The Bible & Love

Some scholars argue that love (*agape*) is the only authority for Christian ethics. *Agape* a term for the unconditional love of God.

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The Bible as the Only Authority for Christian Ethics

Some Christians argue that as the Bible reveals God’s will, only biblical ethical commands must be followed.

Sola Scriptura (scripture alone) is a doctrine held by some Protestant Christian denominations.
It states that the Christian scriptures are the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice.
Theonomous Christian ethics place God at the centre:
- God's commandments are what is required for living morally.
Theonomists propose biblical law as the standard by which the laws of nations may be measured.

The Bible contains the 10 commandments. For example:
- ‘Do not bear false witness against your neighbour’.
- 'You should ‘honour your father and mother’.'
The Bible is seen as having been dictated by God.
- So, the Bible contains God’s own direct speech and it alone must be used for moral instruction.
Because it has been directly dictated by God, the Bible is seen as infallible. It cannot be in error.

Fundamentalist Christians believe that the Bible is the Word of God.
They believe that the Bible was written by God as He is perfect and omniscient (all-knowing).
- So, the Bible must all be true.
This type of understanding is often called a literal interpretation of scripture.
This is because the believers believe that every word of the holy book is literally true.

Some scholars argue that love (agape) is the only authority for Christian ethics. Agape a term for the unconditional love of God.

When questioned on what the greatest commandment was in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus replies:
- ‘"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbour as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'

This type of ethical decision making is referred to as ‘autonomous Christian ethics’.
In this type of ethics, the authority is placed onto the individual.
Autonomous Christian ethics are often associated with situation ethics.
There are no absolute rules and commands like the Ten Commandments. The only real command is to love.
- The most important thing is always to act out of love for others.
This understanding is associated with some modern liberal Protestants, especially Joseph Fletcher.

Jesus commands us all to love. Rather than giving a complex set of commands, he regularly preaches love:
- 'My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.' (John 15: 12-13).
We must use our reason to try to find out what the most loving thing to do is.
This might change from situation to situation.
- So, the version of this theory put forward by Joseph Fletcher is called situation ethics.

Fletcher believes that all human beings can agree on what is the most loving thing to do.
He describes this in his words saying ‘love is the only universal’.
Fletcher says that Christian love is ‘goodwill at work in partnership with reason.’
- He makes it clear that agape is not like a desire we may have for another person but it is a giving love.