John314-16.com

Leviticus 19:18 and the Other Verses of Leviticus 19:15–18

Links: Print Version | Homepage | Rapture Letter | Verses of the Day | Site Map

“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”

Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively. Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior. Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This webpage could be periodically updated. If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated. Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.

Below are links related to archived copies of this webpage.

archive.is/John314-16.com/Leviticus_19-18_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Leviticus_19-15–18.html

archive.ph/John314-16.com/Leviticus_19-18_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Leviticus_19-15–18.html

web.archive.org/*/John314-16.com/Leviticus_19-18_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Leviticus_19-15–18.html

Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.

When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:

“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Note: The heart refers to the mind.

It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:

“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”

It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”

A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher. Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:

If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship: whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Note: Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites. Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM]. The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges. The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity. The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness. In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human. When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god. Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.

The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind. In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession. Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.

The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:

Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Also, it is still much more evident: that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life. Indeed, it is attested: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body. The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.

Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:

However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Note: Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23. In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.

Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put succinctly: itʼs the message rather than the messenger. In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

*Note: The word says is in the Greek historical present tense. By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.

Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated. That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.

Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”

Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. While it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur on a day other than the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah, one can be prepared for that day because of already being in the habit of being prepared. Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.

Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation. The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic. In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober. Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Note: In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent. In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context. Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!” In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness. The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture. In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation. Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.

The verse of the day for June 26th is Leviticus 19:18. The full title of that book is “Leviticus.” Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament. The first five books of the Old Testament are collectively called the Pentateuch [PEN-tuh-took or PEN-tuh-tyook]. Because it is useful to study verses that share the same context, below is content related to Leviticus 19:15–18.

Note: Before God the Son took the form of a human by being born as the Lord Jesus Christ, He appeared on the earth on multiple occasions, including while the Israelites were in the wilderness. Such appearances of the Lord before He took the form of a human are known as theophanies [thee-AHF-uh-neez]. Regarding the multiple occasions of the Lordʼs appearances on the earth, the Lord appeared and taught the Word of God to Moses on multiple occasions. The content of Leviticus 19:15–18 describes one of those occasions. In that regard, the content of Leviticus 19:15–18 involves God the Son telling Moses what to say to the Israelites.

Leviticus 19:15

‘You do no injustice in judgment. You are not partial toward / do not lift up the face of the poor, nor do you show partiality toward / show favoritism toward / honor the face of the great/mighty. Justly / Fairly / In righteousness, you rule / govern / judge / decide controversy regarding / execute judgment regarding your neighbor / your fellow person.

Note: The uses of a present tense in verbs in this verse are for the purpose of giving commands. Such uses of a present tense have a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense in order to give a command can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine the obeying of that command as though the reader or hearer is watching the obeying of that command as it occurs.

In this verse, the reference to lifting up the face of someone refers to showing partiality toward that person—in other words, showing favoritism toward that person. Also, in this verse, the reference to honoring the face of someone refers to showing partiality toward that person. In the context of this verse, the reference to honoring the face is used with regard to people who are powerful. Regarding the foregoing, this verse indicates that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should be impartial. In other words, believers should be fair rather than showing favoritism toward someone. The fairness should be toward everyone, regardless of a personʼs social status.

Leviticus 19:16

‘You do not go about as a scandalmonger/talebearer among your people and do not stand against/on the blood of your neighbor / your fellow person. I am Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is to what standing against or standing on the blood of oneʼs neighbor or fellow person refers. From the context of the preceding content of this verse, it is logical to conclude that standing against or standing on the blood of oneʼs neighbor or fellow person involves something unjust. In that regard, a believer should endeavor to be just in the believerʼs dealings with people.

Leviticus 19:17

‘You do not hate your brother/kindred/relative in your heart. You certainly resolve a conflict with your neighbor / your fellow person, and you do not lift up sin because of him.

The heart refers to the mind. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the reference to a brother/kindred/relative is a literal reference or a metaphorical reference. If it is a metaphorical reference, it might refer to Israelites. Certainly, a believer should refrain from hating people. In that regard, if the reference to a brother/kindred/relative is a literal reference, then that reference might be calling attention to the fact that refraining from hating people includes refraining from hating family members. Regardless of whether the reference to a brother/kindred/relative is a literal reference or a metaphorical reference, it is beneficial for a believer to remember that refraining from hating people includes refraining from hating family members.

