Word studies · Greek · Strong's G26
ἀγάπη · agápē · appears 114 times in the New Testament
In one line: Unconditional, committed love shown through action.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Agape is self-giving, committed love — love that seeks another's good regardless of whether it's deserved or returned.
Agape describes the love God has for humanity and the love Christians are called to show one another — a love defined by action and commitment rather than feeling or attraction. Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 13 lists what this love does more than what it feels.
Agapē is the noun form of the verb agapaō, and by the New Testament era it had become the preferred word for a love rooted in choice and loyalty rather than physical attraction (eros) or family affection (philia, storgē). Early Christian writers leaned on it precisely because it was the least loaded of the Greek love-words, letting them fill it with new meaning.
Because English has only one word for “love,” it's easy to miss that agape describes a love that can be commanded — “love your enemies” — in a way romantic affection cannot. It is love as a decision and a way of acting, available even toward people you don't feel warmly toward.
Agapē (G26) appears 114 times in the New Testament, and its related verb agapaō appears far more often still.
Agape is the love John says defines God's very character — “God is love” — and the love that motivated Christ being sent, “For God so loved the world.” It becomes the standard for Christian ethics: love of God and neighbor as the summary of the law.
Agape challenges you to love people by what you do for them, not only by how you feel about them. Look for one concrete act of love you can offer today to someone who hasn't earned it.
love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast
Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.
Matthew 24:12Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.
Luke 11:42but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you.
John 5:42And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
Romans 5:5Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
1 Corinthians 4:21For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you.
2 Corinthians 2:4Press and hold love in any chapter and this study opens on the verse you are reading, with the lexicons, every occurrence and the commentaries beside it. The Bible is free to read.
Scripture quoted from the Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Strong's definitions are public domain. Counts come from The Pillar's own tagged text.