“Unfeigned” literally means not being hypocritical. Originally, it meant one who was real and not just a play actor on a stage, acting out a part. He is genuine. Unfeigned love is, therefore, sincere affection without admixture of deceit; it is true affection. It is not in word only. Thus, we have in 1 Peter 1:22, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another with a pure heart fervently.”
They had purified their souls through their obedience to the truth. They had heard the word of the truth of the Gospel and had obeyed it (John 17:17; Romans 10:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). They then had the same spiritual parentage. They had become children of God. They had now been added to the New Testament church (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13). They had the same spiritual Father. They had become brothers and sisters in Christ. They were to love one another with a pure heart fervently. “Fervently” is from ektenos and describes an emotion that is forceful and warm.
We read in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all things, being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins: using hospitality one toward another without murmuring.” He described a warm, ardent love. The word from which fervent comes is Ktenos. It originally had to do with music, referring to the drawing out, of the stretching of a music string. The point being that children of God are not to love one another halfheartly or indifferently like a lost string on a musical instrument, but with the full tension of heart strings giving our all.
In New Testament Scripture, love is the badge of discipleship. This is one of the chief ways that the world recognizes us as truly being the children of God by the love we have one for the other (John 13:34-35). “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Since this is the case, then it is also true that when brethren fight and war with one another over matters of judgment, it will leave a bad taste in people’s mouths in the community. It often takes many years for a community or town to get over a church split. Brethren, why must we bite and seek to devour one another over matters of judgment (Galatians 5:15)? Paul lovingly wrote, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
At the same time, love does not mean maintaining silence and allowing error to gain control. It does not mean compromising the truth for anybody, at any place or at any time. Truth is never an item to be surrendered at any price (Proverbs 23:23; 2 John 9-11; Romans 16:17-18). However, let us have the wisdom to distinguish between matters of doctrine and matters of judgment. Further, while doing so, let love of the brethren continue (Hebrews 13:1). Let us love one another from a pure heart fervently, and let our love be unfeigned. Christian love is interested in helping, in binding up, healing and forgiving. It is interested in protecting and preserving the church and the truth as well as saving men’s souls. It is “unfeigned.” Let us “abound in love one toward another” 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 John 4:11-12, 19). “Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another (2 Thessalonians 4:9). “Love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17).
