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| Ann Arbor |
Love, the Christian distinctive, does not happen in isolation. Love requires an "other."
Love is formed in community, in "church." When a Christian is detached from church is to be cut off from growth in love. The churchless Christian is the loveless one.
R. Scott Smith writes:
"The New Testament emphasis is on living morally in community (i.e., the church). In his writings, Paul does not have in mind the rugged individual. Rather, he addresses the body of believers, as do the other apostles. Christians are to love one another, even as Jesus loved them (Jn 13: 34-35), which cannot be done in isolation." (R. Scott Smith, In Search of Moral Knowledge: Overcoming the Fact-Value Dichotomy, Kindle Locations 334-336)
