Paul says - though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you. For what sake? For love's sake - I want you to do this out of love. I do not want you to do this because I am making you do it. … And Paul, the apostle, is wise enough to know that if there is going to be a right relationship there, it can not be compelled. He has to appeal to him on the basis of love - do that which love would require of you here. … I am going to appeal to you. I am not going to order you to do it, because if I order you, I will not get the right results. That is why sometimes we have to appeal to our children when we could order them. We might give them an order, but we will not get the right results. We will get grudging obedience, followed by disobedience on the next occasion when they can safely get away with it. And so, it is often better to appeal to the conscience, appeal to what is right, appeal to what God would want, to appeal to what love would require—rather than to merely give orders.1
Terry L. Johnson
8 C'est pourquoi, bien que j'aie en Christ toute liberté de te prescrire ce qui est convenable,