PART 5 TESTIMONY
What Does It Mean to Love One Another with God’s Love?
GOD’S SPECIFIC PLAN
Now that we know what God’s general plan is for the believer, we need
to learn what His specific plan is all about. In this particular
instance, we are looking to address the opinion of a male who was
involved in a Christian megachurch that expressed his belief about
having a relationship with another man that he contends would be full of
love like any other relationship between two adults.
It’s understandable when some Christians are not sure as to whether
operating in God’s love condones fornication, adultery, homosexuality,
lesbianism, etc. Like any other biblical topic, we need to be taught by
someone in leadership as to what Scripture has to say about this. I’m
not writing on this study entitled TESTIMONY to give you my opinions,
but what Scripture has to say on this topic.
What I have found out in attempting to determine what are the
characteristics and expressions of God’s love is that there are other
words that are used in Scripture to denote affection. So, what we will
attempt to do is look at each of these and try to determine which ones
reflect godly qualities and actions and which ones do not.
The first one we will look at pertains to God’s love.
AGAPE LOVE
Agape is the noun form, and agapao is the verb form.
What kind of love is this?
When we consider how Christians operate in this love, what are the
thoughts and actions that they should be thinking and expressing toward
others?
Please go to the book of Galatians.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law.
This is God’s love that is a fruit of the Spirit. The word fruit,
which we talked about earlier in this study, can also mean elements of
character. There are nine elements of character that God wants to
produce in us, become operational in us, and be expressive to others.
The first element of character is called love. The Greek rendering of
this word in the noun form is transliterated (to change letters from one
language to another) into English and written as agape.
Because most of our English New Testament is derived from Koine Greek
(the common language of the Greeks during the time of Christ) and in
certain minimal instances Aramaic, all we need to do is find this
particular word love in Scripture by using a concordance, which will
indicate to us every place it appears. We’ll also be able to find out
whether this word was used to signify God’s agape love or another
expression for love. And along with this, wherever this word love
appears, we will be made aware as to whether it was used as a noun or
verb.
So, this particular word for love means divine love, which is a love
produced in the heart of the yielded believer by the Holy Spirit; its
chief ingredient, self-sacrifice for the benefit of the one loved.43
Are you ready to find out more about what this word love means, whether in the form of a noun or a verb?
Please go to the book of 1 Corinthians.
Suggested Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
The word used as synonymous with the word love in these verses is
charity, and it’s used primarily as a noun. There is much to say about
God’s love when a Christian is operating in it toward others and whether
the recipients of such are believers or unbelievers.
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long…
Charity (God’s agape love) is patient in bearing the offenses and
injuries of others. It has a long mind.44 Stay with me in looking at
another part of the same verse.
1 Corinthians 13:4 …charity envieth not…
God’s love is not [grieved] because another possesses a greater
portion of earthly, intellectual, or spiritual blessings.45 Take a look
at the next verse, which follows this one.
1 Corinthians 13:5 …seeketh not her own…
Charity does not seek one’s own happiness to the injury of another.
To find out another perspective about God’s love, please go to the book of Romans.
Romans 13:8
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
This is an interesting verse, which talks about the fact that if we
owe someone a debt, we must make sure we pay it back. Why? Because this
is an expression of God’s love in interpersonal relationships. God’s
love is responsible for its actions.
Go forward in your Bible to the book of 1 John.
1 John 3:16
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
As we perceive (gain spiritual knowledge by experience) the love of
God expressed in the laying down of His life for us, because of our
response to such, we will have become the recipients of salvation.46 And
likewise, we should lay down our life (by giving our time, care,
prayers, substance47) for the brethren.
What else can we learn about God’s love?
1 John is where we should go next.
Suggested Reading: 1 John 4:7-19
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
The apostle John instructed believers to habitually love one another
(be ready to promote each other's welfare, both spiritual and
temporal48).
The next verse talks about God’s love operating in marriage.
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Husbands are instructed by the apostle Paul to love their wives (to
give himself in self-sacrifice for the well-being of the one who is
loved;49 to promote the salvation of their wives, and their constant
edification in righteousness;50 to seek the highest good for another
person51), even as Christ loved the church and gave of Himself to redeem
it.
Let’s proceed onward to the book of Galatians.
Galatians 5:13
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty
for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Brethren, you have been called unto liberty (through the Spirit free
from the power of sin in his daily life; and free from the Law with its
demands and threats52). Only use not this liberty for an occasion to the
flesh (to indulge the sinful nature or as a furtherance to corrupt
passions53), but by the love of the Spirit (divine love; [such love]
means death to self, and that means defeat for [sin] since the essence
of sin is self-will and self-gratification54) serve one another (to do
that which is for the advantage of someone else55).
