Charity and Its Fruits: Christian Love as Manifested in the Heart and Life

by Jonathan Edwards

Few Christian leaders since the Reformation have been as gifted as Jonathan Edwards. A man of intense personal devotion to Christ, he was a leader of revival, and a creative Reformed theologian as well as being a missionary and a philosopher fully meriting Hugh Martin's description of him as 'that greatest of metaphysical divines'. Yet it is likely that he would have preferred to be remembered simply as 'pastor of the Church of Northampton'. Preached in 1738 (the same year that Edwards published A Narrative of Surprising Conversions), Charity and Its Fruits gives us an insight into his regular pulpit ministry in the years between the Northampton revival of 1735 and 'the Great Awakening' of 1740. Entirely free from sentimentality this moving exposition of 1 Corinthians 13, like the better known Religious Affections, reveals Edwards' insistence both that true Christian experience is 'supernatural'- Spirit produced and Christ centered- and that 'all true Christian grace tends to practice'. These sermons show how it is possible to steer between Arminianism on the one hand and Antinomianism on the other. The concluding chapteron heaven as a world of love is perhaps the most beautiful in all Edwards's writings.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies

368 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Jonathan Edwards.

Jonathan Edwards was the most eminent American philosopher-theologian of his time, and a key figure in what has come to be called the First Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s.

The only son in a family of eleven children, he entered Yale in September, 1716 when he was not yet thirteen and graduated four years later (1720) as valedictorian. He received his Masters three years later. As a youth, Edwards was unable to accept the Calvinist sovereignty of God. However, in 1721 he came to what he called a "delightful conviction" though meditation on 1 Timothy 1:17. From that point on, Edwards delighted in the sovereignty of God. Edwards later recognized this as his conversion to Christ.

In 1727 he was ordained minister at Northampton and assistant to his maternal grandfather, Solomon Stoddard. He was a student minister, not a visiting pastor, his rule being thirteen hours of study a day. In the same year, he married Sarah Pierpont, then age seventeen, daughter of Yale founder James Pierpont (1659–1714). In total, Jonathan and Sarah had eleven children.

Stoddard died on February 11th, 1729, leaving to his grandson the difficult task of the sole ministerial charge of one of the largest and wealthiest congregations in the colony. Throughout his time in Northampton his preaching brought remarkable religious revivals.

Yet, tensions flamed as Edwards would not continue his grandfather's practice of open communion. Stoddard believed that communion was a "converting ordinance." Surrounding congregations had been convinced of this, and as Edwards became more convinced that this was harmful, his public disagreement with the idea caused his dismissal in 1750.

Edwards then moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, then a frontier settlement, where he ministered to a small congregation and served as missionary to the Housatonic Indians. There, having more time for study and writing, he completed his celebrated work, The Freedom of the Will (1754).

Edwards was elected president of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in early 1758. He was a popular choice, for he had been a friend of the College since its inception. He died of fever at the age of fifty-four following experimental inoculation for smallpox and was buried in the President's Lot in the Princeton cemetery beside his son-in-law, Aaron Burr.

Reviews

[Kyle Strobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly, I edited this book, but as an editor (compared to being an author), I can brag about it. This book is the first time, in a single volume, that Jonathan Edwards original manuscripts of his famous work Charity and Its Fruits appears for the public. Every other edition is a highly edited version. Because Edwards can be difficult to read, I have added an introduction, outlining the work and giving some general material to help orient you to Edwards as a person and thinker, and then I've added a conclusion trying to highlight what some of the key points to take away from the book. Throughout the book I've added textboxes that either explain difficult concepts or else provide a quote from somewhere else in Edwards's work that I believe is more clear. I have also defined arcane terminology.

In short, I think this is probably the best starting point into Edwards as a Christian theologian, spiritual writer, and pastor.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding exposition of 1 Corinthians 13 in a series of sermons. As much as I loathe Jonathan Edwards's philosophical Idealism, I sometimes wonder if his more confessional critics have ever read him on anything else. The mixture of doctrinal integrity and practical insight in this volume is tremendous. I am definitely going to try and make an effort to work my way through more of Edwards's works after finally reading Charity and its Fruits. While I read this book in a Banner of Truth hardback edition, Yale has made Edwards's entire works available for free online.

[Damian Leverett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a "difficult" read in terms of the language and style, but very very worthwhile. Most importantly, the title is somewhat deceptive to our modern ears. We understand "charity" primarily as an activity or attitude of giving to someone else, usually below us in status. In Edwards' day this was actually closer to our understanding of "love." The entire book venters on 1 Corinthians 13, and its famous passage about "love." But in Edwards' KJV Bible this was translated "Charity." So the book may well be thought of as "Love and it's Fruit."

The kind of love Edwards' is talking about, through the lens of 1 Corinthians 13, is a freely given gift of grace. It can literally be understood as the Holy Spirit within us, given by God, that changes how we interact with the world around us. So the book is about recognizing who we are as recipients of this love and what implications that has for how we live out our life. Ultimately, Edwards sees love as the central tenet of Christianity because it is the essence of God's character. Having this love implanted in us, we are to live out that love in our lives, how we suffer, how we give, how we think about and treat others (and ourselves). Ultimately, this life of love is a life lived for heaven, where Edwards argues all love is perfectly realized and felt and experienced throughout all creation.

This is immensely helpful in many ways on a personal, devotional level. As is the point of much of Edwards thought, knowledge of self is impossible without knowledge of God (personal knowledge of WHO God is, not knowledge ABOUT God). So this book did a lot to reveal my own heart to me, by seeing God's essence as love, and my defining feature as a human being God's love given to me.
If you're into theology it is very "interesting" but that's not the point. As the editor points out in the conclusion, "whether you know it or not, on a subconscious level you have a fully worked-out view of theology and spirituality that drives the decisions you make." This book challenges and can, hopefully, shape what that theology and spirituality are and lead us into more loving and "fruitful" lives.

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Love is no ingredient in a merely speculative faith, but it is the life and soul of a practical faith. A truly practical or saving faith is light and heat together, or rather light and love, while that which is only a speculative faith is only light without heat, and in that it wants spiritual heat or divine love is in vain and good for nothing."

Edwards's exposition of 1 Cor. 13 is convicting. Like the Christian life itself, Christian love is so simple in theory, not at all complicated, but so hard in practice. We are wholly dependent upon grace.

The entire book is great, but the final chapter on heaven is absolutely amazing.

[Drew Norwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Excellent, though it can be laborious at times, and repetitive at others. But it’s definitely worth it.

[Tori Whitacre · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! Edward’s addresses not only love or “charity” but also the sins opposed to it with a pastoral intensity and yet a scholarly breadth. He corrects the one persistent in sin and simultaneously comforts the repentant, understands the nature of each sin and urges one on to greater godliness. This book is never going on the shelf to get lost behind other books.

[Alexis Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent (and thorough) analysis of I Corinthians 13. This was my first exposure to Edwards, and he did not disappoint. Edwards thinks deeply and critically about each aspect of the well-known discourse on love, and his insights are, for the most part, extremely helpful and well-supported. This passage is read so often that it is easy--for me, anyway--to gloss over it or place it in the mental category of "yeah, yeah, patient, kind, I know the drill . . . next!" Edwards slows the reader down and really dwells in the text so that the words have a chance to really sink in. I particularly appreciated his discussion of the various attributes of charity--what it is, and what it isn't. Edwards expands each attribute into positive and negative characteristics, actions, words, and heart attitudes with a thoroughness that is pretty much guaranteed to result in serious conviction in the reader.

The Puritan Paperback version is very readable, though of course the language is--necessarily--somewhat old fashioned, and the content is dense enough to warrant a slower reading pace. I read one "lecture" each week, and that turned out to be a pretty good pace.

