The Church and Summum bonum – Attempts at Honesty

Recently, the term summum bonum was brought to my attention. The phrase is a Latin expression meaning, “the highest good” and is used to designate what is of ultimate importance in life.

Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 22:36-40 when he identified two commands that comprise the greatest good. We are to love God with our entire being and love our neighbor as ourselves. The highest good, the summum bonum is love.

The question that comes to mind is whether an outsider that visits my church quickly perceives that love is the summum bonum of the group. I have been in many churches that would agree that the two great commands are the highest good, but struggled to live that out.

In actuality, other things can usurp the place that the great commands should have in our life and worship. For example, I have seen the following “goods” take the place of love:

Doctrinal correctness
Adherence to a set of rules
Loyalty to a particular Bible translation
Loyalty to a particular worship style
Material prosperity
Social standing

I’m sure that my readers could add to the list (feel free to do so in the comment section below).

My intention is not to point fingers or to present myself as above all this, because I am not. In my own life, I struggle to “keep the main thing the main thing.” While it is easy to understand that love of God and love of neighbor are the highest good, it is difficult to live this out.

When a visitor comes to your church, what would they perceive is the summum bonum of your group? Does the visitor feel loved? Does the visitor see the work of God in the lives of the congregants?

If the real summum bonum of the church is anything other than love, the only proper response is repentance. Jesus told the church in Ephesus:

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4–5, ESV)

The point is that since it is easy to get off track, as individuals and in our church groups, we must be intentional about seeking to live out the two great commands. If those who visit our churches perceive that we hold love as the highest ideal, even when we fail to live it out, then we have something attractive to offer.

The Apostle John tells us that we love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). When we understand the Gospel, when we understand that God loves us despite our rebellion and failures, when we understand and accept the forgiveness made possible by Jesus, that understanding should impact how we interact with each other.

In short, when we respond in love to those around us, we are modeling how Jesus responded to everyone. By loving others, we point to Jesus, the author of love. That is the highest good that we can offer.

On going down to Egypt – Attempts at Honesty

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! “Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.” (Isaiah 30:1–3, NASB 95)

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Mark H. McIntyre

Can’t see the result – Attempts at Honesty

While painting a room for my daughter, I noticed that when the paint is in the process of drying, it is difficult to see what the end result will look like. Since some places on the wall dry faster than others, there is a variation in color until the entire wall dries. It is only when the project is complete that the end result can be assessed.

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Mark H. McIntyre

Eulogy for My Mother – Attempts at Honesty

On Saturday, July 19, 2025, we held a memorial service for my mother who died in June at the age of 90. The following is the eulogy that I gave during the service with a few minor edits for clarity:

Jul 22, 20255 min read

Mark H. McIntyre

Things in my control – Attempts at Honesty

At a Bible Study I attend, one of the men handed out a sheet of paper containing two lists. One list showed the things that are outside of our control. The other detailed the things that we can control.

Jun 12, 20252 min read

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Look to the sloth, you over-achiever – Attempts at Honesty

In the churches of my youth, I was certainly taught the right way to behave. Or, at least, I was taught the right way to behave which was consistent with the leaders’ understanding of the Bible. Those churches were good at producing conformity among the congregants.

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Training Versus Trying Part 1

One of the concepts that we teach at Authentic Joy is the idea that in pursuing spiritual growth we need to have a training mindset not a trying mindset. We often use the metaphor of running a mara…

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When the World Is Loud, We Must Help Our Daughters Hear His Voice

The next generation doesn’t need more noise. They need the Word.

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When You’ve Lost Hope

Have you ever faced a tough circumstance and wondered, God, where are you? Maybe you’re in one of those situations right now. I’ve had them too. That was the situation with many of Jesus’ followers after He was crucified and buried. They had lost their hopes and dreams and didn’t know where to turn. Let’s take a look at one story. Read more...

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