In verse 17, the Hebrew phrase that can be translated as “certainly resolve a conflict” consists of two instances of inflected forms of the same verb. That verb is יָכַח [pronounced yah-KAHKH and can be transliterated as yakach]. (Hebrew is written and read from right to left.) The first instance of the two inflected forms is הוֹכֵחַ [pronounced hoh-KHAY-ahkh and can be transliterated as hocheach]. The second instance of the two inflected forms is תּוֹכִיחַ [pronounced toh-KHEE-ahkh and can be transliterated as tochiach]. While the verb yakach can be used to refer to reproving or rebuking, it can also be used in other ways, including to refer to rendering a decision in resolving a conflict. In that regard, the use of yakach in reference to resolving a conflict fits the context of verses 16, 17, and 18. Instead of a believer who has become involved in a conflict letting animosity fester in that believerʼs thinking, that believer should try to resolve that conflict. Also, the resolving of a conflict could involve reproving or rebuking, but the resolving of a conflict doesnʼt necessarily have to involve reproving or rebuking. In that regard, if a believer who is trying to resolve a conflict does reproving or rebuking while trying to resolve that conflict, that believer needs to refrain from sinning while doing that reproving or rebuking or anything else in the process of trying to resolve that conflict.

Regarding a believer refraining from sinning as a result of a conflict, the Hebrew verb translated as “lift up” in verse 17 is תִשָּׂא [pronounced tee-SAH and can be transliterated as tissa]. That verb is an inflected form of the root word נָשָׂא [pronounced nah-SAH and can be transliterated as nasa']. When a believer is trying to resolve a conflict, that believerʼs emotions could possibly swell up. When a personʼs emotions swell up, that person can be tempted to commit one or more mental-attitude sins. In that regard, the swelling up of emotion can involve any type of the full gamut of emotion—in other words, it can be any type of emotion. Regarding mental-attitude sins, sins can be categorized in various ways. There are three broad categories of sins: mental-attitude sins, verbal sins, and overt sins. Verbal sins can also be referred to as sins of the tongue. They can also be referred to as communicative sins because that category also encompasses non-verbal communication that involves sinning. Communicative sins can also involve physical means of communication such as facial expressions, other forms of body language, tone of voice, and demeanor.

If a person commits one or more mental-attitude sins when that personʼs emotions are swelling up, that person ends up controlled by his or her old sin nature (OSN) and in a condition that can be referred to as emotional revolt of the soul. In that regard, every human except the Lord Jesus Christ has acquired an old sin nature, and each humanʼs old sin nature is in the body of that human. The old sin nature, which is referenced in Ephesians 4:22 with the term old man, can also be referred to as the sin nature. It is also referenced using the word flesh in Ephesians 2:3 and Galatians 5:16. The content of Romans 6:6 associates the sin nature with peopleʼs bodies, and the content of Romans 7:17–18 references the sin nature being in peopleʼs bodies. Adam and Ishshah [ish-SHAW] (the name of Eve before Adam renamed her Eve) were created without old sin natures, and they acquired old sin natures when they sinned. All other human beings have been conceived. Only the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived without an old sin nature. All the other humans that were conceived have been conceived with old sin natures. Likewise, all humans in the future will be conceived, and the conceiving of each of them will involve each of them receiving an old sin nature at the moment that each of them will be conceived.

Regarding emotions swelling up, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should be alert for temptations so as to refrain from succumbing to emotional revolt of the soul. With regard to being alert, levels of alertness can be categorized in terms of a mindset color code that involves four colors. The mindset color code describes states of awareness. The mindset color code can be utilized for matters outside oneself; for example, the color code can be applied to both physical dangers and also to the dangers of stumbling blocks that can lead a Christian to sin. Also, the color code can be utilized introspectively with regard to the temptations that can originate from oneʼs sin nature. Below are the conditions of alertness of the mindset color code and descriptions of them.

Condition White:	Unaware and unprepared, one is totally oblivious to what is going on.

Condition Yellow:	Relaxed alert—no specific threat is detected, but one is “taking in” surrounding info—the mindset in which one is aware that one might have to deal with danger today.

Condition Orange:	Specific alert—something is not quite right and has oneʼs attention. It might be something having to be dealt with right now. One gets mentally prepared to act, just in case.