Definitely a worthwhile read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people hold stereotyped views of Edwards and his contemporaries, probably based on small uncontextualized snippets they may have read or heard in an American literature or history class. Charity and Its Fruits reveals Edwards' ideas as relevant for the modern Christian and possibly even a corrective for the kind of proud and uncharitable approach taken by some in the Christian right who would claim to be his admirers. A couple of quotes illustrate what I mean.
"Treating others with scorn and contempt is one of the worst and most offensive manifestations of pride toward them."
"They [the humble] are not found treating with scorn and contempt what others say, or speaking of what they do with ridicule and sneering reflections, or sitting and relating hat others may have spoken or done, only to make sport of them."

[J. J.]

Brilliant. Moving. Concrete. Instructive. Earthy. Edwards isn't just insightful, he's actually *helpful*. I was convicted by what I read and many of my blindspots as it relates to my lack of love were exposed. These sermons will bring sanity and self-awareness—readers beware!

[Bobby Bonser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful exposition of I Corinthians 13. Edwards dives on deep to roch truths founded in the Trinity, realized in the Gospel. His description of Christian charity (love) is the most detailed I have ever read. His portrait of the LOVE in Heaven vs. the absence of love in Hell is worth the whole book. What a vivid and sharp contrast, and what an encouragement of the future that awaits those who trust in Christ!

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was outstanding (and convicting). As Reformed folk we often pride ourselves on our doctrinal precision. Precision is a good thing but I sometimes feel like we lose the focus. Is love important? Just look at how many verses in Scripture deal with it, not to mention the portion in 1 Corinthians 13 which this book specifically draws from. Do we meditate on love? Being patient, kind? Bearing? Believing and hoping all things? I am greatly convicted that I don't measure up to the kind of love I should have.

Excellent and exceedingly practical book.

[Alexia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My pastor recommended this to me. Charity and its Fruits is not one of those books that can or should be read quickly , It should be meditated on and savored While Charity and its Fruits is a powerful read, I found it difficult to comprehend at first because of the language used but getting some explanation from my pastor helped. I find that as you get further in it gets easier to read. If you want a challenge and some insight on the fruits of the Spirit as well as what true Christian love looks like, try this

[Dominic Duran · Rating 5 out of 5]

JE never disappoints. This is a compilation of 15+ sermons on 1 Corinthians 13 — each chapter is so rich that it’s hard to read more than one at a time. So good!!

* “When God and man are loved with a truly Christian love, they are both loved from the same motives, When God is loved a right, he is loved for his excellency, and the beauty of his nature, especially the holiness of his nature; and it is from the same motive that the saints are loved — for holiness sake. Love to God is the foundation of gracious love to men…”

* Do not make excuse that you have not opportunities to do anything for the glory of God, for the interest of the Redeemer's kingdom, and for the spiritual benefit of your neighbors. If your heart is full of love, it will find vent; you will find or make ways enough to express your love in deeds. When a fountain abounds in water, it will send forth streams.“

* “Man's highest happiness consists in holiness, for it is by this that the reasonable creature is united to God, the fountain of all good. Happiness cloth so essentially consist in knowing, loving, and serving God, and having the holy and divine temper of soul, and the lively exercises of it, that these things will make a man happy without anything else; but no other enjoyments or privileges whatsoever will make a man happy without this.”

* “He that possesses his soul after such a manner that, when others harm and injure him, he can, notwithstanding, remain in calmness and hearty goodwill toward them, pitying and forgiving them from the heart, manifests therein a godlike greatness of spirit. Such a meek and quiet and long-suffering spirit shows a true greatness of soul, in that it shows great and true wisdom…”

* “First, what a great honor it is to be made an instrument of good in the world. When we fill up our lives with doing good, God puts the high honor upon us of making us a blessing to the world.”

