1 Peter 4:8 "charity"

I am looking for a knowledgeable person in old English from 1600's because:

1 P 4:8 and some other verses in KJV has a translation "charity" for what is generally translated as "love." In KJV itself, the actual Greek word (G26) is mostly translated as love, and I'd like to know why it is translated "charity" in those particular cases. Question is was the word "Charity" used interchangeably with "Love" in King James time, and if not, why was it used as a translation?

IMHO, it is translated "charity" because charity, true charity is unconditional love. That is the kind of love God gives to His children. Agape love qualifies as well.

God loves us even if we do not return His love. Even though we do not deserve His love, and He requires nothing in return for His love. He loved us while we were yet in our sins.

The love man exhibits most always expects/requires something in return. If we love someone, we expect that person to love us in return. If they do not, then our love for them can lessen, or even wane. Sometimes we love something because we know the joy/satisfaction it will give us. I love Peach Cobbler, but I am certainly not very charitable towards it. I gobble it up because I know the satisfaction I will have from doing so. Think of all the things you love. All the people you love.

Will your love for those things be unwavering and remain strong regardless if that thing pleases you or not?

Will you love a person that does not return your love? A person who despises you, rejects you, and avoids you? Will your love be unwavering and remain just as strong as if that person fully loved you in return? I dare say few people could answer "yes" to that question. It is only human to expect and seek love given to be love returned. Gods love is UNCONDITIONAL! And that is true charity! Agape love!

So I presume you had a specific definition of "charity" in mind. I'd like to hear how you think KJV time people used to use the term "charity." What do you think? If your talking about something like donating, there already was a word for the term "giving alms", which is G1654.

So that said, while I understand your perspective as a very valid one, inasmuch as giving must be out of pure love; however, charity in the modern term is not necessarily an act of love, and thus, the concepts of "giving" and "love" are not interchangeable, and should not be used interchangeably as far as language is concerned. But, the translator for K.J. apparently decided that "charity" was the correct translation, and I'm looking to know the reasoning behind it - what the meaning of charity was in early 17th century.)

I'm simply kind of curious as to when this English word was developed, and how people used it in the beginning of its conception. Cuz, to me, it seems like an alien and a bit religious-inclined term.

Not sure IF you really want some information, or if you are simply fishing? Anyway........

Study Love : Charity (he- aGApe-)

(excerpt)

• Mounce's:
  GK 27 (S 26) Word occurs 116 times.
  Greek-English:
  • Love, generosity, kindly concern, devotedness.
  • Plural, love-feasts. (Jude 12)
  Expository:
• • • aGApe- signifies the true and pure love of God to his dear Son. (John 17:26)
    • 
      
    • To his people. (Gal. 6:10)
  • And to a depraved humanity that is in rebellion against him. (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8)
  • In fact, the Bible declares that the very nature of God can be defined as love. (1 John 4:8, 16)
  • We can see that God is love, regardless of our situation in life. Even though we may be under the correction of God, the correction is always guided by love. (Heb. 12:6)
  • 
    
  • It is the love of God that prompts our obedience to him. (John 14:21, using the related verb agaPAo-)
  • aGApe- encompasses the mind, emotions, and will of the individual because it comes from God. As such, we are to live the life of love as demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. (Eph. 5:2)
  • Paul tells us, "The fruit of the Spirit is love". (Gal. 5:22)
  • It is only by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God that we can internalize and realize the love that God has for us. This type of godly love compels us to look for unmet needs among our fellow human beings. It is godly compulsion which brings us to a point where the world no longer sees us, but rather Christ in us. (2 Cor. 5:14)
  • The above idea prompted the KJV to translate aGApe- as "charity". Derived from the Latin word caritas, charity is characterized in the KJV as an out-showing of God's love and benevolence toward humanity. An inseparable relationship exists between faith, hope, and love, yet the apostle affirms the supremacy of love. (1 Cor. 13)
  • John explains that as the love of the church increases, God will strengthen the hearts of those in the church so that they "will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God". (1 Thess. 3:12-13)
  • God's people are exhorted to be cautious where they place their love. (1 John 2:15)
  • Paul warns young Timothy that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils". (1 Tim. 6:10)
  • aGApe- is a beautiful word picture of sacrificial love. It is expressed in the fact that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
  • As such, aGApe- can be defined as unmerited and unwavering love. God is the originator of this love, and it can only be experienced by one who truly knows God and has received his Son as Lord and Savior. The ultimate expression of God's unmitigated love is the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross.

There is ample Scriptural evidence to show that one translation/use of the word "charity" is to describe Agape love, the pure love of God. People can accept this or not.................

Some people who do not know love, or do not want to love their neighbor, exchange love for charity, as they can easily perform an act of charity for someone, without having love for that someone. God is love, and those who love, know God, and are known by God (1 John 4:7-8 & 16).
There will be many who will think their works of charity constituted their believing in Christ/Love, to whom love will declare never having known them (Matthew 7:23).

Hello and Welcome to CC!

