Question

I hope you are doing well in your work of preaching the gospel in Mountain Home. Please answer the following question from 1 Peter 4:8: What is the meaning of the phrase "love covers a multitude of sins"? Does the phrase have a different meaning in James 5:20?

Answer

The apostle Peter exhorts saints, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'Love will cover a multitude of sins'" (1 Peter 4:8). He is quoting from Proverbs 10:12, where Solomon observes,

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins."

Solomon personifies "hatred" and "love" to show the tendency of each quality. He doesn't state how each accomplishes its purpose, just that each ends oppositely to the other. The result of hatred is strife. The result of love is the covering of sin. One who exercises hatred magnifies sins and broadcasts them so as to cause strife. The one who loves does what is possible to cover the sins of those whom he loves. But how?

In relationship to sin, David uses the term “cover” as a synonym for forgiveness.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered” (Psalms 32:1).

“You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin” (Psalms 85:2).

When God forgives our sins, He hides them from His view. In these verses David doesn’t say how He forgives them, he just avows God does so.

How did the Lord forgive David’s sins? At first David tried to hide his great sins of lust, adultery, and murder from men (2 Samuel chapter 11), and the guilt weighed heavily upon him (Psalm 32:3-4). But when Nathan rebuked him (2 Samuel 12:1-12), David repented (Psalm 51:17), confessed his sins (2 Samuel12:13; Psalm 32:5; 51:3-4), and asked God to forgive him (Psalm 51:1-2,7), and the Lord did indeed forgive him (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32:5).

If we try to cover our own sins, they remain as barriers between us and God. If we acknowledge our sins to God, He covers them by forgiving us (1 John 1:9).

We are to forgive one another of sins against each other on the same basis the Lord forgives us of sins against Him (Matthew 6:12). The Lord will not forgive us unless we repent (Acts 8:22). We are to be longsuffering and forbearing toward the unintentional slights and irritations caused by others as expressions of our love in order to maintain peace and unity (Ephesians 4:1-3). But if a brother genuinely commits wrong against you, you should rebuke him privately (Luke 17:1-3; Matthew 18:15-17). All sin is ultimately against God (cf. Psalm 51:4), and God will not cover, i.e., forgive, your brother’s sin unless he repents of it. By overlooking his sins, you are not demonstrating love but unconcern for the eternal welfare of your brother.

Likewise, we demonstrate love for brethren who err from the truth or commit sins of any kind by gently and humbly showing them their error (James 5:19-20; Galatians 6:1-2). Thus our love will “save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20), not by ignoring their transgressions, but by leading them to repentance.

Hatred stirs up strife by magnifying, broadcasting, and refusing to forgive others of both sin and personal slights and irritations. Fervent love covers sin by gently, humbly leading the sinner to repentance.