Its opposite is called phobia. Christ, being God, also claims the first place in our affections. The key concepts to remember are: love is trusting in our God, love is being faithful to your partner and families, and love is being kind and patient with the world around you. In 1 Corinthians 13 the apostle sets forth the excellency of love, as the word "charity" there is rendered in the Revised Version. Nor did He ever forget them for a moment during all their trials. The true meaning of love, as defined in the Bible, has been corrupted in the common usage of our English language and society. Christ's interview with the apostle Peter on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:15-18) sets before us in a most beautiful way the different shades of meaning as found in the New Testament words phileo, and agapao. the Greek verb agapas, denotes the highest, most perfect kind of love (Latin, diligere), implying a clear determination of will and judgment, and belonging particularly to the sphere of Divine revelation. Carlie Fox is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, and relationship topics. It is wise to pray before considering especially difficult Bible versus or passages. —1 Corinthians 13:13, 6. Abraham loves Isaac, the son of his old age, the child of God's promise. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. Its first verse, an occurrence of 1111, offers joyful praise in gratitude for God's mercy and love. 22. The love of God is that part of His nature--indeed His whole nature, for "God is love"--which leads Him to express Himself in terms of endearment toward His creatures, and actively to manifest that interest and affection in acts of loving care and self-sacrifice in behalf of the objects of His love. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Love is alive at the dinner table as you give thanks for the family and food before you. —John 15:12, 7. Love is lifting your sins up to God during a church service. Four unique forms of love are found in Scripture. He uses these words to help both believers and non-believers understand what love looks and feels like, and how it acts and sounds. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. They thought He did; they said, "God hath forgotten us," "He hath forgotten to be gracious"; but no; a mother might forget her child that she should not have compassion on it, but God would never forget His people. Once we have received God's love as his children, he expects us to love. This verse is said by almost every person on Earth at some point in there lives, whether it be a mother to her fighting children or a dog mom to her barking puppies. They were not on the outskirts of God's love, but in the very center of it. His love was again shown in feeling with His people, their sorrows and afflictions (Isaiah 63:9); He suffered in their affliction, their interests were His; He was not their adversary but their friend, even though it might have seemed to them as if He either had brought on them their suffering or did not care about it. 656-59; C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves; J. Moffatt, Love in the New Testament; L. Morris, Testaments of Love: A Study of Love in the Bible; G. Outka, Agape: An Ethical Analysis; P. Perkins, Love Commands in the New Testament; G. Quell and E. Stauffer, TDNT, 1:21-55; F. F. Segovia, Love Relationships in the Johannine Tradition; G. A. Turner, ISBE, 3:173-76. The distinction between these two Greek words is thus fitly described by Trench:, " Agapan has more of judgment and deliberate choice; philein has more of attachment and peculiar personal affection. The Son shares the love of the Father in a unique sense; He is "my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth" (Isaiah 42:1). Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. It does - Bible Gateway. But God tests his love. Real love, is real love. Many people in Jesus' day believed that a neighbor was a fellow Israelite. Matt. General Editor. In these Scriptures God is seen manifesting His power in behalf His people in the time of their wilderness journeying and their captivity. In fact, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" ( 1 John 4:8 ). 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs() 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth() 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres(8 Love never fails. The King James Version uses the word charity instead of “love†to translate the Greek word Paul used (agape). There exists an eternal affection between the Son and the Father--the Son is the original and eternal object of the Father's love (John 17:24). It must not be overlooked, however, that the fundamental idea of love as expressed in the definition of it is never absent in any one of these relations of life, even though the manifestation thereof may differ according to the circumstances and relations. Christ's love compels us to become ambassadors for Christ, with a ministry of reconciliation ( 2 Cor 5:14 ). H. Bergman, TDOT, 1:99-118; E. Brunner, Faith, Hope, and Love; E. J. Carnell, BDT, pp. Here is a breakdown of this love verse, and the biblical interpretation of the scripture meaning, according to the World English Bible. God's love is not based on the merit of the recipient ( Deut 7:7-8 ; Rom 5:7-8 ). What more wonderful illustration can be found of ministering love than that set forth by our Lord in the ministry of foot-washing as found in John 13? Loving reproof and chastisement are necessary oftentimes for growth in holiness and righteousness. This love is also created in the heart of man by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5), and is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Following this commandment is the key Jesus Christ gave us for loving others as God loves us. From this wonderful love of God in Christ Jesus nothing in heaven or earth or hell, created or uncreated or to be created, shall be able to separate us (Romans 8:37). When considering particular bible versus or passages, be careful to consider the meaning of the passage in connection with the rest of Scripture; so that its meaning is not taken out of … Something hydrophilic is something which mixes with or is attracted to water, while something hydrophobic is something which repels or doesn’t mix with water. 