Now that we know some of the thought patterns and subsequent
expressions of divine love, the next question we can seek an answer for
will help us determine what is contrary to it.
What are the thought patterns and subsequent expressions that are
contrary to divine love, which a Christian should no longer be
entertaining in their mind and thus committing in their actions?
Let’s begin by going to the book of 1 John.
1 John 2:15-16
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If
any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
God’s love commands us as to what we should not love. We are not to
love the world (the ordered system of which Satan is the head, his
fallen angels and demons are his emissaries, and the unsaved of the
human race are his subjects, together with those purposes, pursuits,
pleasures, practices, and places where God is not wanted.56
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world.
We are also commanded to not love what is in the world, which
consists of the lust (sensual and impure desires) of the flesh (of the
depraved nature), and the lust (the mental pleasure) of the eyes, and
the pride of life (includes the desire to gain credit which does not
belong to us, and outshine our [neighbors];57 an insolent and vain
assurance in one's own resources, or in the stability of earthly
things58).
What stood out to me is that we are commanded not to love the sensual
and impure desires of the depraved nature. And we can speculate that
whatever these desires are that may occupy us will express themselves in
sensual and impure actions. What actions are considered sensual and
impure in Scripture? Keep on reading, and hopefully, we’ll find out.
I don’t know about you, but I found learning about God’s agape love enlightening. Here is a summary of it.
God’s agape love:
Self-sacrifices for the benefit of someone else.
Operating in a husband seeks the spiritual well-being of his wife.
Is patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others.
Is not grieved because another possesses a greater portion of earthly, intellectual, or spiritual blessings.59
Does not seek one’s own happiness to the injury of another.
Lays down its life (by giving our time, care, prayers, substance60) for the brethren.
Does not operate in the sin nature and continue in corrupt passions.
Does not love the sensual and impure desires of the depraved nature.
Is not kindled by the merit or worth of its object, but it originates in its own God-given nature.61
Does not find assurance in one's own resources or in earthly things.
Did you know that there is another word for love that Scripture mentions? Any idea what this love is all about? Let’s find out.
PHILIA LOVE
Philia, a noun, is the transliteration of the Greek word. The verb form is phileo.
What is Philadelphia love all about?
How is it different from agape love?
Please go to the book of Titus.
Titus 2:4
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Titus is instructing the aged Christian women (those advanced in
years) that they teach the young Christian women, who are married, to be
sober (to have their desires and passions well-regulated or under
proper control62), to philia love their husbands (not be fond of other
men than their own), and to philia love their children (maternal
affection; used to describe feelings or actions which are typical of
those of a kind mother [toward] her child63). This love is described as
being that of a philia type of love, a love for one’s family.
Why wasn’t this love mentioned as being agape?
I can only assume, based on what we know about agape love is that it
is a love that is self-sacrificing, i.e., it loves irrespective of the
person loved or their response to it, whereas philia love appears to be a
love based on something about the person who is loved which causes us
to love them. Let’s see if what I just said is true about philia love by
looking at more verses where this type of love is being illustrated.
The book of 1 Peter is where we should go next.
1 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the
Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently:
Apparently, there were some Christians who had issues with philia
loving their fellow believers. Unfortunately, they were operating in
feigned (hypocritical) love. This love was described as being like a
mask of feigned love placed over their usual countenances when
associating with certain others of their brethren.64 Their only way out
of living in this counterfeit love was by continual obedience to God’s
Word while operating under the influences of the Holy Spirit.
By choosing to appropriate and think with God’s Word, this caused
them to operate in the fruit of the Spirit, and as such, they evidenced
God’s love toward their brethren, which was characterized as being a
philia unfeigned love (an unhypocritical love). This love is
characterized as liking someone else because that person is like himself
[herself] in the sense that this person reflects in his (her) own
personality the same characteristics, the same likes and dislikes that
he [she] himself [herself] has65). Based on the context, these
characteristics would be those exemplified by the Word of God.
Then, the apostle Peter said to them to see to it that they agape
love one another with a pure [not for the love of ourselves; to not use
for our advantage; free from hypocrisy (a pretense of having a virtuous
character66)] heart (mind) fervently (in an all-out manner).
This is interesting in that both philia and agape love are mentioned
in the same verse. This seems to be saying that we should always be
operating in divine love toward our fellow believers. And when we love
them, because of something about them, this love can be described as a
philia type love of the brethren.
