47 Agape & Phileo

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

To begin our exploration of ultimate love in the Godhead, patient reader, I find it most interesting, startling even, that this ultimate “emotion,” this ultimate love originates in God’s will.

How does that work? I am inclined to wonder.

And when I wonder something about God, I’m sure you know exactly by now what I therefore do—I go to the scriptures of Old and New Testament and search out an explanation (but not without first praying for special assistance in my effort from Holy Spirit, of course).

Here is what I found.

From the New Testament, love as embraced in the Godhead in its most exalted form is the Greek noun agape, verb agapao.

Vine’s describes apape as an act of the will, an act of God’s will (Vine’s 381-382).

Encarta defines the noun agape (love) as God’s love for humanity: In Christian belief, the mercy, grace and charity shown by God to humanity; love that is wholly selfless and spiritual.

In general, the verb agapao, to love, means to adopt an attitude or behavior demonstrating a high regard, esteem or selfless concern for and commitment to the valued, though unworthy, object of that love.

Vine’s states (p.382), “In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant ‘love’ and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential ‘love’ in them towards the Giver, and a practical “love” towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver.”

Then Vine’s states, “Agape and agapao are used in the NT . . .

(a) to describe the attitude of God toward His Son, John17:26; the human race, generally, John3:16; Romans 5:8: and to such as believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, particularly, John 14:21;

(b) to convey His will to His children concerning their attitude one toward another, John 13:34, and toward all men, 1 Thess. 3:12; I Corinthians 16:14; 2 Peter 1:7;

(c) to express the essential nature of God, 1 John 4:8 (Vine’s, p. 381).”

For example: Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love (agape) for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In Romans 5:8, Love (agape) is an “exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself, CF. Deut. 7:7,8 (Vine’s, © 1985, p. 382).”

Agape is not a word used for feeling.

Other words suffice for that.

The Greek noun phileo, (also of the New Testament), “tender affection” conveys feeling and is the love we considered in our tour of emotion in the Godhead. (Vine’s, pp.381-382)

Phileo love is a beautiful emotion in the Godhead and a prominently and liberally displayed emotion in the Godhead, often existing distinct from but in conjunction with agape love. But it is not agape love. As an act of His will, agape love is what God wants to happen, resolves to happen. It is not a reaction or response. It is an initiative. It is an initiative He undertakes.

Vine’s (p.382) sums discussion of agape and phileo up by saying, “Phileo is to be distinguished from agapao in this, that phileo more nearly represents ‘tender affection.’ The two words are used for the ‘love’ of the Father for the Son, John 3:35 (No.1, and 5:20 (No.2); for the believer, 14:21(No.1) and 16:27 (No.2); both, of Christ’s ‘love’ for a certain disciple, 13:23 (No.1), and 20:2 (No.2). Yet the distinction between the two verbs remains, and they are never used indiscriminately in the same passage; if each is used with reference to the same objects, as just mentioned, each word retains its distinctive and essential character.”

To be continued . . .