* “If such a course be excellent and worthy to be approved of in God, why is it not so in yourself? Why should you not imitate it?“

* “Humility disposes men to be of a yielding spirit to others, ready, for the sake of peace, and to gratify others, to comply in many things with their inclinations, and to yield to their judgments wherein they are not inconsistent with truth and holiness.”

* “A truly humble man is inflexible in nothing but in the cause of his Lord and Master, which is the cause of truth and virtue. In this he is inflexible, because God and conscience require it. But in things of lesser moment, and which do not involve his principles as a follower of Christ, and in things that only concern his own private interests, he is apt to yield to others. And if he sees that others are stubborn and unreasonable in their wilfulness, he does not allow that to provoke him to be stubborn and willful in his opposition to them.”

* “Selfishness is a principle that contracts the heart, and confines it to self, while love enlarges it, and extends it to others.“

* “If a man hears important news that concerns himself, and we do not see that he alters at all for it in his practice, we at once conclude that he does not give heed to it as true; for we know the nature of man is such, that he will govern his actions by what he believes and is convinced of. And so if men are really convinced of the truth of the things they are told in the gospel, about an eternal world, and the everlasting salvation that Christ has purchased for all that will accept it, it will influence their practice. They will regulate their behavior according to such a belief, and will act in such a manner as will tend to their obtaining this eternal salvation. If men are convinced of the certain truth of the promises of the gospel, which promise eternal riches, and honors, and pleasures, and if they really believe that those are immensely more valuable than all the riches, and honors, and pleasures of the world, they will, for these, forsake the things of the world, and, if need be, sell all and follow Christ.”

* “He that does not receive Christ with his cross as well as his crown, does not truly receive him at all. It is true that Christ invites us to come to him to find rest, and to buy wine and milk: but then he also invites us to come and take up the cross, and that daily, that we may follow him; and if we come only to accept the former, we do not in truth accept the offer of the gospel, for both go together, the rest and the yoke, the cross and the crown: and it will signify nothing, that, in accepting only the one, we accept what God never offered to us. They that receive only the easy part of Christianity, and not the difficult, at best are but almost Christians; while they that are wholly Christians receive the whole of Christianity, and thus shall be accepted and honored, and not cast out with shame, at the last day.”

* “True thankfulness is no other than the exercise of love to God on occasion of his goodness to us.”

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Edition. Same Old Gospel.

I was broken, built up, and challenged by Charity and Its Fruits. Seriously a book that all evangelicals and reformed Christians should read. Jonathan Edwards’s exegesis and application on the doctrine of God’s love is deep and wide. Before I get much further looking into the review a word about the edition. Charity and Its Fruits stands on its own but Kyle Strobel enhanced the experience. Before throwing you into the deep end Strobel provides a life jacket. He overviews each section of sermons and also places this work within Edwards’s theological background discussing important themes in his work like the trinity, tri-world vision, redemption, moral theology, & religion.

Three facets of Edwards’s broader theology stood out to me. First, Strobel notes that when engaging in debate, our tendency is to focus “so intently on the position we are against that we simply back away from that position” (p. 25). Edwards, on the other hand, focused less on the opposing position and more on God’s word--confident his arguments would win because they were based on Scripture. If that’s not prophetic for us today. Much of our error is due to our propensity for pendulum theology. Second, Strobel argues Edwards’s didn’t see forgiveness as the primary result of salvation but rather communion Christ himself was (p. 27). This emphasis avoided the pitfalls of focusing to intently on a “specific moment in conversion” and focused more on communion with God in Christ and living “before the face of God.” Third, Strobel tells us the point of Edwards’s preaching was “to leave his hearer undone . . . . [and] not to empower but rather to leave with no foothold or handhold other than Christ” (p. 29). Again prophetic diagnostic of our current preaching plague. So much of our preaching is empowerment preaching and not Christ preaching. In that vein, Strobel encourages us to not read Charity and Its Fruits to check it off our books to be read list but rather to “grasp Christ” (p. 308) and to be undone by him (pp. 30-31).

All We Need is Love

Section one contains three sermons all introductory to the topic of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Strobel summarizes this section,

The true moral life starts with love to God, which entails the nature of God’s own life given to the creature in regeneration. Love is, therefore, the essential aspect of virtue and saving faith because love is a gift from heaven (p. 16)

If you’ve never Edwards before you might be in for a rude awakening. His style of writing is very different than what we generally see today. His paragraphs are long and sometimes cumbersome. He can be very wordy but the general structure I found was easier to follow, very logical. Each point builds towards the main doctrine of each sermon. And although the paragraphs are long, the main point is clearly set out so that even if you get lost as long as you keep the main point in mind you should grasp generally what follows. Strobel also assists in understanding each sermon by offering asides (boxes with explanations, quotations from Edwards’s other works, or other theologians on the same topic) and also definitions of archaic or unknown words and usage.

Section two contains eight sermons which engage in the meat of unpacking what love looks like in the Christian life. Strobel summarizes this section

Love of God is the disposition given as the indwelling of the Spirit, and this divine love disposes believers to love others (p. 18).

In these eight sermons, Edwards gradually weaves a web of virtues all connected by love. Each virtue is explained in the context of love and then he ends by making many of these connections explicit (Sermon 12: “Christian Graces Concatenated Together”). Edwards reminds us

For the more the heart is ravished with God’s loveliness, the more will it abhor itself and abase and humble itself for its own unloveliness and vileness. For the more anyone has of a humble sense of his own unworthiness, the more he will admire God’s goodness to him, and the more will his heart be drawn out in love to him for his glorious grace. Love tends to repentance. For he that truly repents of sin, repents of it because it is committed against a being whom he loves. And repentance tends to humility. To repent of sins tends to humble the heart for sin. So repentance, faith and love all tend to thankfulness (p. 241)

And he goes on to connect thankfulness to more graces connecting them all to love.

Section three contains three sermons which follow the trajectory of love into eternity in the new heavens and new earth. Strobel summarizes this section

The broad flow of Edwards’s final section starts with the immovable and undeaftable nature of love (sermon 13), then moves to a look at how love remains while all other gifts of the Spirit fade away (sermon 14), and then culminates by illustrating how heaven itself is defined by love (sermon 15) (p. 19)

These last three sermons soar. He is at his best when his making sweep observations about redemptive history and heaven. In the midst of these sermons on the unstoppable force and eternality of love he also somberly admonitions us. For instance, “When there is nothing but counterfeit grace, corruption is unmortified” (p. 257) or later when he contrasts heaven and love with hell and hate. These stern warns were speckled blood from the hyssop branch and were always balanced by strong proclamations of the power of the gospel. For example, he swiftly fans the waning flame after an extended section on counterfeit grace: “The captain of your salvation will assuredly conduct you to victory in the end” and reminds us how awful it must be for the army of darkness to know they will be defeated and yet still have go into battle (p. 263). He closes by ascending into the heavenly realm exposing the true ethos of eternity. “Heaven itself, the place of habitation, is a garden of pleasures, a heavenly paradise fitted in all respects for an abode of heavenly lovers, a place where they may have sweet society and perfect enjoyment of each other’s love” (p. 293).

The Jonathan Edwards Project

Strobel concludes by encouraging us to honor Edwards not by idolizing or deifying him but rather by allowing Edwards to expose us to the glory of God which he so passionately lifted up (p. 308).
Again such a great encouragement and perspective from Strobel. We need this kind of gentle admonition so that we don’t lose sight of God while appreciating our forefathers of the past. If you are interested in delving into Edwards theology Charity and Its Fruit will guide you on your journey. Keep an eye on Strobel too because he’s working on what he dubs The Jonathan Edwards Project “which is a series of books that slowly increase in level. The first book is a new edition of Jonathan Edwards own Charity and Its Fruits, and I conclude that volume with a list of his works in the order I think they should be read.” So don’t delay. Get it. Read it. Bask in the glory of God and his love for us in Christ.

