No, falling in love, or getting angry at something are natural responses that are not made consciously. How you express those feelings are a conscious decision though.
Ok, I see where you are coming from . I agree in part but not entirely. Here is why. I believe that Greek is in some ways superior to English or Latin because it has many more words in its vocabulary. Many words that were used in the NT Greek did not have an English equivalent. "Love" is an example. There are three types of love used in the NT Greek.
Eros is a Greek term which actually means desire and longing. And according to the Greek methodology, Eros is the name of the Greek god of love. Also referred to as erotic love, this is a selfish kind of love as it associated with sexual love. Eros love is based on the
strong feeling we have against one another and it usually develops during the 1st stage of a romantic relationship. This kind of love is based on the physical traits. And unless it is redeemed by the Lord’s presence; this type of love can end up being possessive, since it always seeks to 1st conquer and then control.
God created physical attraction between a man & a woman, but He never intended for it to be selfish. He created desire and longing which makes up sexual love which is crucial in any marriage. This love was meant to be preserved between a couple and it is essential for any health marriage. And since it is mostly based on self-benefit, many people tend to fall out of love if they are not happy with the marriage.
Philos love is a unique kind of love like the one you have for a companion or pal. It refers to loving one another just like your brother or sister. This love is for a pal who is really close and dear to us and it is characterized by various different shared experiences between two people. In fact this is the kind of love that many Christians tend to practice towards one another. And although philos love is really wonderful, it is not that much reliable, since it can end up souring at times as we have all experienced at some point in our lives.
Agape love is a special term which represents the divine-love of the Lord towards his Son Jesus Christ, the human beings and all believers. This is the best of the three types of love in the bible, in fact Jesus himself showed this type of divine love to his Dad in heaven and humanity. Agape love is the love that God commanded all believers to have for everyone whether he/she is a believer or not. Agape love should never be determined by our feelings; it is more of a set of behaviors or actions. With agape, you do not have to actually feel it for you to give it, which means that you can be able to show love without feeling anything at all. At times feelings can follow after showing this kind of love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). What do you notice about everything that Paul uses to explain what love (agape) is and is not? They are all actions that we can choose or choose not to do. More specifically, anytime you put another's needs ahead of your own, you are demonstrating (Agape) love for that person. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's love for one's friends." (John 15:13) Once again, this "greatest love" is an action... not a feeling.
Before I move on further, can we come to an understanding about what type of love we are talking about? I have to make sure we are both on the same page before I continue.
