There are basically two Greek words translated "love", in the New Testament. Each is used both as a noun and as a verb. The first is the Greek word Phileo, which is human love for a spouse, child, friend. relative, or a thing. This word literally means, "I really do like or care for you deeply". Philadelphia means, that kind of "brotherly love". A philanthropist loves humanity with that kind of love ...phileo love. The second Greek word translated "love or charity", in the New Testament, is the word "agape or agapeo", which means "a deep, pure, holy, Godly love." The best contrast, between the two types of love, that I know of, is in John 21:15-17. Before Christ's Crucifixion, Simon Peter had sworn to Jesus that though everyone else forsook and denied Him, he, Peter, would not.... but he did... several times. After His resurrection, Jesus met with his Apostles, and had this conversation with Peter: "Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest (agape love) thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love (phileo love) thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest (agape love) thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love (phileo love) thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest (philoe love) thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest (philoe love) thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love (philoe love) thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." John 21:15-17.
To paraphrase the conversation, Jesus was saying to Peter, "You promised me that though all the other Apostles denied me, you would not, but you did. So do you still think you love (agape) me more than they? Peter answered, Lord you know I like (philoe) you a lot.... to which Jesus responded, But do you love (agapo) me Peter? Again Peter answered, Lord, you know everything... you know I really do like (philoe) you. Then Jesus asked him the third time, So you like (philoe) me a lot Peter? This grieved Peter's heart, but he was so ashamed of his earlier denial, that he agreed, Yes Lord I really do like (philoe) you. Notice that Jesus did not take Peter's Apostleship away from him but said to him, "Feed my sheep". Peter's love was faulty ... Jesus' love was not. Our love is faulty ... His is not.
That iron willed, uncompromising Apostle Paul emphasized, to the Ephesian Church, the absolute essential, of agape love, in Christian service ... "Speak the truth ... in love (agape) ", he said. It should be all too obvious to every Christian that all effective Christian service is based of agape love, whatever ministry it is.
Agape love is the Mega Command of God.
After both the Sadducees and Pharisees had failed to trick Jesus into saying something which would drive a wedge between Him and those who came out to hear and see him, they sent a Pharisee lawyer to ask Jesus a more controversial question. "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love (agape) the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love (agape) thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt.22:35-40. The Pharisees were expecting Jesus to name one of the ten commandments. Instead, He summed up the first half of the ten commandments, which have to do with man's relationship God, into one commandment... "Love God", the first and greatest commandment. Then he summed up the last half of the commandments, which have to do with man's relationship with other people into one commandment ... Love Other People, the second greatest commandment. Jesus concluded by telling them that "all the law and the prophets" the entire Old Testament hung on those two commandments.
Agape love is the very meaning of
the Law of God
".... love one another: for he that loveth (agape) another hath fulfilled the law." Rom.13:8.
Agape love is the New Testament
Commandment
Jesus himself said it .... "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34.
Agape love is the Message of the ages
"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
1 John 3:11. In the very next chapter, John 4, "agape love" is mentioned 27 times in 12 verses. One of those verses reveals agape love as the very essence of who God is....
Agape love is the very essence of God
"God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16.
Agape love is the first listed Fruit of the
Holy spirit
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love ...." Gal. 5:22.
Do not overlook the fact that agape love is not one of the "gifts of the Holy Spirit". Agape love is a "fruit of the Spirit" and is equally available to every Christian, unlike the "gifts of the Spirit" which are given individually to each Christian as God sees fit. If you are a true Christian, the Spirit of God, of Jesus, lives in you. Literally, "God" lives in you, and if God lives in you, agape love lives in you. If it does not show, you are covering it up or sin is covering it up, but it is there ... if God is there. Uncover it, open it up and let it out.
Agape love is the more excellent way
In 1 Cor.12, all the gifts of the Spirit are listed, tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith and several others, as well as the various offices of Christ's church. First were 12 Apostles, second Prophets, Teachers and so on. Then the chapter concludes with v.31 "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (agape love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (agape love), I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (agape love), it profiteth me nothing." 1 Cor. 13:1-3. Agape love is a "more excellent way" than even the gifts of miracles, faith, preaching, martyrdom, Apostleship or anything else. Then this chapter concludes with these facts comparing agape love to any and all of the gifts of the spirit.
"Charity (agape) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away....And now abideth faith, hope, charity (agape love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (agape love). 1 Cor.13:8-13.
Agape love is the Example Jesus left us to follow
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12
Agape love is Heaven's Royal Law
"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well." James 2:8
Counseling a husband and wife, many years ago, the husband said, "I don't love her; I can't love her." I said, "Then obey James 2:8 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor'. She is your nearest neighbor. Love her as your neighbor." His response to that was, "I love my neighbor; he's a great friend, but she hates me." So, I said, "Then obey Jesus words in Matt.5:44, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you ....' Love her as your enemy. Turning to the wife, I asked, "Are you sure you are a Christian?" "Yes", she said, "I know I'm a Christian, but he's a couch potato and won't bathe or brush his teeth, and he stinks." I responded ,"God may be testing your obedience. Your husband may be your Mission Field. Missionaries, leave the comforts of home to go into deepest Africa to minister to little Pygmy people who don't bath or brush their teeth either, but the missionary loves them for Jesus. Maybe your husband is your Mission field ... Do you see what I mean?" "Yes", she said, "He's a Pygmy."
Agape love Supersedes every other attribute
"And above all things have fervent charity (agape love) among yourselves: for charity (agape) shall cover the multitude of sins." 1 Pet.4:8.
Agape love is the Christian's assurance of salvation
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." 1 John 3:14.
Agape love is the Christian's Identification Mark
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35
Agape love is God's Finished Work in Christians
"And above all these things put on charity (agape), which is the bond of perfectness." Col.3:14.
The Hebrew word translated "perfectness", in this verse, means and is translated "finished" in Heb.12:2.
The word "bond", here, is a seal. Agape love is God's seal on a finished work. We are not perfect (finished) yet, but God's agape love in us is perfect in whatever measure it may be. But that agape presence of God's Holy Spirit in us is our seal of salvation and our guarantee of resurrection, ascension and absolute perfection at the return of Christ for us. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2
"But whoso keepeth his (God's) word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." 1 John 2:5.
Tough Love
Let us pray for and determine to let God's agape love shine out of our lives, however, in all candor, I must admit that except for God's love for all of humanity and for me, I would find it very difficult to love most humans. We are, in general, a very unlovely lot. Which brings me to another side of love ... "Tough love". Some times the best thing we can do for those we love is to cease to finance or enable them to do evil and just turn them over to God to deal with. That is often the only means of correcting some people's actions and attitude. Apostle Paul went a step furthur ..."To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." 1 Cor.5:5.
There is also a time to wound a transgressor or attacker who cannot otherwise be neutralized. That is why Jesus instructed His Apostles to acquire swords ...."Then said he unto them .... he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. And they said, Lord, behold, here two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough." Luke 22:36 & 38.
There is also a time for war and a time to kill according to Ecc. 3:1, 8. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ....A time to kill ....a time of war, and a time of peace. World War 2 and the Korean War come to mind. Nations were saved in these two wars. After the Korean War many Koreans came to Christ and South Korea is now about 25% Christian. RB
No comments:
Post a Comment