This four lettered word is one of the most popular word used presently in different manner. Most people especially the Christians or so-called Christians utilize the word in a wrong way. We will go biblical! Many haves declared what love is, saying of different types of love such as erotic love, philo love, agape love, etc. but this three above mentioned are the most popular types given by people but I assert that it is not true. How?
Firstly, the bible never declared such. Two, analyzing the assertions:
(1) erotic love is not love but sexual desires/excitement from the Greek word “Eros”
(2) Philo is a Greek word for fondness and not love. The only Greek word equating love is agape. The issue is that some of these errors were brought by our bible translators. In 1Tim.6:10, most Bible versions bore that the love of money is the root of all evil whereas such versions still bear in 1Corinthians 13 that love is perfect and still declared it as the fruit of Holy Spirit. Now, in 1Timothy 6:10, the Greek version bore the word philaguria (Philo + aguria) which is fondness for money and not agapeguria. So, fondness of money, and not love of money, is the root of all evil.
In 2 Pet.1:7; it said “to godliness, add brotherly fondness (translated by some versions as brotherly kindness but the Greek bore Philadelphia- philo + adelphos) and to brotherly kindness, love”. The principal reason is that having fondness for anybody/anything can make one do anything for the thing/person. One can kill, steal, and die for fondness. Apostle Peter advised we should add love which will serve as a checkmate for Philadelphia. So, we see now that erotic and philo are not love but agape only.
Now, what is agape/love? Remember that we go from Biblical point of view. One let us get the fact that love is of God. In Cor.13:4-13, the characteristics of love were listed but not defined. Even in Galatians 5:22, love was called the fruit of Holy Spirit. As many would say love is, “when one can sacrifice everything, even oneself, for another, it is love but 1Cor.13:1-3 made it even known that when one has speaking in tongues, gift of prophecy, understanding of all mysteries, give up all even one’s body, but without love, there’s no profit. So, this does not define love. In 1 Yehocanan (John) 5:3; the love of God is defined as keeping His commandments. This, I believe, is the definition of love: Love is keeping God’s commandments. Now, what commandments, which are of God, which we should keep and so have love? In Roman 13 vs8-10; the only debt we owe one another is love and loving one another, fulfills the law. In vs. 10, it is declared that love works no ill to his neighbor and therefore, love is fulfilling the law. “What law is love its fulfillment?” Taking a look at Yaakov (James) 2:8; the same law was called the loyal law which was defines as “Love your neighbor as yourself”, with same commandments listed. These commandments listed in Romans 13 and Yaakov (James) 2, as we are aware, are part of the Ten Commandments. Matityahu (Mathew) 22:36-40 gave us the second part: Love God as you love yourself. There are the two types/divisions of love and they are summary of the Ten Commandments. Therefore, we see that love is divided into two- love for God and Love for man and broadly into ten and more so, divisible into many more parts. This is what the book of Ecclesiastics 12:13 called that keeping it is the whole duty of man. “Fear God and keep his commandments”. Although, presently, many regard it as ten tentative suggestions from God which can be changed at any time.
Love is also known or referred to with different words/phrases. The ones we have seen so far; the Royal Law, fruit of Holy Spirit, and the Ten Commandments. Also, love is God’s eternal covenant / testament. In Exodus 19, where God called the children of Israel; to enter into covenant with them; he declared his ten commandments in chapter 20 as his covenant. This is true looking at Exodus 34:25; Deut 4:13, 5:22. Therefore, God’s testament is the Ten Commandments and not what people, even Bible translators say of Genesis to Malachi as the Old Testament and Mathew to Revelation as the New Testament. Genesis to Malachi is not Old Testament and was never called that in the Bible, neither was Matityahu (Mathew) to Revelation called the New Testament. Rather, Genesis to Malachi was referred to by Christ and his disciples as the (Holy) scriptures (Luke 24:27.44-45; Yehocanan (John) 5:39; 2 Tim 3:15-17, Mat. 22:29 etc. Christ himself, and his disciples called themselves “witnesses” being witness that what the scriptures prophesized about Christ came to pass (Luke 24:48; 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:16 etc). In Yeremayah (Jeremiah) 32:31; it was made known of the testament becoming old and with promise of new one. This was echoed by Hebrews 8:6-13. We are told that the old covenant/testament was written on tablets of stone (was it Genesis to Malachi?) and that it became old because the people broke it and the new one contained the same laws. This testament/covenant was what Hosea 6:7 said that Adam broke (RSV, NIV) and the breaking of it became sin (1 John 3:4). It has been right there, even in heaven as Moses was told to build the ark of covenant and the tabernacle according to the pattern God showed him (Exodus 25:40) which is the one in heaven (Rev. 11:19).
Now seeing what love is, in its broadness, one can say, so it is just Ten Commandments? Don’t forget, it still includes remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy! As before mentioned, it is breaking of the covenant, love/Ten Commandments that brought about sin. Since the covenant has been broken (by Adam and so all men) there is need to mend that which was broken. This can be achieved through being born again by God. Being born again, one can say, it’s by water and spirit. What is then the water and spirit? Baptism? The issue of being born again was cleared by Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:23 as he declared that it comes through the incorruptible seed, the word of God. This was made more succinct in Yehocanan (John) 1:12 and 13- being born again is to receive the power to become the son of God- through (1) believing in him (the word) (2) believing in his NAME. Believing in Him comes by hearing the word of God. Believing in His name, the second aspect is another issue. The fact is that our Lord and Savior was not called Jesus/Yahshua/Yahoshua/Yeshua. None of these is His name.
