Written by Lesallan – January 1, 2024
The Bible and Love
The Bible describes four unique forms of love:
Eros: romantic love
Storge: family love
Philia: brotherly love
Agape: God’s divine love
According to the Bible, God is love. Love is not sex, but couples express their love physically in sexual ways, including intercourse, which sometimes leads to the birth of a child. The Bible describes four unique forms of love as follows:
Agape (ἀγάπη): This is the unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love that God has for us and that we are called to have for God and for one another. It is the highest form of love in the Bible. In Latin, it is called Caritas.
Philia (φιλία): This is the affectionate, friendly, and brotherly love that we have for our friends, family, and community. It is based on mutual respect, loyalty, and shared values. In Latin, it is called amicitia.
Storge (στοργή): This is the natural, instinctive, and familial love that we have for our parents, children, and relatives. It is based on kinship, familiarity, and dependency. In Latin, it is called pietas.
Eros (ἔρως): This is the passionate, romantic, and sexual love that we have for our spouse or partner. It is based on attraction, desire, and pleasure. In Latin, it is called amor.
Love in the Bible Includes this passage: 1 John 4:7-21 (KJV):
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, has said many things about love. Here are some of his quotes:
“Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”
“An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.”
“In souls filled with love, the desire to please God is continual prayer.”
“Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
“Humility and patience are the surest proofs of the increase of love.”
“Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, they are all comprised in this one word, love.”
The Bible and Love:
A Reflection on the Four Types of Love and the Love of God:
Love is one of the most critical themes in the Bible. It is the essence of God’s nature and the foundation of his relationship with us. It is also the commandment that he gives us to follow: to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
But what does it mean to love? How do we express and experience love in different ways? How do we grow in love and share it with others?
In this blog post, I will explore the four types of love that the Bible describes: agape, philia, storge, and eros. I will also reflect on the love of God that is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the implications of this love for our lives.
Agape: The Unconditional and Sacrificial Love of God
Agape is the highest form of love in the Bible. It is the unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love that God has for us and that we are called to have for God and for one another. It is the love that does not depend on feelings, circumstances, or merits, but on the will and choice of the lover. It is the love that seeks the highest good of the beloved, even at the cost of the lover’s own interest or life.
The Bible tells us that God is love and that he demonstrated his love for us by sending his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die for our sins and to give us eternal life. This is the greatest expression of agape love that we can ever imagine or receive. God loves us not because we are lovable but because he is love. He loves us not because we love him but because he first loved us.
The Bible also tells us that if we love God, we must also love one another. We cannot claim to love God, whom we have not seen if we hate our brother or sister whom we have seen. We cannot love God with all our being if we do not love our neighbor as ourselves. We cannot receive God’s love if we do not share it with others.
Agape love is not easy or natural. It is a supernatural gift from God and requires his grace and power to practice. It is a love that challenges us to go beyond our comfort zone, to forgive our enemies, to serve the needy, to bear one another’s burdens, and to lay down our lives for our friends.
Agape love is the mark of a true Christian. It is the evidence of our faith and the fruit of the Spirit. It is the fulfillment of the law and the goal of our salvation. It is the bond of perfection and the source of joy. It is the way of Christ and the will of God.
Philia: The Affectionate and Friendly Love of Fellowship
Philia is our affectionate, friendly, and brotherly love for our friends, family, and community. It is the love that is based on mutual respect, loyalty, and shared values. It is the love that delights in the company, conversation, and companionship of others. It is the love that celebrates the similarities and accepts the differences of others.
The Bible tells us that God has created us for philia love. He has made us, in his image and likeness, as social and relational beings. He has placed us in families, churches, and societies where we can enjoy and enrich one another’s lives. He has given us friends who can be closer than brothers or sisters and can support, comfort, and challenge us.
The Bible also tells us that philia love is a gift and a responsibility. It is a gift we should cherish and appreciate, reflecting God’s goodness and grace. It is a responsibility we should fulfill and cultivate, reflecting God’s command and purpose. We should love one another with a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. We should honor one another above ourselves and do good to all, especially to those who belong to the family of God.
