t12papocrypha
Testament of Gad 4
Gad sets hatred and love as two governing spirits in direct opposition: hatred allies with Satan, moves in haste, and drives toward condemnation and death, while love allies with the law of God, moves in long-suffering, and drives toward salvation and life. Hatred's first work is to expose and magnify a brother's stumbling so that judgment falls swiftly and finally. Love's first work is the opposite — it would call back even the condemned from death. The chapter frames these not as temperaments but as active spiritual forces, each working with a counterpart: hatred with the adversary, love with Jehovah's law.
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Take heed therefore, my children, of hatred; for it worketh iniquity against the Lord Himself: for it will not hear the words of His commandments concerning the loving of one’s neighbour, and it sinneth against God. For if a brother stumble, immediately it wisheth to proclaim it to all men, and is urgent that he should be judged for it, and be punished and slain. And if it be a servant, it accuseth him to his master, and with all affliction it deviseth against him, if it be possible to slay him. For hatred worketh in envy, and it ever sickeneth with envy against them that prosper in well-doing, when it seeth or heareth thereof. For as love would even restore to life the dead, and would call back them that are condemned to die, so hatred would slay the living, and those that have offended in a small matter it would not suffer to live. For the spirit of hatred worketh together with Satan through hastiness of spirit in all things unto men’s death; but the spirit of love worketh together with the law of God in long-suffering unto the salvation of men.
