Love does not dishonour others

"[Love] does not dishonour others" (1 Corinthians 13:5)

Einsteing With His Tongue Out. Arthur Sasse, 1951

This is the first love characteristic of 1 Corinthians 13:5 which was written to show what genuine love is really like. The Greek word used here is translated as rude in the NIV 1984, whereas the above version uses 'dishonour others'. Other versions say acting unbecomingly, unseemly, or shamefully. The actual Greek word derives from a word which literally means 'without shape'. To be acting indecently against the shape that is normal for a person - to be indecent and so rude. Winter (1998:78) said the word can have "strong sexual innuendos" relating to sexual behaviour and nakedness, but is not in itself sexual, and being "without shape" could likewise apply to interrupting conversation, spitting, drunkenness and many other things (p79) as exampled by the word's use outside of scripture. It would seem then that rude is an adequate word to use. My mum brought me up to think it rude if we don't say please and thank you, or eat with elbows on the table; it was rude to point, or stick my tongue out at people; a rude joke tends to be sexual in content; or when I come into a conversation and ask what it was about, and people say 'don't worry, it's a bit rude', you assume they were talking about something sexual or involving nakedness and if I thought of a rude film, I'd think of the carry ons or American Pie. In the same way that rudeness involves a great deal of different things in English, it would seem to be the same in Greek.

It would be interesting to examine the anthropology of rudeness, to see what it means to different culture? In most cultures thumbs up means OK, it's a good gesture; but if you do it in Greece it's an insult. You want to say the olives the guy on the market place sold you are delicious, but instead you might as well have stuck your middle finger up at him. I think the same is so for rudeness, and it involves knowing the person you are with. Is there any behaviours you might have with your partner or friend that they might consider rude? 1 Corinthians 8 says we can eat any meat, but if eating meat that's been sacrificed to an idol upsets someone then don't do it. In the same way, if you love someone you will act appropriately towards them and not stick your thumbs up at the Greek market man, even though it feels fine for you, and you see nothing wrong with it. Let's make every effort to not be rude, so that we do not upset those we love, and act without love. There are other behaviours that I imagine we would find are universally rude in our anthropological study. No matter what culture you go to, I imagine it to be rude to spit your food out, and then eat it again. In the same way there are things we know are rude from scripture, our culture and common sense.

In there any way that you are acting 'without shape'/ inappropriately/ rudely that is affecting the people you love? Or is someone else acting inappropriately towards you. Are you with a group of people where you struggle to be appropriate?

God guide, guard and inspire you
xSx

Update:

Since starting this blog I became a Counsellor. You can read more on blog on subjects like Therapy at:

 www.simonslistening.co.uk