1 Corinthians 13, Love (4)

The definitions of love.

·       It’s almost a waste of time being academic in the discussion of love, but we’re going to do just that, briefly.  Here are four Greek terms that the Greeks might use as terms of love.  With each term we will note the basis of this form of love, give the best possible illustration, and make a statement that expresses this love.

Term for love	Basis of this love	Illustration	Expression
Stergos	Human nature	Parent/Child	“Of course I love you; you’re my child.”
Eros	Passion	Husband/Wife (physically)	“I want you”
Phileo	Pleasurableness	Friend/friend	“I like you”
Agapao	Preciousness	God/world	“I give myself to you”

We said these four terms were used by the Greeks.  Now let us note, that only two of these terms are used in the NT: phileo and agapao.  For “eros” the Bible might use the term “lust” or “desire”.  And if it’s talking about the physical love of husband and wife, the OT uses the term “knew” (e.g. Gen. 4:1, Now Adam knew Eve his wife.) 

On the other hand, the OT term for “love” (Heb. ahav) is less distinctive, applying it to many different situations.  The most notorious use of the term, in my view, is 2 Sam. 13:1, where David’s son Amnon “loved” his half-sister Tamar, loved her enough to rape her.

“Agapao” is the term in Gal. 5:22 and the one we are concerned with.  I want to share a few select statements from W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words.

Agapao and the corresponding noun agape present the characteristic word of Christianity, and since the Spirit of revelation has used it to express ideas previously unknown, enquiry into its use, whether in Greek literature or in the Septuagint, throws but little light upon its distinctive meaning in the NT.
Love can only be known from the actions it prompts. 
Christian love is the fruit of His Spirit in the Christian. 
Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to His commandments.  Self-will, that is, self-pleasing, is the negation of love to God. 
Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered.