Love

[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Oops....!!! My mistake

No problema

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by janielee

Yes, it’s like people desperately trying to define the word smile, don’t ya know!? missing the wood for the trues... Molearner said it well though.

More:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Corinthians 13

The scripture quoted is from 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

There are 2 Koine Greek words used to render 'love' as mentioned in these scriptures.

One 'love', in Koine Greek, is ἀγάπη which is transliterated as agapē.
The other 'love', in Koine Greek, is ἀγάπην which is transliterate as agapēn.

The words are so closely related that they are considered as a singular example of one version of 'love' rendered in Koine Greek.

Some have felt agapē (love) is not mentioned in the Bible, but these scriptures support the position that Jesus held agapē (love) in high esteem.

As noted, the Bible uses 4 of the 5 Koine Greek words rendered as love.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by davidmartin

I think the NT scriptures were written in Greek. OK that's fine, but the concepts originally are Jewish. To then seek the understanding of the concepts in Greek thinking and philosophy is going off in another direction!
This leads to errors. I saw a pastor go on about how God's love is 'Fatherly care' not emotional love that is felt based on Greek word meaning. He was denying that God is love through focusing in on Greek words - which was only the language used to write down what originally was said and done in Israel by Jesus. That makes no sense

As far as I know there is only one type of love in Jewish thinking, probably going back to one root definition based on action. That word you found is a good example of this. Here is passionate language and culture! Greeks were more conceptual wanting to deconstruct everything
I think to Jews debating what love is would seem ridiculous and incomprehensible, which only makes the statement 'God is love' more powerful, not distracted by which 'kind' is meant
All this found by going back to the source culture!! Forget Greek

In Leviticus 19:18 the word LOVE is used. That scripture reads:

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."

Jesus emphasized the (b) part of this scripture as found in Mark 12: 31 which reads:

"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[a] There is no commandment greater than these.”"

Mark 12:31's Love in Koine Greek is part of the Greek expression Ἀγαπήσεις which gets transliterated as "Ἀgapēseis" and has embedded in that expression the Koine Greek word that gets translated as agape love.

Leviticus 19:18 and Mark 12:31 both speak of the same type of love.