Agape?

W2L · Sep 27, 2017

I have heard that agape refers to Gods love, however here in Luke 11:43 we have the pharisees loving the best seats and the greetings. Their love was agape. How then does agape refer to Gods love?

Luke 11:43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

Denadii · Sep 27, 2017

W2L said:
I have heard that agape refers to Gods love, however here in Luke 11:43 we have the pharisees loving the best seats and the greetings. Their love was agape. How then does agape refer to Gods love?

Luke 11:43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

Good question. Agape is a type of love as you said. In Luke 11:43, its in this context.

of persons
1. to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
of things
1. to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing
This is the passive form of agape.
The God kind of agape is not at all passive. Its an action word. A verb. God does love to you. It is not just a good feeling toward you but an active doing in your behalf, an active doing for your best good.
Sorry about the extra numbers there. I have a difficult time with those things. LOL

Phil 1:21 · Sep 27, 2017

The kind of love described in Luke 11:43 was self glorifying. This is not the agape love of Jesus Christ.

W2L · Sep 27, 2017

Denadii said:
Good question. Agape is a type of love as you said. In Luke 11:43, its in this context.

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

This is the passive form of agape.

The God kind of agape is not at all passive. Its an action word. A verb. God does love to you. It is not just a good feeling toward you but an active doing in your behalf, an active doing for your best good.
Sorry about the extra numbers there. I have a difficult time with those things. LOL

This scripture would prove that even sinners like the pharisees could agape love.

W2L · Sep 27, 2017

JayW said:
The kind of love described in Luke 11:43 was self glorifying. This is not the agape love of Jesus Christ.

Yes i agree. The point of this thread is to show that even sinners, like the whitewashed pharisees, could agape/love.

Phil 1:21 · Sep 27, 2017

W2L said:
Yes i agree. The point of this thread is to show that even sinners, like the whitewashed pharisees, could agape/love.

Agape is only one type of love. Consider it a subset, not a synonym.

Denadii · Sep 27, 2017

W2L said:
This scripture would prove that even sinners like the pharisees could agape love.

To a point, yes. They would not, I think, be able to carry the doing part of Agape past their own comfort level. Where it starts to inconvenience them they would quit.

Hidden In Him · Sep 27, 2017

W2L said:
This scripture would prove that even sinners like the pharisees could agape love.

Yeah. I've often though too much is made out of the "agape love" teaching. Agapao generally just meant love in a general sense, without any specific meanings being attached to it. Phileo carries more the sense of caring and friendship. Erao (Eros) was used specifically of passionate and sensual love, and Stergeo was used of the love that existed between parents and children.

But as one source states, "Agapao lacks the specific meanings assigned to the other three Greek verbs."

W2L · Sep 27, 2017

Hidden In Him said:
Yeah. I've often though too much is made out of the "agape love" teaching. Agapao generally just meant love in a general sense, without any specific meanings being attached to it. Phileo carries more the sense of caring and friendship. Erao (Eros) was used specifically of passionate and sensual love, and Stergeo was used of the love that existed between parents and children.

But as one source states, "Agapao lacks the specific meanings assigned to the other three Greek verbs."

I agree.

Denadii · Sep 27, 2017

Hidden In Him said:
Yeah. I've often though too much is made out of the "agape love" teaching. Agapao generally just meant love in a general sense, without any specific meanings being attached to it. Phileo carries more the sense of caring and friendship. Erao (Eros) was used specifically of passionate and sensual love, and Stergeo was used of the love that existed between parents and children.

But as one source states, "Agapao lacks the specific meanings assigned to the other three Greek verbs."

Not at all. We are to be learning to walk in God's kind of Agape love. We are to love in the verb. We are to love as action...This is how we can love somebody we don't even like. For example. I don't like you, but I pray for you, I see you have a need that I can meet, I should meet it, I look for things that I can do to help you get closer to God.' and the like. In the doing of love to you, believe it or not, I would even come to like you. The example I just gave is not a real situation. I don't dislike you at all.

W2L · Sep 27, 2017

Denadii said:
To a point, yes. They would not, I think, be able to carry the doing part of Agape past their own comfort level. Where it starts to inconvenience them they would quit.

Meditate on the specific scripture in the OP, notice that the agape of the pharisees was carnal, selfish agape.

W2L · Sep 27, 2017

JayW said:
Agape is only one type of love.

Im aware of the other greek forms of love.

Denadii · Sep 27, 2017

W2L said:
Meditate on the specific scripture in the OP, notice that the agape of the pharisees was carnal, selfish agape.

I agree....As I pointed out it was all feelings, self gratification

W2L · Oct 3, 2017

Anyone else want to reply?

Fireinfolding · Oct 3, 2017

Phileo is shown as being a love found in the Father towards the Son, or the disciples towards thw Lord Jesus, or Jesus towards others

John 5:20 "For the Father "loves" (phileo) the Son and shows him all he does..."

John 16:27 "No, the Father himself "loves" (phileo) you because you have "loved" (phileo) me..."

Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I "love" (phileo) I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."

W2L · Oct 3, 2017

Fireinfolding said:
Phileo is shown as being a love found in the Father towards the Son, or the disciples towards thw Lord Jesus, or Jesus towards others

John 5:20 "For the Father "loves" (phileo) the Son and shows him all he does..."

John 16:27 "No, the Father himself "loves" (phileo) you because you have "loved" (phileo) me..."

Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I "love" (phileo) I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."

Thank you. Informative post.

Agape?

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