Agapao Can’t Mean, “God’s Unconditional, Divine Love”-and Phileo Can’t Mean, “Brotherly Love”
Also Read: What is True Love?
A Common Teaching
There are two New Testament Greek words oftentimes deciphered “love” in English. Here is an average teaching – maybe the ordinary training – on the significance of these two Greek words. 1) Agapao (activity word); Agapee (thing). God is agapee (1Jn 4:8). As God Himself is agapee, and since He is divine, by then it wisely seeks after that He showings (the activity word) in marvelous love – agapao. Agapee begins in God, and can never fail (1Cor 13:8). This is evidently the most raised kind of love. Thusly, many teach agapao/agapee implies, “the unfit, divine love of God.” It is moreover educated that non-Christians are segregated from this worship, anyway at change, one goes into this warmth. In any case, there’s extra! The convert ends up being something past a clear recipient of this worship from God. He/she presently transforms into a channel for this “pariah to-the-world” love to course through. With Christ in the Christian, the divine love of God can truly stream toward those around the Christian. Besides, since agapao as a show of God (boundless and unfailing), the exercises, or reactions, of the concentrated on thing are finally unimportant as this veneration is self-sufficient of human affectations.
Phileo
2) Phileo (activity word); Philos (thing). This is portrayed as “cherishing warmth,” or “man’s love.” It is the love imparted by unsaved people. Along these lines, it is a lesser sort of fondness than the ideal agapao. Finally, it is a narcissistic sort of friendship that has conditions to it – paying little mind to whether not instantly distinguishable. As fundamentally a human love, it is normally offbeat and can be turned on and off as conditions and conditions change. The transliterated word, Philadelphia (philia + adelphphia fem.), connotes, “the city of insightful love,” and is often refered to for example of the noteworthiness phileo. This empowering sounds exceptionally learned as it cases to the main New Testament language. It is moreover captivating as it separates the unadulterated and grand love of God from the offbeat, corruptible affections that once in a while transmit from the unsaved. This genuinely sounds unprecedented! However, the part about the Christian going into God’s grand love (agapao) upon change – the worship the world doesn’t have the foggiest thought – well, that is exciting. Likewise, when you incorporate that the devotee can transform into a channel for this amazing material to stream in any case – quickly, unequivocally, even extraordinarily – to all of those around – what a flood! The primary issue with this instructing … is that it isn’t right. By what method may I be so sure about this revelation?
Fundamental teaching
I had been told, and acknowledged, the fundamental teaching on the noteworthiness of agapao and phileo (related already). It had come through Biblical specialists and was even educated in a couple of classifications to which I had been revealed. I had no inspiration to scrutinize the precision of this training as I was just “a layman” and just knew English. In addition, irrefutably on such a critical topic – Love – the training was correct. However, by then, I went to a Bible school. In the wake of completing my first year of “Students Greek,” I began examining the Gospel of John – minimal complex of the New Testament Greek. In portraying what happened straightaway, I will by and by refer to direct from my Ebook, “Love and the Bible” (pages 9-11, 13, and 19). As I started in John, everything was coming well overall. At last, I came to John 3:16. “For God so loved (agapao) the world, that He gave His single produced Son…” I thought, “I understand that word! That is God’s warmth! That is the warmth the world is unequipped for making!” I had continued running over the stuff of legend! There it was – the stunning, select, love from God – in the whole of it’s goodness and significance! A fondness delivered from the most significant openings of the center of our liberal Creator foreseen truly upon an undeserving world! I thought, “Astonishing! This is inconceivable!” I vivaciously continued with my voyage through John. By then, three stanzas later …. I came to John 3:19. “Furthermore, this is the judgment; that the light has showed up on the scene, and men loved (agapao) the indefinite quality instead of the light….” It took me a second, and subsequently I expressed, “State, what?” I read the hold back again. I was deadened. For sure, even now, at least twenty years sometime later, that moment is up ’til now hardened in time. I figured, “I didn’t examine what I just read. This is an incredible announcement. Men … with sublime love – for the murkiness?! WHAT?? In what limit can men extraordinarily appreciate dimness??” I saw that agapao was in the Aorist attitude and dynamic voice, so I quickly went to my jargon to guarantee it was agapao. Sure enough … it was. With apprehension, I read it again and implanted the definition for agapao I had been told. “… moreover, men had a divine, unhindered love – the warmth for God, the worship from God – FOR DARKNESS!!!” The dazzling reality by then struck me – “Agapao can’t mean impeccable love!! I have been indicated botch … about reverence!!” Aughhhhhhh. Also, is there a subject more basic to Christianity than Love?? I’m telling you – alerts went off everywhere! A scriptural perception of warmth is essential – to everything to the degree Christianity is concerned! We are told to treasure God, love our neighbor, love our loved one, love our children, love the brethren, love life, love His coming – love our adversaries!! We are not to worship money, love the fundamental seats, love the essential spot … love is all over the place – in miens, practices, exercises and reactions. “I have been demonstrated bungle … LOVE!!!” For me, this made an emergency of the essential solicitation. Regardless, as this eBook is enthused about your data, I may need for you to now go to an overview I have on my site.It asks:
“The information I have as of late been displayed to has:
1) made an emergency of the fundamental solicitation, 2) basically pricked my bit of leeway, 3) made no emergency using any and all means, or 4) has sat inactive, as I don’t have the foggiest thought what the heck you are examining.” The Search for Truth Begins in Earnest! God just has to express something one vitality for it to be unendingly legitimate and totally locked in. Regardless, in case we can find other approving spectators in His guarantee on a particular part of information, that will help us with being sure we adequately understand and address His view on that point. In light of that, I immediately grabbed my Greek concordance so as to take a gander at every use of the word agapao. The activity word structure appears ok around various occasions in the New Testament.
Here are five of them.
2Ti 4:10 “Demas, having esteemed (agapao) this present world, deceived me…” 2Pet 2:15 “… they (false educators) … sought after the technique for Balaam … who loved (agapao) the wages of disrespect. Jn 12:43 “For they (the Pharisees) loved (agapao) the underwriting of men instead of the support of God.” Lk 11:43 “Weight to you Pharisees! For you love (agapao) the front seats in the synagogues, and (you esteem – agapao) mindful greeting in the business focuses.” Lk 16:13 “No worker can serve two managers; for he will either scorn the one, and love (agapao) the other …. You can’t serve God and mammon.” There are sixteen livelihoods of agapao/agapee in this vein.These will all be recorded later. “Ohhh … Shouldn’t something be said about phileo?” Rapidly, another word rung a chime. “Shouldn’t something be said about phileo? Does that connote, ‘mindful warmth’? Is it a human love average contrasted with agapao?” Within minutes, I found that phileo had nothing to do with compassionately love! NOTHING!! In John 5:20, Jesus communicated, “For the Father loves (phileo) the Son, and exhibits to Him everything that He Himself is doing….” In this area, phileo is a development between God the Father and God the Son!! This “stuff,” is created from inside God the Father and its goal is God the Son! Man is absolutely outside the circle! I thought, “Phileo can’t mean ‘cherishing worship’ or some mediocre man’s fondness! It can’t! In addition, in what capacity may it be average contrasted with agapao when it is created by God Himself?