Dear Ed: I have found this passage to be explained in two different ways:
1. First this kind of hate means to separate from. At some point, detaching completely, not depending on or living in the "material" world for "material gain or happiness." Not loving one another the CONDITIONAL kind of "human love" that depends on reciprocity or retribution: to only love who is good to you and to hate your enemy that is opposed. It means to separate from that kind of dependence and relations with people.
2. Secondly, in the process of reaching unconditional love that does not depend on material reward, there is a point where people feel spiritually like dying, like losing their lives and letting go of everything they thought, whether good or bad. Giving it all up and starting over. Only by letting go of the old ways, then the new ways replace them, that are spiritually driven and not of this world. This stage can become so intense it literally feels like anger and hatred, totally resentment and rejection, in every sense of the word "hate" can mean.
So whoever loses his life, on the material level of attachment,
finds it spiritually on a level that is transcendent.
This can either be (1) figuratively hating in terms of separating or letting go or renouncing the material world of expectations on conditions in relationships (2) or it can be LITERALLY hating your life, your whole world, totally killing off whatever you loved and held sacred;
so that "after this anger phase" you are filled instead with spiritual motivations and love of life that DOES NOT depend on other people for peace and spiritual satisfaction in life.
NOTE: This passage cannot be promoting to live in a state of hate for people forever as the goal. Otherwise it would contradict the two great commandments on which all the laws and prophets are based: (1) to LOVE God with all our heart mind and soul (2) to LOVE our neighbor as ourselves (and the third new commandment Jesus brought to fulfill the other two uniting love of God with love of man as one (3) to LOVE one another as Jesus loves us ie unconditionally as God does, not conditionally which causes suffering.
So in this context with the SPIRIT of the laws which is LOVE, the passage has to mean something in relation to that process or purpose of loving God and man. Or else it does not make any sense.
But the bible contradicts itself everywhere! That is how the brainwashed are tested. When the brainwashed can no longer see the obvious contradictions, then their brainwashing is complete.
Sticking with the God is love theme:
1 Corinthians 13:4)
Love is long-suffering and kind.
Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up,
5) does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests,
does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury.
6) It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
7) It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Na 1:2
God is jealous, and
the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for
I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Ex 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for
the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: