Love in the New Testament

In English, we all understand that "love" can appear as a noun (thing) or as a verb (action or state). Now, even most superficial students of the New Testament also know that the documents which constitute that volume were originally written in Greek, and that the Greek language has a number of different words (agape, eros, philia, and storge) to express what we use one word (love) to signify in English. Unfortunately, for most folks, that represents the full extent of their understanding relative to the use of the word "love" in the New Testament.

According to Blue Letter Bible, the word "love" appears 310 times in 280 verses within the King James Version of the Bible. Likewise, in 221 of those occurrences, the original Greek word is either the feminine noun "agape" or the verb "agapao." Moreover, the Greek word "agape" is translated into English another 28 times as "charity." Hence, in the vast majority of New Testament references to "love," the original Greek word refers to the Godly, unconditional, all-encompassing, and self-sacrificing kind of love - as opposed to the romantic or sexual kind (eros), or the familial kind (storge). In the vast majority of the remaining instances where "love" appears in the KJV, the friendly or brotherly kind (philia or phileo) is used.

In other words, the writings of the New Testament are largely concerned with the deepest and most spiritual manifestation of LOVE. The overwhelming majority of Christ's references to love are concerned with this kind of love. This is the kind of love that Jesus Christ said was the foundation of the law - love for God and love for neighbor (see Matthew 22:37-39). This is the kind of love that Christ demanded from his followers in the thirteenth and fifteenth chapters of the Gospel of John.

Likewise, the vast majority of references to love in the epistles and other writings of the New Testament are also concerned with this comprehensive kind of love. Indeed, when Paul talks about "charity" in the thirteenth chapter of his first epistle to the saints of Corinth, he is talking about this Godly variety of love. When he wrote to the Romans about love fulfilling the requirements of the law (see Romans 13:8-10), he was speaking about this kind of love. In fact, even in most of the instances where romantic, familial, or friendly love is the subject, the original Greek word still refers to this Divinely inspired kind of love. In short, it is clear that the focus of the New Testament is this Godly and all-encompassing kind of love, NOT the various other Greek understandings of that important emotion.

It is this focus that imparts an even deeper understanding of Christ's conversation with Peter after his resurrection and just prior to his ascension into heaven. To demonstrate, I will quote the passage from the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of John using the New Living Translation and substituting the original Greek words for love. We read there: "After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you <agapao> me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I <phileo> you.' 'Then feed my lambs,' Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: 'Simon son of John, do you <agapao> me?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter said, 'you know I <phileo> you.' 'Then take care of my sheep,' Jesus said. A third time he asked him, 'Simon son of John, do you <phileo> me?' Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, 'Lord, you know everything. You know that I <phileo> you.' Jesus said, 'Then feed my sheep.'" Notice how the original Greek dramatically contrasts the more superficial kind of love (phileo) with the more comprehensive kind of love (agapao). Christ asked Peter if he loved him in the Godly way, and Peter replied that he loved him in the brotherly/friendly way!

Moreover, this contrast between Godly love and the other varieties is implicit in the language employed throughout the New Testament. In other words, as Christians, God and Jesus Christ expect us to exhibit/manifest the Godly, unconditional, all-encompassing, and self-sacrificing kind of love in our daily lives. That is not meant to dismiss the importance of those other kinds of love, but it clearly underscores that those manifestations of love are NOT the focus of the Christian Scriptures!