Maybe I'm wrong here, and somebody say something if I am, but isnt the point of Proverbs 27:5 that we shouldn't keep our love a secret thing, but that we should share it and show it to others? It would be better for us to openly rebuke someone than to keep our love secret. I guess I just don't see this as a verse that suggests we should be openly rebuking others (there are other verses that sure may though), but more so that it's a terrible thing to keep our love secret? I don't know, just thoughts.
Greetings
@Travis ,
thank you for your kind remarks. May I offer the following to ponder. I know it can be a touchy subject but I am also glad that we can be assured that the Apostle Paul when writing to the Galatians, calling them foolish, has been kept for the records for us. Not the calling them foolish, no, but that he did speak openly and by so doing (as when he spoke to Pater that time) he was not hating them, but contrary to that he was exercising love and friendship, for both God and man.
Note also that private is right if one offends me personally. Here, we must consider the innocent and searching and the babes as well as the ones presently getting tossed by the waves, we must also consider the public yet hidden environment of online forums where of course we are not all in one building or park or marketplace but the things written remain (unless of course are deleted) and that while one may 'speak their mind' and 'say whatever they want' we have a responsibility that can be rewarded by and with flack if we take it seriously. Statements that are purely fanciful, no matter who fancies them, are dangerous and in regards to things of the Lord and Scripture, are deceptive and misleading. There is enough confusion already and by winking at silly notions and letting them become bywords, as so often we witness happens in this lost and muddled world, we do wrong. Admittedly many will take no notice and people will still want to either push their lies and fantasies and many will drink deeply and want more of it all.
Thank you again for your thoughtful input.
here is the mentioned words to ponder, if you'd like to... I grabbed a few points for you since you asked. I think we could all do well and dig deeper and seek the LORD more than we do and more than this little bit might portray:
5, 6. secret love—not manifested in acts is useless; and even, if its exhibition by rebukes wounds us, such love is preferable to the frequent (compare
Margin), and hence deceitful, kisses of an enemy. [*JFB*]
Matthew 18:
15¶Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
(If the trespass be against me, then yes, rebuke is between me and thee)
1John 1:
16Hereby perceive we the love
of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down
ourlives for the brethren.
17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels
of compassionfrom him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not,
thenhave we confidence toward God.
The meaning of the proverb is different: it is better to be courageously and sternly corrected - on account of some fault committed - by any one, whether he be a foe or a friend, than to be the object of a love which may exist indeed in the heart, but which fails to make itself manifest in outward act. There are men who continually assure us of the reality and depth of their friendship; but when it is necessary for them to prove their love to be self-denying and generous, they are like a torrent which is dry when one expects to drink water from it (Job 6:15). Such "secret" love, or, since the word is not נסתּרת, but מסתּרת, love confined to the heart alone, is like a fire which, when it burns secretly, neither lightens nor warms; and before such a friend, any one who frankly and freely tells the truth has by far the preference, for although he may pain us, yet he does us good; while the former deceives us, for he leaves us in the lurch when it is necessary to love us, not merely in word and with the tongue, but in deed and in truth (1Jo 3:18). *KD*
Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before
them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
1Timothy 5:
20Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
21I charge
thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Proverbs 28:
23He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.
Open - When it is needful, in which case, though it put a man to some shame yet it doth him good. Better - More desirable and beneficial. Secret love - Which does not shew itself by friendly actions, and particularly by free and faithful reproof. [*Wesley*]
5 Open rebuke
is better than secret love. 6 Faithful
are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy
are deceitful.
Note, 1. It is good for us to be reproved, and told of our faults, by our friends. If true love in the heart has but zeal and courage enough to show itself in dealing plainly with our friends, and reproving them for what they say and do amiss, this is really
better, not only than secret hatred (as Lev. xix. 17), but
than secret love, that love to our neighbours which does not show itself in this good fruit, which compliments them in their sins, to the prejudice of their souls.
Faithful are the reproofs of a friend, though for the present they are painful as
wounds. It is a sign that our friends are faithful indeed if, in love to our souls, they will not suffer sin upon us, nor let us alone in it. The physician's care is to cure the patient's disease, not to please his palate. 2. It is dangerous to be caressed and flattered by
an enemy, whose
kisses are deceitful We can take no pleasure in them because we can put no confidence in them (Joab's kiss and Judas's were deceitful), and therefore we have need to stand upon our guard, that we be not deluded by them; they are to be deprecated. Some read it:
The Lord deliver us from an enemy's kisses, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. [*MHC*]
Strongs – open -
H1540 גּלה gâlâh gaw-law'
A primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively to reveal: - + advertise appear bewray bring (carry lead go) captive (into captivity) depart disclose discover exile be gone open × plainly publish remove reveal × shamelessly shew × surely tell uncover.
-rebuke - H8433 תּוכחת תּוכחה tôkêchâh tôkachath to-kay-khaw' to-kakh'-ath
From H3198; chastisement; figuratively (by words) correction refutation
proof (even in defence): - argument × chastened correction reasoning rebuke reproof × be (often) reproved.
- better - H2896 טוב ţôb tobe
From H2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun both in the masculine and the feminine the singular and the plural (good a good or good thing a good man or woman; the good goods or good things good men or women) also as an adverb (well): - beautiful best better bountiful cheerful at ease × fair (word) (be in) favour fine glad good (deed -lier liest -ly -ness -s) graciously joyful kindly kindness liketh (best) loving merry × most pleasant + pleaseth pleasure precious prosperity ready sweet wealth welfare (be) well ([-favoured]).
- secret - H5641 סתר sâthar saw-thar'
A primitive root; to hide (by covering) literally or figuratively: - be absent keep close conceal hide (self) (keep) secret × surely.
- love - H160 אהבה 'ahăbâh a-hab-aw'
Feminine of H158 and meaning the same: - love.
Bless you ....><>
