Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AGAPE

(Gk. agápē)

Of the several Greek words that mean “love,” by far the most common in the NT is the agápē family. While Christians did not create the word (it is common in the LXX, rare in classical writings), they did make it a defining word for Christian life and teaching. Within the NT the verb form is more frequent. The use of agápē is most prominent in the writings of John (ca. one third of the total uses).

The Synoptic Gospels contain an account of Jesus’ affirmation of the “Great Commandment” as the love of God and of one’s neighbor (Mark 12:30-31; Matt. 22:38-39; Luke 10:27). The Gospel of John, which lacks this story, has even greater emphasis upon love in Jesus’ teaching, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). John stresses love as the indissoluble link between Jesus and God (John 15:9, 10; 1 John 3:16), Jesus and his people (John 13:1, 34), the believer and God (1 John 3:17), and among believers (John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:10-18).

Paul primarily uses the noun form to show God’s love for humanity “while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8). Paul describes God as the “God of love and peace” (2 Cor. 13:11), and the self-sacrifice of Christ as the real definition of “love.” Rarely does Paul speak of the believer’s love for God (1 Cor. 2:9; Rom. 8:28); his more common motif is “faith.” However, love is one of the key realities of Christian life (with faith and hope, 1 Cor. 13:13).

Bibliography. V. P. Furnish, The Love Command in the New Testament (Nashville, 1972); W. Klassen, Love of Enemies. OBT 15 (Philadelphia, 1984).

Wendell Willis

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AGAPE

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)