The word most often translated as love in the New Testament is 'agape'.
his word can mean benevolence, good will, or esteem toward another person, but properly it is the love which centers in moral preference. It is rooted in the word 'agapao', which means 'to prefer'.
This word is used to demonstrate the divine Love of God and Christ toward us, as well as our returned love toward God. It is also used to describe the love that we should demonstrate as Christians toward others.
This is placed first in the list of Spiritual fruit in Galatians 5, but it is not evident that Paul believed Love was of more importance than any of the other fruit. Even so, his feelings on this are portrayed in other verses.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul contrasts Love with the Spiritual gifts, saying that without love they are nothing. He also shows the character of Love (what it should look like), as well as that it is more important than even the faith and hope of a believer (which are both necessary to believe at all).
It makes sense that Love is placed in a high position, because nearly everything else we do as a Christian requires this fruit to be present. When writing of the importance of love to the community life in Colossians 3:12-14, he says that above all else, put on love. It is the epitome of all other virtues.
Jesus Himself taught that the entire Law and all the writings of the Prophets hung on two commandments of Love. First, to love God completely, then to love others. Paul reflects this in Romans 13 when he injects Love into the context of the Law, showing that it is the sum of all duties. Not that Love ends the need for a Law, but that Love fulfills (performs and accomplishes) our duty to the Law.
In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul speaks of being rooted and grounded in love, so that we would be able to comprehend the degree of God's love toward us, in order to be filled with the fullness of God.
I have heard it often said that it is impossible to Love with the same Love God has, because it is a divine characteristic. From everything else mentioned, we find that the Love God has for us is the same Love that He expects us to have for those around us. As Christians we are new creatures, with a new nature. With the Spirit of God inside of us, being formed in the image for God, we should be capable of Loving as Christ did.
his word can mean benevolence, good will, or esteem toward another person, but properly it is the love which centers in moral preference. It is rooted in the word 'agapao', which means 'to prefer'.
This word is used to demonstrate the divine Love of God and Christ toward us, as well as our returned love toward God. It is also used to describe the love that we should demonstrate as Christians toward others.
This is placed first in the list of Spiritual fruit in Galatians 5, but it is not evident that Paul believed Love was of more importance than any of the other fruit. Even so, his feelings on this are portrayed in other verses.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul contrasts Love with the Spiritual gifts, saying that without love they are nothing. He also shows the character of Love (what it should look like), as well as that it is more important than even the faith and hope of a believer (which are both necessary to believe at all).
It makes sense that Love is placed in a high position, because nearly everything else we do as a Christian requires this fruit to be present. When writing of the importance of love to the community life in Colossians 3:12-14, he says that above all else, put on love. It is the epitome of all other virtues.
Jesus Himself taught that the entire Law and all the writings of the Prophets hung on two commandments of Love. First, to love God completely, then to love others. Paul reflects this in Romans 13 when he injects Love into the context of the Law, showing that it is the sum of all duties. Not that Love ends the need for a Law, but that Love fulfills (performs and accomplishes) our duty to the Law.
In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul speaks of being rooted and grounded in love, so that we would be able to comprehend the degree of God's love toward us, in order to be filled with the fullness of God.
I have heard it often said that it is impossible to Love with the same Love God has, because it is a divine characteristic. From everything else mentioned, we find that the Love God has for us is the same Love that He expects us to have for those around us. As Christians we are new creatures, with a new nature. With the Spirit of God inside of us, being formed in the image for God, we should be capable of Loving as Christ did.