Your question, and the comments you provide around it, are excellent evidence as to why the KJV is not the best translation for everyone. While studying and digging out the roots of the word are worthwhile, you may find that reading a good modern translation will get you to understanding sooner.

That said, if you do choose to read the KJV primarily, you would do well to learn how to use the many tools that are available.

Thank you kindly, sir. I dislike KJV myself (only when it is not comprehensible due to unfamiliar grammar), and I prefer using BSB for NT English and LXX and JPS + KJV for OT. But there is still benefit in using KJV.

Here is the problem: According to Wikipedia on practice of charity, the word "charity" comes from the French word "charité" which is from "caritas" in Latin used for translation of "Agape". If that is absolutely correct, it means, at the core, Charity is exactly the same as love, and they are supposed to be interchangeable, and just of different languages. BUT, if they are the same, why was the new term "charity" applied only to some particular verses if it was a replacement for "Christian love" when, in translating Christ's words, the actual English word Love kept being used? There really is nothing wrong IF it wasn't a paganly used word, but I've found it to be pretty inconsistent in forming the NT of the Bible to use 2 synonyms of seemingly the same concept.

So I suppose the way I should put the question is "Was King James involved in any way in pagan things, and did the translator for KJ draw a line between the two synonyms?"

I'll add this to my original post as an edit.

(EDIT): NVM I can't edit it.

Charity has always been defined for me as love. There are no degrees of love, either we love as given this gift by our Father, Who is Love, or we do not. Faith, hope and charity is the same as faith, hope and love.

To you, it may be the same, and it's totally fine BECAUSE, as given above, "Charity" is just a derivative of a french word Charite. BUT, what 1600's people and the translator thought of it is a different story. 1600's English people somehow basically made yet another slang word out of French, and had a synonym for love, and used it in some way. It seems like there was a religious motivation behind it, and I'm curious if there was such a motivation in differentiating between the uses of charity and love in KJV.

Bon! C'est vraimen formidable, mais la definition est toujours amour. Meme en francais. Pardon the lac of accents........... I do not havae the French keyboard installed, just Spanishand English. I had Hebrew but with the vision so far gone I can no longer see the diacritical markings.

1 Corinthians 13:4
(ABP+) TheG3588 loveG26 is lenient,G3114 is kind;G5541 theG3588 loveG26 is notG3756 jealous,G2206 theG3588 loveG26 is notG3756 rash,G4068 notG3756 inflated,G5448
(ASV) Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(CEV) Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or
(French LS) La charité est patiente, elle est pleine de bonté; la charité n'est point envieuse; la charité ne se vante point, elle ne s'enfle point d'orgueil,
(French OB) La charité est patiente, elle est pleine de bonté; la charité n'est point envieuse; la charité ne se vante pas, elle ne s'enfle point d'orgueil;
(German EB) Die Liebe ist langmütig, ist gütig; die Liebe neidet nicht; die Liebe tut nicht groß, sie bläht sich nicht auf,
(Hebrew NT DD) האהבה מארכת־אף ועשה חסד האהבה לא תקנא האהבה לא תתפאר ולא תתרומם׃
(ISV) Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Nor is she conceited,
(Italian GD) La carità è lenta all'ira, è benigna; la carità non invidia, non procede perversamente, non si gonfia.
(KJV) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(KJV+) CharityG26 suffereth long,G3114 and is kind;G5541 charityG26 enviethG2206 not;G3756 charityG26 vaunteth not itself,G4068 G3756 is notG3756 puffed up,G5448
(KJV-1611) Charitie suffereth long, and is kinde: charitie enuieth not: charitie vaunteth not it selfe, is not puffed vp,
(KJVA) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(MKJV) Charity has patience, is kind; charity is not envious, is not vain, is not puffed up;
(Spanish RV) La caridad es sufrida, es benigna; la caridad no tiene envidia, la caridad no hace sinrazón, no se ensancha;
(Spanish RV+) La caridadG26 es sufridaG3114, es benignaG5541; la caridadG26 noG3756 tiene envidiaG2206, la caridadG26 noG3756 hace sinrazónG4068, noG3756 se ensanchaG5448;

As you may see above love and charity are exchangeable in many languages,.

Je voir. Merci beaucoup. Mais.... As you can see in the posts above, I've already suggested that "charity" is probably just a derivative of French Charite. The problem is exactly that English readers then had two words that meant exactly the same thing in KJV. NOT IN GENEVA BIBLE by the way,

MY thinking is spawned by my own history as having studied linguistics and language at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. My life-l9ong interest in etymologies in general, and the later study of Biblical Hebrew. This, and a dollar will not get you a Frappuccino at a Starbucks.

Etymologies in the Word are exceptional fulfilling, also fully translating the words of theBible from the original tells us much. Jesus Christ declared Himself to be the Bread from Heaven, so it is no small wonder His city or town of birth would translate as the House of Bread. Bethlehem.

There are hundreds more which lend to understanding and affirmation of our faith in Him.