Condition Red:	The potential danger of Condition Orange is determined to be a real danger. It is definitely something having to be dealt with right now. One acts immediately.

Also, a believerʼs resolving of a conflict must be done in a manner that is fair to the other person, as per the content of verse 15. In that regard, a believer must make sure that the resolving of a conflict is done for the right reason or right reasons and done in the right way. A right thing must be done in a right way. Below is a list of right and wrong things.

A right thing done in a wrong way is wrong.

A wrong thing done in a right way is wrong.

A wrong thing done in a wrong way is wrong.

A right thing done in a right way is right.

If a believer is motivated by selfishness regarding resolving of a conflict, then that believer is doing a right thing in a wrong way. Therefore, that believer is sinning. If one is unable to determine whether one is being selfish while trying to resolve a conflict, one can analyze whether one feels content or discontent. Another way to determine whether one is being selfish while trying to resolve a conflict is to analyze whether circumstances beyond oneʼs control are occurring and whether those circumstances are discipline from God the Son. God the Father does the planning, and God the Son carries out the plans of God the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son.

Regarding sinning while trying to resolve a conflict, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again. In that regard, if a believer concludes that he or she has sinned while trying to resolve a conflict, that believer should confess/acknowledge to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins in accordance with 1 John 1:9. While a believer might be uncertain about whether or not something that believer thinks, says, or does is a sin, if that believer confesses/acknowledges to God the Father what that believer thought, said, or did, and if what that believer thought, said, or did was indeed a sin, God the Father will forgive that believer for what that believer confessed/acknowledged to God the Father, and God the Father will forgive that believer for all of those of the believerʼs unconfessed post-salvation sins that are unknown to that believer. The phrase and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness in 1 John 1:9 references God the Father forgiving a believerʼs unconfessed post-salvation sins that are unknown to that believer when that believer confesses/acknowledges to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins.

Leviticus 19:18

‘You do not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you have had love toward your neighbor / your fellow person as yourself. I am Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Also, the use of the perfect tense in this verse is for the purpose of giving a command. That use of the perfect tense in this verse has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, why would verbs in the perfect tense be used for the purpose of giving a command? Doing so can communicate that obeying that command is 100% expected by God the Father. In other words, the importance of obeying the command is emphasized.

In this verse, the phrase sons of your people refers to Israelites. In that regard, Moses communicated the content of this verse to the people of Israel. While ancient Israelites were the initial target audience of this message, all believers throughout human history can benefit from applying the content of this verse. In that regard, believers should apply the principles of this verse to the believersʼ dealings with everyone.

The love mentioned in this verse involves exhibiting benevolence/goodwill rather than exhibiting some sort of sappy emotionalism. Also, the word yourself in this verse is a reference to the fact that most people typically are benevolent toward themselves. An unawareness of the aspect of benevolence/goodwill in the usage of the word love in this verse can result in a believer trying to have an emotional appreciation for everyone, including strangers and those who are antagonistic towards the believer. Believers with such misconceptions about the meaning of the word love as used in this verse will futilely try to do the impossible and thereby emotionally exhaust themselves. Rather than the word love as used in this verse referring to an emotionally driven approach to dealing with people, the word love as used in this verse instead refers to an approach to dealing with people by means of thinking that involves benevolence/goodwill regardless of the emotional state of the believer exhibiting the benevolence/goodwill. In that regard, while a believer exhibiting benevolence/goodwill can have a positive emotional feeling toward someone when the believer is also exhibiting benevolence/goodwill toward that person, the exhibiting of the benevolence/goodwill is independent of the emotional state of the believer exhibiting the benevolence/goodwill.

In addition, it is important to recognize the context of this verse. Absent from that context is anything related to defending against attacks. Therefore, absent from the content of this verse is anything prohibiting defending the innocent against attacks.

The part of Leviticus 19:18 that covers the matter of vengeance is referenced in the content of the below verse in the New Testament.

Romans 12:19

The part of Leviticus 19:18 that covers the matter of a believer being benevolent is referenced in the content of the below verses in the New Testament.

Matthew 5:43–44

Matthew 19:19

Matthew 22:39

Mark 12:31

Luke 10:27

Romans 13:9

Galatians 5:14

James 2:8

Sincerely,

John