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As I look at the original words for this verse in the Greek I see that it is extremely simple and efficient. There are simply two words for each phrase in this verse making up six words altogether. But those words are full of meaning that takes a great deal more English words to convey than even the number used by most translators. But the simplicity of the original also conveys a strong message as well.
The first phrase says that we should love (agape kind of love) sincerely, without faking or pretending in any way. First of all agape kind of love is impossible to have apart from first receiving it from the only Source of this kind of totally selfless love. So it will not be possible to just work very hard at convincing others that we come across as nice, pleasant and friendly and satisfy this instruction. Even training ourselves to perform all sorts of loving activities may only accomplish fooling ourselves into believing that we have this love and have satisfied this requirement. No, real agape love can only be demonstrated from a heart that is experiencing first-hand the results of being loved with this kind of love.
I am reminded repeatedly in my considerations of these things that I am only a mirror and as such have no ability to produce any light of love on my own. If I attempt to paint a picture of light on the face of my mirror, so to speak, I might come across as very convincing to some who can't perceive the difference, especially if they have not yet seen the real thing. But just because I may have great artistic skills to paint the most beautiful pictures in the world on the face of my life mirror it will never come close to the real-time reflections that could radiate in brilliant beams of glistening glory if I would just have my mirror cleaned and turn it toward the Source of all love allowing His glory bounce off my heart to others. It makes no sense to paint a picture when a reflection of the real thing holds so much more beauty and attraction.
The next two phrases appear to be designed to be opposite sides of the same coin. The first one says that we are to abhor, to have revulsion away from, to push away like the pressure created when like poles of two magnets come near each other. This is in contrast to the action word in the second phrase which means to cleave, glue to, be extremely attached to as with a strong adhesive. And the objects of these two contrasting actions are also opposite of each other. The word for evil that we are to be repelled from includes nearly everything imaginable that is hurtful, bad and diseased. In essence we are to share God's intense feelings of revulsion toward all the sin that has separated Him from the hearts of billions of beings He created to enjoy intimate love with each other and His own heart. We are to come into sympathy with God's view of sin and become emptied of all sympathy for sin in any form.
Equally, in contrast we are to join God in His intense passion for all that is good and live-giving and beneficial. In fact the Greek word for good here is very similar to the word Agape which is the kind of love that emanates from God and holds the whole universe together. While we are to have revulsion for sin, at the same time we must also be filled with the compassion and unselfish love for those caught in the web of sin just as God does. Really, what I find in these verses of instruction are simply descriptions of what God is like and how He relates toward us. We are simply being taught here to reflect those attributes of God toward others in all of our life.
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