Love

A SLIGHTLY BROADER VIEW

For those of you who are a member of my group on FB I will post a video called "Morning Announcements - A Short Film About Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church"  It's a wonderful video and I highly recommend it. 

As to this blog,........I feel compelled by the Spirit of God to continue on my blogs concerning love.  the love of God for us and love we have for one another.

I remember Pastor J sharing with us the Greeks had four translations for the word love.

* https://www.mcleanbible.org/sites/default/files/Multiply-Resources/Chap3/GreekWordsforLoveWS_Chapter3.pdf

  1) Εροσ (Eros) i. This love is erotic love ii. Eros is a love of passion, an overmastering passion that seizes and absorbs itself into the mind. iii. It is a love that is an emotional involvement based on body chemistry. iv. The basic idea of this love is self-satisfaction. 1. Though Eros is directed towards another, it actually has self in mind. For example: “I love you because you make me happy.”

   2)  Στοργή (Storgē) a. Definition: i. This love has its basis in one’s own nature. ii. Storgē is a natural affection or natural obligation iii. It is a natural movement of the soul for husband, wife, child or dog. iv. It is a quiet, abiding feeling within a man that rests on something close to him and that he feels good about. b. Usage: i. In the New Testament storgē appears in the noun or verb form with the preifx “a” and therefore negates the love and means without this type of love. It is translated in Romans 1:31 and 2 Timothy 3:3 as “unloving” (without natural affection, KJV). ii. In Romans 12:10, storgē is compounded with philos and is translated “devoted” (kindly affectioned, KJV). c. References: Romans 1:31, 12:10; 2 Timothy 3:3

   

  3) Φιλἐω (Phileō) a. Definition: i. Phileō is a companionable love. ii. This love speaks of affection, fondness, or liking. iii. Kenneth Wuest says, “It is a love that is called out of one’s heart as a response to the pleasure one takes in a person or object.” 1 iv. Phileō is a love that responds to kindness, appreciation, or love. It involves giving as well as receiving; but when it is greatly strained, it can collapse in a crisis. v. Phileō is a higher love than eros because it is our happiness rather than my happiness. vi. This love is called out of one’s heart by qualities in another. b. Usage: i. It is used in a number of times in its noun and verb forms in the New Testament. ii. In John 21:15-17, it is contrasted with agape love. c. References: Matt. 6:5, 10:37, 23:6, 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 20:46, 22:47; John 5:20, 11:3, 36, 12:25, 15:19, 16:27, 20:2, 21:15, 21:16-17; 1 Cor. 16:22; Titus 3:15; Rev. 3:19, 22:15 (see also Titus 2:4 philandros and philoteknos)  

  4) Ἀγάπη or Ἀγαπάω (Agapē or Agapaō) a. Definition: i. Agapē is called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved. It is a love of esteem, of evaluation. It has the idea of prizing. It is the noblest word for love in the Greek language.2 ii. Agapē is not kindled by the merit or worth of it’s object, but it originates in it’s own God-given nature. God is love. iii. It delights in giving. iv. This love keeps on loving even when the loved one is unresponsive, unkind, unlovable, and unworthy. It is unconditional love. v. Agapē desires only the good of the one loved. It is a consuming passion for the well-being of others. 1 Kenneth Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co,. 1975), Vol. III Bypaths, pp. 111-113 2 Wuest, pp. 111-113 2 b. Usage: i. There are only a few known occurrences of this word love outside of the bible. In other words, this word was not used very often in extra-biblical writings. ii. It is used approximately three0hundred and twenty times in the New Testament. c. Selected References: John 3:16, 3:35, 13:34, 14:15, 15:9, 15:13; Romans 5:5, 13:8-10; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 3:17, 4:2, 4:15, 5:2, 5:25; Col. 3:14; 1 Thess. 3:12, 4:9-10; 1 Peter 4:8

My favorite examples of when Yeshua speaks of love are Matthew 5:43-48 ~ 

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Also

Matthew 22:34-40 ~ 

The Greatest Commandment

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

One of my favorite authors CS Lewis says on love, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.  If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.  Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.  But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken, it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.  The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation.  The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations (mental disquiet, disturbance, or agitation.) of love is hell."

What is life without love? Is it possible to live without love entirely? What about life lived under love as defined by Eros? Is it possible to live your life as God loves us under love defined by Agape? 

Please feel free to leave a comment if you chose to. 

As always, as Yeshua loves me, so do I love you.