Love, Biblical Greek & Hebrew Definitions
Four Biblical words translate as the English word love in order of importance:
- Agape, 1 Corinthians 13:1; unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love [MEV], charity [KJV], Strong’s Greek no. 26
- Phileo, John 21:17; friendship or brotherly love [MEV], lovest [KJV], Strong’s Greek no. 5368
- Storge, Romans 10; A deep familial bond rooted in care and familiarity; love among close family [MEV], [KJV], Strong’s Greek no. 5387
- Eros, Proverbs 5:18-19; romantic love’s physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects, the love between husband and wife [MEV], [KJV], Strong’s Hebrew no. 160
Read more in plain language from Christianity.com, What Are the Four Types of Love in Scripture?
Genesis chapter 24 [MEV] [KJV]tells the story of Isaac, Abraham’s son of promise, seeking his wife. It was not Isaac that sought his wife but the servant of Abraham. The servant was guided not by the physical appearance of the prospective wife for Isaac but by the leading of an angel. When the behavior of Rebekah aligned with the directions given the servant, it was not an erotic experience.
Parenting
I quote from Pew Research, April 5, 2018, The Changing Profile of Unmarried Parents
“One-in-four parents living with a child in the United States today are unmarried. Driven by declines in marriage overall, as well as increases in births outside of marriage, this marks a dramatic change from a half-century ago, when fewer than one-in-ten parents living with their children were unmarried (7%).
“At the same time, the profile of unmarried parents has shifted markedly, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.1 Solo mothers – those who are raising at least one child with no spouse or partner in the home – no longer dominate the ranks of unmarried parents as they once did. In 1968, 88% of unmarried parents fell into this category. By 1997 that share had dropped to 68%, and in 2017 the share of unmarried parents who were solo mothers declined to 53%. These declines in solo mothers have been entirely offset by increases in cohabitating parents: Now 35% of all unmarried parents are living with a partner. Meanwhile, the share of unmarried parents who are solo fathers has held steady at 12%.“
For a Successful Life, Follow the Instructions in the Handbook of Life, the Bible
God’s first commandment for men and women was, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it.” Excerpt from Genesis 1:26-28 MEV
The fundamental purpose of eros (erotic love) is to perpetuate the species of mankind. Eros was not designed by God for recreation outside holy matrimony.
What are the roles of husbands and wives?
The marriage of a man and a woman is a small-scale model of the marriage of Jesus Christ and his bride, the ekklēsia, the church. I quote from Ephesians 5:23-27 MEV
For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head and Savior of the church, which is His body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The takeaways:
- Husbands and wives are to live and act as a unit. Ephesians 5:31-33, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.“
- Husbands are not to be lords over their wives but to be guardians, protectors, providers, and lovers of their wives to the point of giving their lives for them. God does not expect the wife to be willing to die for her husband. The word love in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,” is the agape form of love.
A Successful Marriage
Everything you purchase comes with a warning to assure good success with a product. The Bible is our Manufacturer’s warning label. When you encounter problems, call the Manufacturer or read His instruction book, the Bible. Notice the use of the word ‘when.’
Suppose you and your spouse are born-again, spirit-filled children of God. In that case, you are supernaturally overcomers in this life, regardless of the circumstance, regardless of the difficulty, regardless of your age.
- Philippians 4:13 MEV says, “ I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me.” In this context, the verb do (Strong’s Greek 2480) means to have strength to overcome.
- Romans 8:37 MEV says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.“
Of the four classes of love, the highest order is agape love. All too many couples are drawn together in an erotic love. Erotic love is essential to the propagation of the species and for satisfying the physical needs of each partner in the relationship.
Before going forward, read The Song of Solomon using either the Modern English Version [MEV] or the King James Version [KJV]. Is the Song of Solomon erotica or a portrait of love and beauty?
An article of May 15, 2013, from The Gospel Coalition titled, What’s the Difference Between Erotica and Song of Solomon? answers the question.
In summary, I quote from the article:
“Erotica is not interested in love. It will, at times, spread a thin veneer of love over certain stories, but love is never the main point. It is only ever back story. Erotica is written to titillate, the Canticles to celebrate. The one is written to provoke lust, the other to evoke beauty. It is the monumental difference between pornography and nude art, between Ron Jeremy and Michelangelo’s David…The Song of Solomon is a monument to love and beauty and to the proper connection between them.“
1 Corinthians 7:5 [MEV] “ Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan does not tempt you for lack of self-control.“
Fasting and prayer set our thoughts on God and away from ourselves.
“God wants to use our fast to bless someone else! It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), so we must fast and pray for others (Psalm 35:11-13; Zechariah 7:1-14) and make sure to give to the hungry, poor, and naked (Isaiah 58:7-11). When we do, we get the blessing of being a blessing, those in need benefit, and God recognizes our fast.“
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 