the article "the" is changed to "this" to make the reference back to our actions in the previous verse clear.

 

1 John 2:15 (NASB)
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This is a difficult verse, with our English translations going all three ways, most with "the love of the Father" (an ambiguous translation leaving to the reader to discern just what is being said) a few going with "love for the Father" (notably the RSV and NIV) and several going with "the Father's love" (notably the HCSB and WEB).

I believe the dreaded NIV presents the right understanding, if we love the world, the love for the Father is not in us. I came to this conclusion by considering the passage, 1 John 2:15-17.

Obviously, our "love" is not a superficial "liking" of God and His promises, but a deep, firmly rooted, devotion to the Father, as it must override our attraction to our lusts and pride.

 

Romans 15:30 NaSB
Now I urge you, [siblings] by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

Once again, scholars are split as to whether our love for the Holy Spirit is in view, or the Holy Spirit's love for us is in view. My answer is neither of those. Paul is asking for believers to earnestly prayer for Paul, that he might bring the grace of the gospel to the lost. Why would we do that? Because of our love and devotion to the lost! And where did this godly and sacrificial love come from, certainly not because we feel kinship with the world or those still heading for destruction.

However, in Galatians 5:22 we learn that among the fruit of the Spirit are kindness, goodness, faithfulness and love. Thus I believe a more accurate and less ambiguous translation would be, "by the Spirit's fruit of love, to strive together with me....

 

Does money love us or do we have a love for money? Perhaps 1 Timothy 3:3, 6:10 and Hebrews 13:5 should be translated "the love for money?"