What Did Peter Mean When He Said Love Covers a Multitude of Sin?
"Above all things, have unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." – 1 Peter 4:8 (MEV)
Peter encourages all believers to love one another, because it "covers a multitude of sins." What did he mean by that? Let's take a look at some possible reasons why.
Forgiveness
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First we look at the perspective of forgiveness. Ellicott's commentary notes that in the Hebrew language, to "cover" usually means to "forgive" by hiding the offense behind some effective cover. Although the offense remains, it is overlooked.
In the Old Testament, God required blood so that man's sins could be "covered" or forgiven. Although animal blood could not take the sinful nature away from sinful man (see Hebrews 10:4), it was enough to forgive our sins. Of course it is important to note that sinful man could still sin since the sinful nature remains.
When Peter said love covers sin, he meant to say that our love effectively allows us to overlook the offenses that were made against us. Although we cannot deny the pain of the offense or label the sin as something right, our love allows us to forgive our offending brother or sister.
A lot of forgiveness
Second, we take a look at one of Peter's conversations with Jesus, where we are told to forgive a "multitude of sins."
"Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)
Peter was privileged to receive a first-hand instruction to keep forgiving people no matter how many times they ask for forgiveness. While we often stop at one or two, the Lord Jesus teaches us to keep forgiving again and again. Christ's love is like that: "the goodness of God leads you to repentance." (see Romans 2:4)
A love that restores
Lastly, let's take into account what Peter experienced with Jesus to see one last but very important thing. Peter:
- saw Christ healing the sick (see Matthew 8 for example);
- saw Jesus make miracles (see John 2:1-12 for example);
- saw Jesus feed multitudes (see Matthew 14:13-21);
- saw Lazarus come back to life (see John 11);
- saw Christ transfigured (see Luke 9:27-36);
- walked on water after seeing the Lord do it (see Matthew 14:22-33);
- and had the revelation that Jesus was and is the Christ, the Son of the living God (see Matthew 16:16).
Still, we read that Peter denied Christ three times, shortly before the Lord was crucified (see Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-27). Peter, the man who vowed to protect Christ, denied the very Messiah he waited for (see Matthew 16:21-22; John 18:10).
Yet the Messiah He denied forgave him and restored him (see John 21:15-19). Later we read that Peter became a leader in the church (see Acts), the writer of two epistles in the New Testament (1 and 2 Peter), and a man who would glorify God in his death (see John 21:19).
A love that really covers
Peter encourages us to love truly, because love covers sin. Love does not approve of sin; rather it forgives the sinner and empowers him to give up sinning. Christ's love empowers us to do the same to others (see John 13:34).
