The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
We Love Him Because He First Loved Us
Bible Scholars generally agree that there are four different Greek words, with their varying tenses and usages, that are translated “love” in English. Only three of the four are found in the New Testament.
Eros (eh-rahs) is romantic, physical love involved in sex and passion. Eros does not appear in the New Testament.
Phileo (fi-lay-oh) is friendship love, the affection and emotional connection between friends. While the word appears elsewhere occasionally, all of the references to love in Titus are translated from phileo-related Greek words.
Storge (store-gue) is the natural affection and cherishing between parents and their children which can extend to other family members as in fraternal love. The word appears in the New Testament as a compound word, philostorgos, in Romans 12:10.
Agape (ah-gah-pay) is the way God loves us. It is unconditional and intentional love, the kind of love we are commanded to show Him in our obedience to His Word. The Greek word translated “love” throughout 1 John is agape.
The Romans 12:9-10 admonition makes a connection between agape love and storge love as they work together, with storge love as a natural outcome of agape love: “Let love (agape) be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love (philostorgos), in honor preferring one another.”
1 Timothy 1:14 states “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love (agape) which is in Christ Jesus.” This coincides with the 1 John 4:10-13 and 19 declaration of the origin of agape love: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit … We love Him, because He first loved us.”
Timothy’s sequence of how we should then live uses the agape form of love in all his references on the subject:
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love (agape), patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life whereunto you are also called and have professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:11-12).
“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love (agape), and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
“Hold fast the form of sound words which you have heard of me, in faith and love (agape) which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13).
But the sense of agape love is used for more than love of God Himself or the love we are called to live by. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 cites the unconditional and intentional agape love of His appearing, as well: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love (agape) his appearing.”
In commanding us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…[and] love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37, 39), Jesus calls us to intentionally and unconditionally live the agape love that He modeled for us.
