Welcome to “Church Words”, understanding God, through definition. If you’re like me, you may have grown up in a protestant church and heard these words throughout your life, but also like me, never took the time to completely understand their meanings. Or you may be new to the Christian Faith and I hope this podcast helps to bridge the divide between understanding and strengthening your relationship with God.

Today, we’re talking about “Love”.

Merriam Webster has many definitions for love, so I’m just going to mention the first three entries.

strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers

affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests

And then it continues with additional variations. I think it’s safe to say, humans make the word love complicated.

1 Corinthians 13:4 says:

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

For the Greeks,, “Love” has multiple variations. Of the ones I could readily find, They are “agape”, “phileo” or “philia”, “eros”, “storge”, “ludus”, and “pragma”, with likely a few others I couldn’t readily find.

Here’s a quick overview of each word.

“Agape” love means a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial love that prioritizes the well-being of others. This is the most discussed type of love in the New Testament. A love for one another.

“Phileo” or “Philia” love generally means a love between friends.. In fact the city Philadelphia derives its name from this root as the city “of Brotherly love”

“Eros” love is considered more sexual and is a love between a husband and wife.

“Storge” love, which is newer for me personally refers to “familial” love. An example being a love for a child, siblings, and overall family. It does somewhat mimic “phileo” as discussed a moment ago.

“Ludus” love, which is considered a bit more shallow. It’s a playful, in the moment type of love. Consider it like teasing, pulling pranks.

And finally, “Pragma” love. This type of love is generally a part of a sense of duty, something you and others have invested in. Common goals, with your team. It can still apply to marriage and other forms of relationships because you’re committing to each other or the cause.

In general, the most common examples we see in the Bible stem from “Agape”, “Phileo”, and “eros”, although you can draw from additional forms of love as you see Biblical relationships play out.

Overall, love has many meanings. We often say “I love you” to ones we care about, but it is fascinating to see how each form of the word carries a different meaning depending on who you are saying it to.

Remember, “we love, because He (God) first loved us”, You can’t have a full appreciation of love if you do not know Christ. I encourage you to do so by listening to episode 1 of this podcast series and then consult with your local Bible believing church.

Also as always, if you have any questions or comments please reach out by emailing [email protected].