But the Greatest of These Is Love

by Aaron Erhardt
via Biblical Insight, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014

Napoleon once declared, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself have founded empires, but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love: and to this very day millions would die for Him.” Indeed, the “empire” of Christ is rooted in, motivated by, and dependent upon love.

There were four Greek words for “love.”

1. Eros is sexual love; passion. It is from this Greek word that we get our English word “erotic.” It does not appear in the New Testament.
2. Storge is natural love; affection. It is the love that a father has for his child. The negative form of this word is translated “without natural affection” in Romans 1:31 (KJV).
3. Philia is brotherly love; fondness. It is the love that exists among friends. (This is seen in the name “Philadelphia,” the city of brotherly love).
4. Agape is the highest form of love. It is a willed love that goes beyond emotion and seeks the very best for its object. It is a sacrificial and selfless love. It loves the unlovable!

Agape is personified in I Corinthians 13:4-7. Paul lists fifteen characteristics:

1. Love is patient: longsuffering
2. Love is kind: gracious
3. Love does not envy: not jealous
4. Love does not boast: not a braggart
5. Love is not arrogant: not proud
6. Love is not rude: not unbecoming
7. Love does not insist on its own way: not self-seeking
8. Love is not irritable: not easily provoked
9. Love is not resentful: not bitter
10. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing: takes no pleasure in sin
11. Love rejoices with the truth: takes pleasure in truth
12. Love bears all things: either endures or protects (“stegei” has both meanings)
13. Love believes all things: not cynical
14. Love hopes all things: optimistic
15. Love endures all things: perseveres

Agape is used of God Himself (I John 4:8), for it defines His very essence. This is seen in His love for the Son (John 3:35), the church (II Thessalonians 2:16), and the world (John 3:16). Agape is also used of a man’s love for his wife (Ephesians 5:25), his neighbor (Romans 13:9), and his enemies (Matthew 5:44). Agape is the first “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) and the last “Christian grace” (II Peter 1:7).

Christians are to “pursue love” (I Corinthians 14:1), “bear with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2), “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2), “have the same love” (Philippians 2:2), “be knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2), “put on love” (Colossians 3:14), “increase and abound in love” (I Thessalonians 3:12), and “stir up one another to love” (Hebrews 10:24).

In similar exhortations, Peter told the readers of his first epistle to “love one another earnestly” (I Peter 1:22) and to “keep loving one another earnestly” (I Peter 4:8). In both places, the word “earnestly” literally means “at full stretch.” It denotes strenuous and sustained effort. It was used in ancient Greek literature of a horse stretching out and running at full speed.

An Athenian philosopher named Aristides described early Christians in a document to the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was written between 120-130 A.D. and shows that they were heeding Paul’s words in I Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love.” Below is an excerpt.

"Their oppressors they comfort and make them their friends; they do good to their enemies; and their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world. Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food."

Good Examples

Ruth

In Ruth 1, a woman named Naomi lost her husband and both sons. Therefore, she urged her two daughters-in-law to depart from her and return to their homes. One of them refused to go, however, because of her deep love for Naomi. Her name was Ruth. She said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:16-17). Such selfless devotion is truly remarkable.

Jonathan

In I Samuel 18, Saul’s oldest son, Jonathan, made a covenant with David “because he loved him as his own soul” (I Samuel 18:3). Though Jonathan knew that David would occupy the throne rather than himself, he did not view him as a political rival. Rather, he treated David as a brother. He even said, “You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you” (I Samuel 23:17).

The Good Samaritan

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a parable about a Samaritan man who showed love to a severely wounded Jew despite the great animosity between Jews and Samaritans. He “bound up his wounds” and “brought him to an inn and took care of him” (Luke 10:34). He then gave the innkeeper money to continue providing care while he was away and promised to pay back any additional expenses.

Aquila and Priscilla

In Romans 16, Paul sent greetings to Aquila and Priscilla. They were “fellow workers” who “risked their necks” for him (Romans 16:3-4). Their selfless devotion, even to the point of death, brings to mind John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus

The perfect and unparalleled example of love is the Lord Jesus. He left the glories of heaven to live as a man and die on the cross for others (Ephesians 5:2; Galatians 2:20). He was agape personified. In fact, one could easily insert “Jesus” in place of “love” in the 15 characteristics mentioned above (I Corinthians 13:4-7).

Other Examples

Other examples of love include Timothy (Philippians 2:22), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:30), Onesiphorus (II Timothy 1:16-17), and Luke (II Timothy 4:11).

Bad Examples

David

In II Samuel 11, David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and then had him killed in battle. He wrote a letter to Uriah’s commanding officer ordering him to “set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die” (II Samuel 11:15).

Jezebel

In I Kings 21, Naboth refuses to sell his vineyard to Ahab. Therefore, Ahab’s evil wife, Jezebel, had the city's men falsely accuse and kill Naboth. She then callously said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard...for Naboth is not alive, but dead” (I Kings 21:16).

Judas Iscariot

Judas was one of the original twelve apostles. During Jesus' earthly ministry, he accompanied the Lord and even served as his “treasurer” (John 12:6; 13:29). However, he selfishly betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Unity

Love is the key to unity in local churches, for it “does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10). Where love abounds, there will be no backbiting, bitterness, or bullying. Neither will there be any resentment, ridiculing, or rivalry. There will only be goodwill. Each member will “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10) and “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

Conclusion

Jesus knew that love was paramount (Matthew 22:37-40). He loved us and insisted that we love one another (John 15:12). Furthermore, love must motivate all we do (I Corinthians 13:1-3). It has been said that love is the badge of true discipleship. Let us ensure our badge is everpresent and always “genuine” (Romans 12:9).