Charity (agape)
This is our chief aim, the unconditional love of the Father given to us through his Son. Affection, friendship and romantic love are each the training ground for charity to grow. It’s also a rival to the three.
Even with a half-dozen mentions of the agape love including definitions last time, as you can see from Lewis’ quote this is a fruit of a higher UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – a gift of God the Father through Jesus Christ.
ἀγάπη – agapē
– feminine noun
The KJV translates Strong’s G26 in the following manner: love (86x), charity (28x), dear (1x), charitably (with G2596) (1x), feasts of charity (1x).
From ἀγαπάω (G25)
We also followed a relational connection between some of ‘The 4 Loves’ last time, but let’s see some of the connecting branches of the love agape as well.
ἀγαπάω (G25) – agapaō
verb
The KJV translates Strong’s G25 in the following manner: love (135x), beloved (7x).
You may say, ‘God is love,’ a use of agape as a noun; but the relational verb for love — agapaō requires an action of personal relationship.
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
First Letter of the Apostle John 4:8 LSB
a LOVE of persons OR of things
- of persons
- to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
- of things
- to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing
Lewis also cautions that these could become idolatry as well, rather than the intended love of God the Father through His only Son Jesus Christ.
Root Word (Etymology)
Perhaps from agan (much) [or cf φιλέω (G5368) phileō, also a verb to love or to kiss ]
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
the Apostle Paul writing to the churches
or
Greet one another with a kiss of love.
the Apostle Peter writing to the churches
We certainly cannot avoid the worldly love-connection to the idolatries of Eros attributed to the genuine signs of affection the Lord and Apostles modeled for the saints of our local churches.
The KJV translates Strong’s G5384 in the following manner: friend (29x).
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
How would you describe your LOVE for a friend?
Agape embraces another with affection like no other love.
ἀγαπητός – agapētos
the adjective from From ἀγαπάω (G25) agape
Strong's Number G27 matches the Greek ἀγαπητός (agapētos), which occurs 61 times in 60 verses in the MGNT Greek.
Outline of Biblical Usage
beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love
God the Father, Jesus and all the Apostles use it.
Peter, for example:
Therefore, beloved G27, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved G27 brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, \
2 Peter:3:14-15 LSB
And the Apostle Paul in several epistles:
I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved G27 children.
Therefore, my beloved G27, flee from idolatry.
Therefore, my beloved G27 brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 4:14, 10:14, 15:58 LSB
For the Love of God [O.T.]
And recalling love from the Scriptural roots of Jesus and the Apostles in the Hebrew Bible:
A song. A psalm of David.
(WLC 108:5)כִּי־גָדוֹל מֵעַל־שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ וְעַד־שְׁחָקִים אֲמִתֶּךָ׃
For your faithful love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Yet from the root word חֶסֶד
ḥeseḏ:
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.Ps 108:6 NASB95
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.Ps 108:6 NKJV
Do you see the high relational LOVE between God the Father, Jesus the Son and those who in and by the Spirit love the Lord?
Mercy, Lovingkindness and agape love cannot be simply jargon among those saints saved in Christ Jesus.
agapētos agapaō .. agapē
Finally, your search for LOVE in New Testament Greek will draw you to one holy Scripture penned in a letter of the one Jesus loved.
ἀγαπητοί ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν
Α΄ Ιωάννη (1 John) 4 :: Morphological Greek New Testament (MGNT)
It's all Greek to me too, so let me help you out.
Beloved
Strong’s G27 – agapētos From ἀγαπάω agapaō (G25)
let us love
g25 agapaō
one another,
allēlōn
for love
hoti agapē (G26)
is from God;
eimi ek θεός theos
and everyone who loves
kai pas ho agapaō (G25)
has been [begotten] born of God
gennaō ek θεός theos
and knows God.
kai ginōskō θεός theos
1 John 4:7 LSB
Questions of Agape Love
source: BibleHub.com STUDY Questions
Beloved,
In what ways can you demonstrate “agape” love to those in your church community this week?
And, dear friend, here's one to make it yet more personal
How does the command to love one another serve as evidence of being “born of God” in your personal spiritual journey?
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