A free copy of this book was provided by Crossway.

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this little work of Jonathan Edwards on 1 Corinthians 13, and the real fruits of Christ-like love. He takes the time to work through the opposites of each fruit - ie, if love does not envy or boast, what aspects of those qualities hinder them from showing love? Each chapter is short and easily digestible, with plenty of relevant application for today's world, and in fact the whole book can be read in less than 2 hours. Well worth the time for any Christian seeking to increase in love and compassion towards others!

[Dom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Very readable and probably the best start into understanding Edwards theology.

If you were like me, your perception of Edward preaching might be one of hellfire and brimstone. Sermons like “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” come to mind. In reality, for every sermon on the wrath of God, he preached 10 sermons on the love of God.

I will most certainly read “Heaven is a World of Love” several times. This books was phenomenal.

[Michaël St-Amour · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great book I've read so far.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is of the highest quality. Edwards expounds the text in the series of lectures, showing us what charity, or Christian love, is all about.

There is nothing wishy washy here. There is nothing on marriage life and 1 Cor 13. Instead, it is deeply theological, but immensely practical.

I can’t remember the last time I found myself underlining so much in one book. As I read the book, I felt myself wanting to further understand what Christian Love is all about. Thank God that I managed to use the holiday season to read the book, as well as to ponder about what God has shown to me in this book.

As if it can’t get better, the book crescendos to the last chapter on Heaven, which, by itself, is worth the price of the book! Reading this chapter makes you want to depart to Christ, for “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”.

A book worth reading and reading again, as we always need reminders on what Christian Love is not, and what it is!

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read a free version of this book on monergism.com without the notes. I've read essays by Edwards before and loved them. This is the first book of his I've read (though it's really a collection of sermons on I Cor. 13) The exposition of the chapter up through v.6 is brilliant and would've gotten 5 stars if judged on it's own. For the final section, Edwards makes an hermeneutical case that these final attributes of love are no longer referring to the direct relation of love to another person, but rather are describing the general presence of love/grace in the heart. I don't believe there's grounds for that. As a result, the last part of the book swings wide of the intended commentary on the nature of love itself. Either way, this book has some brilliant insights (as Edwards usually does). Definitely worth the read.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a thorough exposition of 1 Corinthians 13, which is an extensive description of Christian love. I had some quibbles here and there, but overall a very good book. Edwards did not make much of the overall context of the chapter being in the assembly of the local church in Corinth. Chapter 13 is written to a church and is about the corporate life of a church. Jesus said that the world would know his disciples by the Christ-like love they have for one another, and 1 Corinthians 13 is a thorough description of that one-another love. Edwards is well worth reading and this book is no exception.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent look at Christian charity, though Edwards focuses mostly on the "agape" meaning of the Greek in I Corinthians 13, so a more apt title for the book would have been "Love and Its Fruits." His insights are absolutely incredible and thought provoking, and you will be greatly enriched from reading this book.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A biblical exposition of I Corinthians 13. Strong stuff. Beats you down, chews you up, spits you out, all in the best way possible. The final chapter "Heaven a World of Charity" is solid, glorious gold. This book is worth reading again and again.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many deep insights. I listened to this as audiobook, to get the overview, and now plan to read it slowly and carefully in preparation for a book group discussion. Excellent.

Addendum September 15- Read a second time. So many deep insights into how love is manifested in its many aspects.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Convicting. Challenging. A must-read. Showed me how little I know about loving as Christ loves. The last chapters in which Edwards explores heaven and hell are moving in the deepest of ways.

[Benjamin Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Edwards.

This book also reminds you that many of his most virulent critics on the confessional side have not done much reading of Edwards.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typical Edwards: beautiful and brilliant, convicting and creative, stretching the mind and molding the heart to the glory of God.

[Stephen G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charity and Its Fruits is the first book that I've read by Jonathan Edwards. It's his treatise on love where he walks through the Bible's most famous chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, verse by verse. Edwards preached a series of 15 sermons on the chapter to his congregation, and the book is a compilation of those sermons. This particular edition with editor Kyle Strobel is very helpful. Strobel includes an introduction and conclusion that helps frame the book within some of Edwards' more predominant themes in his other works. He also includes modern definitions for words that Edwards' uses that are antiquated. Finally, he ties in excerpts from other works of Edwards where appropriate. I would highly recommend this edition.

There is probably no greater American theologian and philosopher than Edwards. Charity and Its Fruits is but one of many examples of why Edwards' legacy has endured over 250 years later. The book unpacks the Christian virtue of love with powerful metaphors and rich theology. Here are a few examples of some of Edwards' metaphors that unpack various dimensions of love.

1) Edwards compares a Christian's love for God to a fountain and his love for others as streams that flow from that same fountain.
2) Edwards compares idolatry as being like a woman who doesn't love her husband but loves another man thinking that will please her husband.
3) Edwards contrasts spiritual gifts to love: spiritual gifts are like having a jewel in your pocket while love is being a jewel yourself.

Lastly, I read this book while the United States was experiencing racial unrest in the summer of 2020, and the timing severely dampened the impact that the latter half of the book had on me. While watching African-Americans in the United States rightfully demand that they be shown equity, it was sobering to read a book by a man who enslaved their ancestors. How sadly ironic that this great Christian theologian and revivalist who wrote a classic on Christian love unapologetically owned slaves. If that kind of inconsistency and moral blindness could exist in Jonathan Edwards, then certainly they can exist in me. I pray that God would open my eyes to my blindspots so I can love all with the Christian love that Edwards describes.

[Gabriel Magill · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and convicting work on the centrality of love to the Christian life! As usual, Edward brings the full weight of Scripture to both drove us forward to greater holiness while also comforting those who are struggling with holiness with the promises of the Gospel. The final chapter on Heaven and what the experience of love will be throughout eternity is worth the price of the book.

My one disagreement with Edward’s in this book is his reasoning against the ongoing spiritual gifts in the church. In these sections, he shows the influence of the Enlightenment on his thinking, showing a suspicion towards anything that seems too emotional or mystical. Unlike the rest of the book in which he uses an abundance of Scripture to prove each point, he really only has a single verse to defend his position on the gifts and he instead realize heavily on reasoning that is based on a number of assumptions about the purposes of the gifts (giving no verses defending these assumptions). Other than this, I think this is one of Edward’s most pastoral works.

[Michael Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I read anything so simultaneously convicting and awe-inspiring. I listened to the audio book, and it honestly got a little stale at times. I even zoned out a lot, but the parts I did catch (especially the final two chapters which held - all of my attention most of the way through) were so epic that I just can’t bring myself to give this 4 stars.

So it’s a difficult, sometimes repetitive, and very dense read. But if you can handle that, and if you want your soul to be deeply stirred towards loving God and others in a deeply satisfying and genuine way, this is a must read. I hope to read it again someday paying closer attention to the whole thing. I’m so thankful to God that old books like this exist!

[Jessica Tanoesoedibjo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edwards is always quite a challenging read, as he writes with so much richness in content. But the division of each chapter, as per his sermons, on each of the elaborations on charity / love, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13, were enriching in so many ways. Though each chapter focused on one aspect of love/charity (e.g. love is patient...love is kind...etc.) the book also goes to show that all the fruits are intertwined and interdependent. That the true believer, upon loving God and being loved by God, shall manifest these fruits of love.

I particularly found that Kyle Strobel's notes on the margins of the book were helpful, especially as we read through someone as theologically rich as Edwards.