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Notes -
The love for enemies is a Christian love, an imitation of what Christ does. This includes, for example, warning the uncharitable wealthy of the eternal hellfire that awaits them, as Jesus does on many occasions. It may include insulting some by calling them children of Satan, for the purposes of hopefully awakening an obstinate soul. It also means, in some cases, “showing mercy by fear, hating even the garment stained by their flesh”, while still loving the person’s soul. It means that if someone in your church sins against you without apology or listening the church’s correction, the whole community severs all ties with them completely (Matthew 18:17). Historically, perhaps the best example of Christian love is the execution of criminals: allow them the dignity to confess and speak to a priest, then execute them quickly without needless pain. Hence the death penalty was justified by Ambrose, Chrysostom, Augustine, in a framework of Christian love.
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