Week 29, Jul 2008 | Understanding Love

UNDERSTANDING LOVE
(week 29/08)
Olubi Johnson

There are three levels at which we exercise love:

1. Loving with good will—called ‘Agape’ in Greek.
2. Loving with the emotions—called ‘Phileo’ in Greek.
3. Loving intimately to cause reproduction—called ‘Eros’ in Greek.

Now God ‘agapes’ everybody:

John 3:16 (ESV): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 KJV+ For^G1063 God^G2316 so^G3779 loved^G25 the^G3588 world,^G2889 that^G5620 he gave^G1325 his^G848 only begotten^G3439 Son,^G5207 that^G2443 whosoever^G3956 believeth^G4100 in^G1519 him^G846 should not^G3361 perish,^G622 but^G235 have^G2192 everlasting^G166 life.^G2222

G25: agapa: ag-ap-ah’-o

As seen from the above the Greek word for loved is ‘agapao’ from ‘agape’: God ‘agapes’ the world, but He is not pleased with many of them and so does not ‘phileo’ them. He ‘agapes’ and ‘phileos’ those who are more committed to Him and so can take His rebuke and correction:

Revelation 3:19 (ESV): Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Revelation 3:19 KJV+ As many as^{G3745 (G1437)} I^G1473 love,^G5368 I rebuke^G1651 and^G2532 chasten:^G3811 be zealous^G2206 therefore,^G3767 and^G2532 repent.^G3340

G5368: phileo- fil-eh’-o

As can be seen from above, the Greek word for love here is ‘phileo’ and not ‘agape’.

Proverbs 9:7-8 (ESV): Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. (8) Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

You are to ‘agape’ scoffers (hater’s of authority) but not ‘phileo’ them and so try to correct or reprove them as doing so will cause them to hate or injure you.

Pray for them but do not try to correct or reprove them:

Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV): But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:44-45 (KJV): But^G1161 I^G1473 say^G3004 unto you,^G5213 Love^G25 your^G5216 enemies,^G2190 bless^G2127 them that curse^G2672 you,^G5209 do^G4160 good^G2573 to them that hate^G3404 you,^G5209 and^G2532 pray^G4336 for^G5228 them which despitefully use^G1908 you,^G5209 and^G2532 persecute^G1377 you;^G5209 (45) That^G3704 ye may be^G1096 the children^G5207 of your^G5216 Father^G3962 which^G3588 is in^G1722 heaven:^G3772 for^G3754 he maketh his^G848 sun^G2246 to rise^G393 on^G1909 the evil^G4190 and^G2532 on the good,^G18 and^G2532 sendeth rain^G1026 on^G1909 the just^G1342 and^G2532 on the unjust.^G94

Again here the Greek word for loving your enemies is ‘agape’ not ‘phileo’.

Now God ‘agapes’, ‘phileos’ and ‘eros” in a spiritual sense (is intimate) with those who have been tested and found faithful to be committed unto Him even unto death and so He can reproduce His character in them causing them to be conformed to the image of Jesus:

Philippians 3:10-14 (ESV): (10) that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (11) that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (12) Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Genesis 4:1 (ESV): Now Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”

Matthew 25:10-12 (ESV): And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. (11) Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ (12) But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

Now, this truth is typified in the Tabernacle of Moses: God ‘agapes’ everybody in the outer court, He ‘agapes’ and ‘phileos’ those in the Holy Place

and He ‘agapes’, ‘phileos’ and is intimate with those in the Most Holy place. See our chart on the Tabernacle.

In our article next week we shall how to love men as God does using this understanding.