Let's take a closer look at this word, agapē, with one of the most well-known Greek scholars, William D. Mounce, using his dictionary, which is available with Bible Gateway Plus. "Agapē" refers to the Greek word for love used in the original text of the New Testament. According to Mounce's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, "a biblical definition of love starts with God, never with us (1 Jn. 4:9-10). God is love itself; it is his character that defines love. Because he is love (4:8, using the related noun agapē, he acts with love toward an undeserving world." |
Agapaō is one of four verbs that means "to love" in the Greek New Testament. Of the four, this word is used "to describe many forms of human love (e.g., husband and wife, Eph 5:25, 28, 33) and, more importantly, God's undeserved love for the unlovely. In other words, its meaning comes not from the Greek but from the biblical understanding of God's love." Let's read 1 John 4:7 together to warm our hearts: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (NIV) Dig deeper with Bible Gateway Plus to understand the Bible like never before. Learn the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek words with Mounce's Expository Dictionary and explore practical ways to apply these insights to your everyday life. |
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