Philia’s love is not superficial or selfish. It is a genuine and generous love that cares for the well-being and welfare of others. It is a love that rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep. It is a love that speaks the truth in love and corrects with gentleness and respect. It is a love that bears all things, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
Philia love is the expression of a true friend. It is the quality of a faithful and loyal companion. It is the characteristic of a good and godly community. It is the reflection of Christ’s love and the manifestation of God’s presence.
Storge: The Natural and Instinctive Love of Family
Storage is our natural, instinctive, and familial love for our parents, children, and relatives. The love is based on kinship, familiarity, and dependency. The love is rooted in blood, history, and identity. It is the love that is nurtured by affection, attachment, and protection.
The Bible tells us that God has ordained strong love. He has established the institution of marriage and family as the basic and essential unit of society. He has given us the roles and responsibilities of husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters as the means and expressions of his love. He has blessed us with the joys and challenges of family life, as the opportunities and occasions of his grace.
The Bible also tells us that storge love is a blessing and a duty. It is a blessing that we should thank and praise God for, as it reveals his wisdom and kindness. It is a duty that we should honor and obey God in, as it reveals his authority and design. We should love our spouses as ourselves, and be faithful and devoted to them. We should love our children as a gift from God, and train them up in the way they should go. We should love our parents as the source of our life, and respect and care for them. We should love our relatives as our own flesh, and show them kindness and generosity.
Storge love is not optional or conditional. It is a natural and necessary love that binds us together as a family. It is a love that honors the past, embraces the present, and anticipates the future. It is a love that respects the order, values the diversity, and promotes the harmony of the family. It is a love that sacrifices, forgives, and heals.
Storge love is the foundation of a true home. It is the strength of a stable and healthy family. It is the model of God’s love and the image of his family.
Eros: The Passionate and Romantic Love of Marriage
Eros is the passionate, romantic, and sexual love that we have for our spouse or partner. It is the love that is based on attraction, desire, and pleasure. It is the love that is expressed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is the love that is consummated in the act of sexual intercourse, which sometimes leads to the birth of a child.
The Bible tells us that God has created us for eros love. He has made us male and female as complementary and compatible partners. He has given us the gift of sex, as a beautiful and powerful way of expressing and experiencing love. He has ordained marriage, as a sacred and exclusive covenant of love between one man and one woman.
The Bible also tells us that eros love is a mystery and a symbol. The mystery reflects the profound and intimate relationship between Christ and his church. It is a symbol that represents the ultimate and eternal union of God and his people. We should love our spouses as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her. We should love our spouses as our bodies and nourish and cherish them. We should love our spouses with reverence and purity and keep ourselves from sexual immorality and adultery.
Eros’s love is not lustful or sinful. It is a holy and honorable love that glorifies God and blesses us. It is a love that enhances marriage’s intimacy, joy, and satisfaction. It is a love that strengthens the marriage’s bond, commitment, and fidelity. It is a love that produces life, fruitfulness, and legacy.
Eros love is the delight of a true lover. It is the passion of a faithful and devoted spouse. It is the crowning of God’s love and the reflection of his image.
Conclusion: The Love of God and the Love of Man
The Bible teaches us that love is the essence of God, the commandment of God, and the gift of God. It shows us the four types of love that we can experience and express: agape, philia, storge, and eros. It challenges us to grow in love and to share it with others.
The love of God is the source, standard, and goal of all love. He loves us with everlasting love, and he calls us to love him with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. He gives us his Son, his Spirit, and his Word, to enable us to love him and to love others.
The love of man is the response, expression, and evidence of God’s love. We love because he first loved us, and we show our love by our words and deeds. We love our friends, our family, and our spouse with the different types of love that he has given us. We love our enemies, our strangers, and our fellow human beings with the same love that he has shown us.
Therefore, Let us love God and one another as he has loved us.
In Jesus name, I pray,
Lesallan
