In last week’s blog, we noted that the Apostle Paul made an important point about Christian virtues in his letter to the church in Corinth,   

“And now abide faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

In the English language, we have just one word for “Love,” and that word is “Love!” But in the Greek New Testament, there are three primary words for “Love,” namely,

                Storge – Love expressed within family units

                Phileo – Love expressed between close friends, or “brotherly” love

                Agape – Love as a character trait of God which is unconditional and sacrificial

We begin by noting that “Love” is the primary characteristic of God Himself. Notice that the Apostle John tells us plainly and succinctly that,

“God is love” (1 John 4:8).

You guessed it – John used the Greek word agape to describe this character trait of God, and agape is the word that the Apostles used throughout their writings. The amazing truth about God is that He made His “Love” known through His Son, Jesus, who said,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (referring to Himself) that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

And, of course, you are probably familiar with Paul’s words to the Christians in Rome,

“And God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

You see, “Love,” being a vital part of God’s character, is a “Love” that is both “unconditional” and “sacrificial.” He sent His Son into a world with no conditions attached, and He demonstrated that “Love” through His sacrificial death on the cross.

But as you might have expected, in addition to being a character trait of God, it is also to be a character trait of His children. In the Upper Room on the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He have His disciples a new command, saying,

“Love one another as I have loved you. By this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another” (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17)

John recorded these words in his Gospel, and as you can see from the Scripture references, Jesus gave this command to His disciples not just once, but several times during the evening in the Upper Room. Although theology and Bible knowledge are important, it is “Love” that is to characterize His followers.

I love the fact that the Apostles took Jesus’ command to “love one another” to heart, and next week, we will dig into the documents that have been preserved for us in letters written in the first century to individuals and to churches expressing our need to “love one another.” I believe that you will find the words of the Apostles instructive for our own lives today in the 21^st century.

I hope to see you next week.

Jim Price