Question from Ephesians

[2Timothy4:1-5]

"Husbands, love your wives..." (Eph 5:25a NIV)

"...he who loves his wife loves himself." (Eph 5:28b NIV)

What if a man doesn't love himself; can he still "love" his wife?

Kenneth

 

[swaimj]

There's no such thing as a man who does not love himself.

 

[2Timothy4:1-5]

Perhaps I need to be a little more specific...

I was meaning a man who doesn't "like" himself; doesn't "like" the things he does; doesn't "like" who he is



Kenneth

 

[Artimaeus]

It says men are to nourish and cherish their wives as the Lord does the church. It doesn't say he is to like his wife like he likes himself. I'm not trying to be a smart-alec but can you imagine Paul saying,"husbands like you wives as the Lord likes the church".

 

[2Timothy4:1-5]

okay then, in light of the 2 verses I quoted, we'll talk about love then, and my original question still stands, if a man doesn't "love" himself, can he/will he "love" his wife?

kenneth

 

[Wisdom Seeker]

Even when a person does not think they love themselves, they will jump out of the way of an oncoming vehicle.

That may be shrugged off as instinct...but I think it amounts to about the same thing. A person remembers to eat, to go to the bathroom, to shower (usually) etc. I think the love just means take care of with concern for well being. Not so much..."Gee everybody, ain't I great, I just loooove myself, me me me."

Well that's what I think anyway.

Without looking it up though doesn't it say Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church? That's kind of a " I'll die so you don't have to" sort of love and that's a little more than most people are usually willing to do without consciously trying.

But hey...goals aren't supposed to keep you in your comfort zone....who would need God if you didn't well....need God right?

Just my thoughts.

 

[Don]

Perhaps, Timothy, the problem is on your emphasis. What you keep emphasizing is "self". What the passage you cite is emphasizing is placing the wife above self, placing others before self.

You see, the passage says "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it."

 

[donnA]

Along similar lines of what Laurenda said, a man shows that he loves himslef by bathing, eating, taking care of himself. So how much self hate can there be. Not likeing what he does and not like himslef are two diffreent things I believe. You can hate what you've done, hate that part that desires to do it, but I think eveidence points tot the fact that man does not hate himself, he may hate what he's done so much he feels a if it is hate. What this man needs is to be pointed to Jesus, if he is so upset he hates what he's done then he is certainly repentant, what Jesus forgives is gone.

 

[Dr. Bob]

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Universal truism, hence used as a comparison in husband/wife and in the Great Commandment (love your neighbor as yourself)

 

[ScottEmerson]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Universal truism, hence used as a comparison in husband/wife and in the Great Commandment (love your neighbor as yourself) </font>[/QUOTE]I've always wondered how to rectify that passage with the reality of suicide. I've had the chance (or misfortune - however you want to look at it) to read actual suicide notes from a few people. These people sure seemed to hate everything about them.

 

[Don]

Because, Scott, that passage is emphasizing the relationship between a husband and wife.

A wife beater loves his own flesh, but doesn't realize he's supposed to be loving his own wife just as much (or, I humbly submit, even more, because he should lay down his own life for her).

 

[Dr. Bob]

I've also dealt with suicide and found many many to be a hate crime against others. Get even with THEM by killing myself!

My sister-in-law killed herself in the folks' garage (rather than her own garage) so that THEY would get the shock and visual of the death.

One last act of defiance, even in death.

 

[Mark Osgatharp]

Originally posted by ScottEmerson:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Universal truism, hence used as a comparison in husband/wife and in the Great Commandment (love your neighbor as yourself) </font>[/QUOTE]I've always wondered how to rectify that passage with the reality of suicide. I've had the chance (or misfortune - however you want to look at it) to read actual suicide notes from a few people. These people sure seemed to hate everything about them. </font>[/QUOTE]Scott,

People commit suicide because they think ending their life will stop their suffering. That within itself is an expression of love for self.

Mark Osgatharp