In conclusion, having love is being in covenant with God through keeping His ten commandments and it can be achieved through believing in His name, YEHOSHUA.
In 2 Pet.1:7; it said “to godliness, add brotherly fondness (translated by some versions as brotherly kindness but the Greek bore Philadelphia- philo + adelphos) and to brotherly kindness, love”. The principal reason is that having fondness for anybody/anything can make one do anything for the thing/person. One can kill, steal, and die for fondness. Apostle Peter advised we should add love which will serve as a checkmate for Philadelphia. So, we see now that erotic and philo are not love but agape only.
Now, what is agape/love? Remember that we go from Biblical point of view. One let us get the fact that love is of God. In Cor.13:4-13, the characteristics of love were listed but not defined. Even in Galatians 5:22, love was called the fruit of Holy Spirit. As many would say love is, “when one can sacrifice everything, even oneself, for another, it is love but 1Cor.13:1-3 made it even known that when one has speaking in tongues, gift of prophecy, understanding of all mysteries, give up all even one’s body, but without love, there’s no profit. So, this does not define love. In 1 Yehocanan (John) 5:3; the love of God is defined as keeping His commandments. This, I believe, is the definition of love: Love is keeping God’s commandments. Now, what commandments, which are of God, which we should keep and so have love? In Roman 13 vs8-10; the only debt we owe one another is love and loving one another, fulfills the law. In vs. 10, it is declared that love works no ill to his neighbor and therefore, love is fulfilling the law. “What law is love its fulfillment?” Taking a look at Yaakov (James) 2:8; the same law was called the loyal law which was defines as “Love your neighbor as yourself”, with same commandments listed. These commandments listed in Romans 13 and Yaakov (James) 2, as we are aware, are part of the Ten Commandments. Matityahu (Mathew) 22:36-40 gave us the second part: Love God as you love yourself. There are the two types/divisions of love and they are summary of the Ten Commandments. Therefore, we see that love is divided into two- love for God and Love for man and broadly into ten and more so, divisible into many more parts. This is what the book of Ecclesiastics 12:13 called that keeping it is the whole duty of man. “Fear God and keep his commandments”. Although, presently, many regard it as ten tentative suggestions from God which can be changed at any time.
Love is also known or referred to with different words/phrases. The ones we have seen so far; the Royal Law, fruit of Holy Spirit, and the Ten Commandments. Also, love is God’s eternal covenant / testament. In Exodus 19, where God called the children of Israel; to enter into covenant with them; he declared his ten commandments in chapter 20 as his covenant. This is true looking at Exodus 34:25; Deut 4:13, 5:22. Therefore, God’s testament is the Ten Commandments and not what people, even Bible translators say of Genesis to Malachi as the Old Testament and Mathew to Revelation as the New Testament. Genesis to Malachi is not Old Testament and was never called that in the Bible, neither was Matityahu (Mathew) to Revelation called the New Testament. Rather, Genesis to Malachi was referred to by Christ and his disciples as the (Holy) scriptures (Luke 24:27.44-45; Yehocanan (John) 5:39; 2 Tim 3:15-17, Mat. 22:29 etc. Christ himself, and his disciples called themselves “witnesses” being witness that what the scriptures prophesized about Christ came to pass (Luke 24:48; 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:16 etc). In Yeremayah (Jeremiah) 32:31; it was made known of the testament becoming old and with promise of new one. This was echoed by Hebrews 8:6-13. We are told that the old covenant/testament was written on tablets of stone (was it Genesis to Malachi?) and that it became old because the people broke it and the new one contained the same laws. This testament/covenant was what Hosea 6:7 said that Adam broke (RSV, NIV) and the breaking of it became sin (1 John 3:4). It has been right there, even in heaven as Moses was told to build the ark of covenant and the tabernacle according to the pattern God showed him (Exodus 25:40) which is the one in heaven (Rev. 11:19).
Now seeing what love is, in its broadness, one can say, so it is just Ten Commandments? Don’t forget, it still includes remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy! As before mentioned, it is breaking of the covenant, love/Ten Commandments that brought about sin. Since the covenant has been broken (by Adam and so all men) there is need to mend that which was broken. This can be achieved through being born again by God. Being born again, one can say, it’s by water and spirit. What is then the water and spirit? Baptism? The issue of being born again was cleared by Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:23 as he declared that it comes through the incorruptible seed, the word of God. This was made more succinct in Yehocanan (John) 1:12 and 13- being born again is to receive the power to become the son of God- through (1) believing in him (the word) (2) believing in his NAME. Believing in Him comes by hearing the word of God. Believing in His name, the second aspect is another issue. The fact is that our Lord and Savior was not called Jesus/Yahshua/Yahoshua/Yeshua. None of these is His name.
In conclusion, having love is being in covenant with God through keeping His ten commandments and it can be achieved through believing in His name, YEHOSHUA.
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