⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹ Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

1) How are we to “owe” love?
In the verses preceding this section, Paul was teaching about respecting and submitting to the authorities, which included paying taxes. Paul’s transition here to “owing love” is meant to highlight the fact that, as believers, we should be above reproach in our public and social dealings, but also taking the high road when it comes to displaying love and respect to everyone. We love well because we have been so radically loved by Christ. Paul reminds us of Jesus’ words that by loving, we fulfill every requirement of the law. God doesn’t call us to a long list of do’s and don’ts, rather, He invites us to love others the way we have been loved.

2) What “hour” is being referred to in verse 11?
This specific reference is not necessarily referring to the second coming of Christ, although it certainly carries undertones of His pending return, rather Paul’s main point is to urge those who have already crossed the line of faith to stop wasting their time living as if they were still chained to the ruler of Sin. Believers have been made new by the redemptive salvation of Christ, and we are set free to love. It’s something like insisting on driving around town in the old, beat up car that barely runs, when you have a Porsche in your garage, waiting for you to drive it. We’ve been freed for more!

3) How are we to “cast off” the works of darkness?
“Casting off” the works of darkness is an insistence on quitting the life of sin and self-gratification. Over in his letter to Ephesus, Paul takes this “casting off” one step farther and teaches us to “expose the unfruitful works of darkness”. This reference goes all the way back to Leviticus, where God instructed His people to honestly speak grace and truth to one another, in order that others wouldn’t fall into sin because of their silence. Following this section in Leviticus, the Lord reminds, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The decision to imitate the life and love of Christ benefits more than just us, it also invites others into the life that God has planned for them, that they may live freely as well!

4) What is the motivation for “putting on the Lord Jesus”?
The motivation here ties directly back to where Paul began: love. Love for Jesus, love for fellow believers, love for those trapped in injustice, and love for those who are hopelessly caught in the deadly grip of sin. Similarly, Peter urges believers to pick up our weapons and wage this war against our souls, keeping our conduct among “outsiders” pure and honorable that they may see God through us!

1) How are we to “owe” love?
Obviously, there wasn’t social media in ancient times, but the law of love applies to all social, political, and everyday modern situations. When we engage in conversation over social media, are we exhibiting this law of love? Are we showing respect for others in the words we choose and the battles we choose to wage? Especially in the arena of injustices and other hot topics like homosexuality, abortion, or pornography, Christ’s foremost calling to us as believers is to deeply love and respect those involved. Jesus offers love to everyone, and His love should be increasingly obvious by the way we engage culture.

2) What “hour” is being referred to in verse 11?
Paul’s urgency transcends the thousands of years separating us and the Corinthian church; stop living for yourself, all caught up in sin-stained desires and speech, live a life of love that points others to Christ! Our lives are so transient, we simply do not know when our life, or the lives of those around us, will end, but while it is “still today”, we have been given the opportunity to love others and free those bound by the chains of sin and injustice. We must stop being satisfied with our “happy little lives”.

3) How are we to “cast off” the works of darkness?
In regard to social injustices, where can you begin to “expose” the evil deeds being done in the darkness of sin? Pray about where God may be calling you to stand up for others, ask Him to remove your blinders, your ignorance, and your complacency. Instead choose to expose what is going on around you and live a life of brave love to truly make a difference! See yesterday’s Journey, Modern Slavery, for some ideas on actions you can begin to explore.

4) What is the motivation for “putting on the Lord Jesus”?
Standing up for those enslaved by injustices is scary, it’s hard, and it’s far beyond uncomfortable. Yet, when we consider that souls may be won for eternity, the cost becomes worth the sacrifice. We have one life on earth, one opportunity to partner with the Lord in the work He wants to accomplish in His kingdom on earth. He’s inviting us to make a difference, to defend the weak, to break the chains of slavery; will we “put on the Lord Jesus” for their sake?!

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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Justice!