Click on the following titles to read more about the
kinds of LOVE most mentioned in Scripture.
If we want to have a wonderful Godly life, obedient to the voice of God and have rich fellowship with other Christians, we will need to exercise all kinds of love.
- We need agape love because some of the things that God requires of us are not fun or easy, but need to be done. 1 Cor.13:13; Jn.17:27; Jn.3:16; 2 Cor.5:14.
- We need to have phileo love because we need true friends to stand with us, people who are emotionally connected to us and with whom we can share our deepest thoughts and feelings. Jn11:37; Jn.5:20.
- We as Christians need to have storge love between us, a deep family affection that comforts us and helps us feel connected to our immediate genetic family as well as all our extended spiritual family. Romans 1:31 describes sinful humanity as having “no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.” The Greek word translated as “no love” is astorgos. The other instance of this word is found in 2 Timothy 3:3, where it is translated “without love.” In Romans 12:10 we find an interesting compound: philostorgos is translated as “be devoted.” The word combines philos and storge and means “to cherish one’s kindred.” Believers in Christ, children of the same heavenly Father, are to “be devoted to one another in love.” As part of God’s family, we should show loving affection toward each other and be prone to love. Philostorgus is used only once in the New Testament, and that’s in Romans 12:10.
- Eros love is important for starting a family and in the formation of deep, long-lasting bonds of strength between a husband and wife in marriage. In Greek mythology, the god of love was Eros. From this comes the English word erotic which is defined by Webster as “devoted to or tending to arouse sexual love or desire.” The Greek word eros is NOT used in the New Testament.
(c) The Alabaster Box. C. Yvonne Karl. yvonnekarl@gmail.com
Musings by Yvonne. Selah! 