The Noblest Kind of Love

IN BY far the majority of instances in the Christian Greek Scriptures, or New Testament, the word “love” is a translation of the Greek word a·gaʹpe.

Explaining the meaning of that term, the reference work Insight on the Scriptures * says: “[A·gaʹpe] is not sentimentality, based on mere personal attachment, as is usually thought of, but is a moral or social love based on deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty, and propriety, sincerely seeking the other’s good according to what is right. A·gaʹpe (love) transcends personal enmities, never allowing these to cause one to abandon right principles and to retaliate in kind.”

A·gaʹpe can also include deep feeling. “Have intense love [a·gaʹpe] for one another,” admonished the apostle Peter. (1 Peter 4:8) Thus, it could be said that a·gaʹpe involves the heart as well as the mind. Why not consider some scriptures that show the power and scope of this noble form of love? The following references may be helpful: Matthew 5:43-47; John 15:12, 13; Romans 13:8-10; Ephesians 5:2, 25, 28; 1 John 3:15-18; 4:16-21.

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