2. God's love then awakens a response in those who accept it. What is significant about the Bible verse "love keeps no record of wrong" from 1 Corinthians 13:5? Love for neighbor is a decision that we make to treat others with respect and concern, to put the interests and safety of our neighbors on a level with our own. Nor should the fact be overlooked that God loves not only the whole world, but each individual in it; it is a special as well as a general love (John 3:16, "whosoever"; Galatians 2:20, "loved me, and gave himself up for me"). A second time he does the same. Spirit and light are expressions of His essential nature; love is the expression of His personality corresponding to His nature. Most often, love is confused with infatuation - that elated, "high" feeling we get when we "fall in love." To him, in his narrow exclusiveism, the announcement of the fact that God loved the whole world of men was startling. In fact, one of the most sought-after themes in the Bible is the definition of love. Since believers have been the recipients of love, they must love. "God Is Love." Love, therefore, is a strong feeling for a person or thing; hate is a strong feeling against. Those who are united by faith and love to Jesus Christ are, in a different sense from those who are not thus united, the special objects of God's love. "Love the Lord Your God." Within the scriptures, love is what binds people together against hate and dishonesty. Now, this does not mean that because God loves everyone people do not have any responsibility to respond to His love. We are totally incapable of loving either God or others — a condition that must be corrected by God before we can love. Love is what keeps us from fighting with our enemies and sparring with those who disagree with us. In the New Testament, the word love is recorded the most in the book of 1John (thirty-three times) followed by the gospel of John (twenty-two times). Now this verse is often misquoted as saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” Notice how “money” is substituted for “love of money” and “the root of all evil” is substituted for “a root of all kinds of evil.” These changes, while subtle, have an enormous impact on the meaning of the verse. The English word love can be found 311 times in the King James Bible. 2. Jesus serves as the believer's model ( John 14:21 ; Php 2:5-8 ). Ephesians 2:4 f sets forth in a wonderful way how our entire salvation springs forth from the mercy and love of God; "But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ," etc. It is the fulfillment of the royal law (James 2:8), and is to be put above everything else (Colossians 3:14); it is the binder that holds all the other graces of the Christian life in place (Colossians 3:14); by the possession of such love we know that we have passed from death unto life (1John 3:14), and it is the supreme test of our abiding in God and God in us (1John 4:12,16). phileis), which alone claims from him that personal attachment and affection with which indeed he knows that his heart is full.". Nor should it be overlooked that our Lord commanded His children to love their enemies, those who spoke evil of them, and despitefully used them (Matthew 5:43-48). Abideth.These three graces are fundamental and permanent; not transient, like the charisms, on which the Corinthians were priding themselves, but which should all be "annulled." In the question of Christ, "Lovest thou me more than these?" Love is patient, love is kind. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." In other words, the christian loves God with the love of complacency in his attributes, the love of benevolence towards the interest of his kingdom, and the love of gratitude for favors received. Rather than His love being absent in the chastisement of His people, the chastisement itself was often a proof of the presence of the Divine love, "for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12:6-11). If you're looking for guidance in life, look to love. 1 Corinthians 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Sosthenes in Ephesus.This chapter covers the subject of Love. Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another. Bible Verses about Love - Love is patient, love is kind. When we think about the Bible, we think of it as being a testament to Jesus and all of the love he has given to His people. RELATED: What 'Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind' Means, According To 1 Corinthians 13, Bible Scripture. See also Fruit of the Spirit; New Command. What, then, is more vital than to possess such love? "For the father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me" (John 16:27). John is also prevalent in his teachings of love in 2 John, where he discusses the truth about the "L-word." Biblically, the opposite of love is sin.