Where should we go next? How about the book of 1 Thessalonians?
1 Thessalonians 4:9
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
This verse talks about both agapao divine and philia brotherly love.
The reason why I included it is that in this context, it is referred to
as a love that is shown in relieving distressed brethren.67
So, to recap, philia love is a deep friendship kind of love, where we
love the brethren or a family member because that person is like
ourselves as to our personality or they have the same likes or dislikes
that we do. We could also say that this love is called out of one’s
heart by qualities in another.68
Is there any other Greek word for love that we need to look at?
Believe it or not, there is another one. Are you ready to take a look at this?
STERGE LOVE
Sterge is the noun form, and stergo is the verb form.
How can this type of love be explained?
Please go to the book of Romans.
Romans 12:9-10
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
The Apostle Paul was instructing the believers at Rome that their
agape love be without dissimulation (without hypocrisy; a love that puts
self aside in an effort to help and bless others. Yes, a love that goes
to the point of suffering if that is necessary in order to bless
others69). They were also instructed to Abhor (turn away from) that
which is evil (whatever is unkind or injurious to a brother70) and to
cleave (hold fast) to that which is good (sharing the burdens and the
blessing of others so that we all grow together and glorify the Lord71).
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Along with this, they were admonished to show tender affection to one
another with philia storge brotherly love (the warmth of family
affection72). One evidence of such is in showing honour (respect shown
[to] another which is measured by one’s evaluation of another73) by
preferring one another (every act of friendly kindness74).
In this context, we are to agape love the brethren with genuine love
and philia storge family affection. Believe it or not, storge love, the
love for one’s family, is found nowhere else in the Epistles. You might
ask, then how do you know that it means family love? We can determine
this by finding out what the antitheses of this word mean. The
antithesis Greek word astorgos means to be heartless, without affection
to kindred, and lacking natural love among family members. The
transliteration of this Greek word is found in only two places in
Scripture, where the words without natural affection refer to the lack
of love in the family.
Romans 1:31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
2 Timothy 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
We can conclude, therefore, that storge love is natural family affection for husband, wife, child, and fellow believers.
I know you are not going to believe this, but there is one more word in Greek that refers to love. Really? What kind of love?
EROS LOVE
Eros is the noun form, and eros is the verb form.
This kind of love is passionate love. It’s comprised of pleasure. The
basic idea of this love is self-satisfaction.75 This love looks for
whatever it is in another person that makes them happy. If for whatever
reason that which makes one happy is gone or has somehow changed into
that which is undesirable, then this love no longer expresses itself
toward the other person and subsequently seeks someone else to make them
happy.
The transliteration of the original Greek word, which in its English
form is eros, is not found in the New Testament. However, I do think
that the way to characterize this kind of love is that of it being a
sensual love, which in the expression of its action could be considered
moral or immoral based on societal norms. Are societal norms God’s
norms? If society approves of a certain sexual behavior, does this mean
that God’s people should approve of it?
Based on this study on the four different types of love according to
the Koine Greek language, we have learned that each of these has their
own characteristics. We know that God would desire for us to operate in
His agape love toward believers and unbelievers, philia friendship
brotherly love, and in storge love toward family. But what about eros
love? Does He desire for us to operate in this type of love, which is a
sensual type love that could seek its pleasure in such sexual avenues as
marriage, polygamy, fornication, prostitution, adultery, homosexuality,
lesbianism, incest, and pedophilia?
You should know the drill by now. The only way to answer this
question or any other pertaining to whatever the topic is to find out
what Scripture says about these sexual practices. But before we do,
let’s take a look at societal norms concerning sexual behavior. I think
this would be an interesting avenue that will allow us to gain
perspective on one very important principle. What is that principle, you
ask? Please go to the next chapter and find out.
Endnotes
43 Weust.
44 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon.
45 Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
46 Weust.
47 Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5,
2005. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 27 February 2019 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.
48 Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
49 Weust.
50 Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
51 Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
52 The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
53 Barnes.
54 Weust.
55 Dictionary.com.
56 Weust.
57 The Pulpit Commentary.
58 Weust.
59 Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
60 Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown Commentary.
61 “Four Greek Words for “Love”,” .
62 Barnes.
63 Dictionary.com.
64 Weust.
65 Weust.
66 Dictionary.com.
67 Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown.
68 Four Greek Words for “Love”.
69 Weust.
70 Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown Commentary.
71 The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.
72 The Pulpit Commentary.
73Weust.
74 Calvin's Commentaries. Pc Study Bible version 5, 2006. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 20 March 2019 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.
75 Four Greek Words for “Love”.
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