Reflective Paper New Testament Survey.
What is love? I remember a time when "I love you" was the hardest phrase to say to the person you really had feelings for because you knew when you said those words it would change the course of your relationship forever. But what is the true meaning of love? "The dictionary defines love as a feeling of strong personal attach-ment induced by sympathetic understanding or by ties of kindred; ardent affection for one's children; man's adoration for God; strong liking; fondness; good will, al love of learning; love of country." (Bell, pg. 10) According to Bell all of these definitions convey the outward appearance of love. He says that when looking at love that we need to take an inventory of our feeling to find out if we are truly displaying the type of love that God calls agape love. Bell says we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Do I return love? In any relationship love is a two way street. A marriage or relationship will not last very long if only one person is showing love and the other is not responding in kind. As a matter of fact, a spiritual relationship works in pretty much the same way. The bible says that God first loved us, but if we do not return that love to Him the relationship may diminish. As a Christian we must first love the unsaved person just enough to go to them and share the good news of the gospel. Then after that person has received the gospel of Jesus it is then up to them to accept it and return the love by giving their life to Christ. "Ministry is the first stage of this exchange of love." (Bell, Pg 11) .
The second question is: Do I try to force love? Since the beginning of time God has always given man a choice or free will. We have a free will to love Him. A free will to obey Him. And a free choice to do His will. As a matter of fact God does not even force His love upon us. Anytime love has to be forced you may as well just call it rape.
LOVE: AGAPE What is love? ... When looking at love that we need to take an inventory of our feeling to find out if we are truly displaying the type of love that God calls agape love. ... We have a free will to love Him. ... If love is forced, it usually results in the person rejecting the love altogether. Christian love does not demand love in return, but it does open the pathway to receive love if love wants to be given. ...
General goodwill (Agape) possesses the features that distinguish it from desire and longing for passion. ... The Bible advocates this type of love: "Love thy neighbour." ... Another love is family devotion (Storge) which is a much stronger love than agape; it is an unconditional love for one's family. ... When a person states that he/she is "in love," he/she is referring to the ultimate love: romantic love (Eros). ... If we were to practice love, especially from the Biblical view (Agape), this world would be at peace and most of the problems facing today's society would never hav...
The words that translate into love are Eros, Agape, and Philia. ... Agape is the part of love having to do with the spirituality and the inner feeling one feels for another, in other words love taken to the next level. ... Agape is the spiritual aspect of love. Agape is sometimes commonly referred to as the love God has for us or that Jesus had and showed for the people of the bittersweet world. ... Then there is Agape, which has to deal with love in the spiritual aspect. ...
Love can be categorized into five different groups; Mania, Eros, Philos, Storge, and Agape. ... The next type of love I will discuss is Storge love; also known as motherly love. ... This final and most important love is Agape love. ... Agape love is most definitely the most powerful love of them all. ... " This is the perfect example of Agape love. ...
Humans express love by their actions and experience love through feeling. ... These include eros, storge, agape, and philia. Agape is an unconditional love that that accepts people based on whom they are regardless of their shortcomings (Lewis 1960, 70). Agape love involves sacrificing for others without expecting any reward. ... Impersonal love is the love for objects, principles or goals. ...
The Bible illustrates many forms of love, bringing us the following question: What is central theme of this described love? ... Of these, it is "agape" love, a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, that appears most frequently. ... Paul sums up love perfectly in one of his letters, explaining "Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. ... Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). ... A person who exercises agape love does not lose patience with people. ...
In Till We Have Faces, this charge is clarified through three kinds of loves: Philia, Storge, and the ultimate love, Agape. ... The only ultimate and incorruptible love is Agape love. ... Agape love is chosen and committed love that flows from the unconditional love of God. ... But while Philia and Storge can be corrupted, Agape love cannot. So, when we love those around us, we should endeavor to love them with the love which God loved us with, Agape love....
When one contains the emotion of love for something, it is to be unconditional, or the true feeling of love was never held. ... The greatest feeling of love is exemplified by God, referred to as Agape love. ... The importance is that without love a person has nothing. ... It is impossible to capture the beauty of love. ... Through experience I can state, that with love comes pain. ...
May has discussed his theory of love in depth in Love and Will. ... Agape or Caritas or Care, Sex or lust or libido, Eros and Death, and last is Philia. ... The first form of loving is Agape or Caritas or Care. ... Agape or Caritas or Care is the prerequisite for love and it is manifested in the remaining three forms of love Sex, Eros and Death, and Philia. ... Philia is brotherly love and friendship, a relaxation with a loved one. ...
