THE PHILANTHROPIC NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY
by Wayne Jackson, August 11, 2005
“We love, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
When the divine Word (Jesus Christ) entered the world as a baby (John 1:1,14), he encountered an environment of harshness and cruelty. One has only to recall that the vicious Herod, acting out of a fear of legal competition, commanded that all the males (two years and under) within the borders of Bethlehem be slain (Matthew 2:16). The Roman world was one of brutality and disrespect for human life.
For example, both Aristotle and Plato favored infanticide (the killing of newborn infants). At Sparta it was the law that newborns be subjected to government inspection, and any deformity in the child made it subject to immediate death.
The cheapness of human life is seen in the fact that men were thrown to wild beasts for the bizarre amusement of the aristocracy. Josephus says that when the Roman ruler Titus was at Caesarea, he honored his brother with a birthday party at which 2,500 Jews were killed, fighting with animals and in battles with one another (Wars 7.3.1; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:32).
The institution of slavery was another token of man’s inhumanity to his fellows. There were some 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman empire. A slave was not viewed as a person; rather, he/she was property to be disposed of at the master’s will. If a slave ran away he/she could be crucified, or, at the discretion of the master, merely be branded on the forehead with the letter “F” (for Fugitive).
In view of these attitudes and actions, it was clear that the religion of the meek and lowly Savior would have an uphill struggle in a world rather barren of philanthropy.
The term “philanthropy” derives from two Greek roots, philos (love, affection), and anthropos (mankind). The word thus reflects that disposition wherein one is inclined to love his fellowman, apart from self-interest. Forms of the Greek term philoanthropy are found three times in the New Testament.
1. In the record of the Acts, Luke employs the noun of the disposition of the citizens of Melita (Malta). These benevolent folks demonstrated uncommon “kindness” (philanthropia) to Paul and his sailing companions when they were thrust ashore on the island during a violent Mediterranean storm (Acts 28:2).
An examination of the context provides a commentary on the meaning of the term. The people of Melita were: generous (vv. 2,7,10), courteous (v. 7), hospitable (v. 7), nondiscriminating (v. 2), and endowed with a sense that there is a justice to which human beings are accountable (v. 4)—though they were without a clear understanding of the ultimate Source.
These people were unable to speak Greek (thus were called “barbarians” – v. 2); however, they spoke the language of human kindness.
2. An adverbial form of the term is found in Acts 27:3. It describes the demeanor of a military centurion whose name was Julius. Julius had been dispatched to guard Paul as the apostle was en route to Rome to appeal his case to the imperial “supreme court.”
Julius treated Paul “kindly” (philanthropos—humanely), permitting him to visit with Christian friends who would see to his needs. When the vessel wrecked, and certain soliders wanted to kill the prisoners (including Paul), Julius stepped in and thwarted the plot, “desiring” to save Paul (Acts 27:43). Likely he was a pagan man, yet he had a sense of philanthropy.
3. The Greek noun reaches its zenith when it is used of the “kindness” (chrestotes—goodness of heart) exhibited by God in his “love toward man” (philanthropia) as reflected in the rich and unselfish gift of “Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4-6). What an act of generosity that was (cf. John 3:16)!
While it may be said that to some extent the flame of philanthropy is “innate” to the human spirit, as a result of man’s reflection of the “image” of God, across the centuries sin significantly has reduced that light to but a flicker in not a few instances. It was only the influence of Jesus Christ that brought back its brilliance.
His interest in “every creature” among “all the nations” packs the authority of his own example, in loving the poor (Mark 12:41ff, the despised (Luke 10:30ff), and the wicked (Luke 7:36ff).
The goal of love-for-man rises to its greatest heights in John’s writings by his use of various forms of agape (the exalted love of total dedication). John’s works contain one-third of all the New Testament references to the agape word family. Truly, he earned the appellation, “the apostle of love.”
And one of the most burning passages from his pen are these instructive words: “We love, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). A more motivating truth was never written.
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In Lifting We Are Lifted
Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion were traveling through a pass high in the Himalayan Mountains when they came across a body lying in the snow. They checked for vital signs and discovered the man still alive, but barely so. Sundar Singh prepared to stop and help this unfortunate traveler, but his companion objected, saying, “We shall lose our lives if we burden ourselves with him.” Sundar Singh, however, could not think of leaving the man to die in the snow without an attempted rescue on his part. His companion quickly bade him farewell and walked on.
Sundar Singh lifted the poor traveler onto his back. With great exertion on his part, made even greater by the high altitude and snowy conditions, he carried the man onward. As he walked, the heat cast off by his body began to warm the frozen man. He revived and soon, both were walking together side by side, each holding the other up, and in turn, each giving body heat to the other. Before long they came upon yet another traveler’s body lying in the snow. Upon closer inspection, they discovered him to be dead, frozen by the cold.
He was Sundar Singh’s original traveling companion.
