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many or few?

Agape is God's immeasurable love: you can try to agape but you'd fail, we all
would. Agape is God's perfect love
Agape is anybody's and everybody's love because it's the one and only Greek noun
there is for love in the entire New Testament.

The thing is: love as a noun is merely an abstract until verbs put it into perspective,
e.g. phileo and agapao.

When love lacks modifiers and/or verbs, it means very little in particular. For
example: My love for a man with a cardboard sign alongside the road is different than
my love for the girl I married. My love for the man is sympathy for a stranger, whereas
the love I have for my wife of forty-one years is affection for someone special.

Those two differences are exemplified by John 3:16 and John 16:27 where it's on
display that God's love for the world is agapao, which is merely sympathetic,
whereas His love for Jesus' followers is expressed by phileo, which speaks of
fondness and affection-- two emotions that form strong bonds and attachments.
not a business transaction
Business and business transaction are not synonyms.
_
 
Last edited:
God / capitalized means God Almighty / God the Father.

But in small 'g' / god refers to any 'god / gods' -- a big difference.


Greeting Sue

As you have mentioned G for God and g for god, you reminded me of some notes I have regarding, Lord and LORD in scripture.


LORD - 'Yahweh' is a Sacred Name YHWH (it is an unspeakable name hence the use of the four letters)

Lord - 'Adonai' is a Sovereign Title for God, not a Name for God


These can be seen in the following scriptures

Isaiah 6:1 NKJV
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord ['Adonai' Sovereign Title for God] sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 6:1 CJB
In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s death I saw Adonai [Sovereign Title for God] sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple.


Psalm 8:9 KJV
O LORD ['Yahweh' Sacred Name for God YHWH] our Lord ['Adonai' Sovereign God],
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Psalm 110:1
The LORD ['Yahweh' Sacred Name for God YHWH] said to my Lord ['Adonai' Sovereign God], “Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
 
"God's love for the world is agapao, which is merely sympathetic,
whereas His love for Jesus' followers is expressed by phileo,"
_

Agapao is more than sympathy: it's all-encompassing, charitable, sacrificial, unconditional, greater than any other form of love.

Phileo is brotherly love.

God's agapao is to all who have faith in and follow HIM. Although I phileo my brother, I am commanded to agapao my brother as God agapao's me. But because I fall short of God's excellent standard of agapao toward my brother, I am forgiven because HE agapao's me by HIS grace through my faith in Jesus Christ, my Holy Atoning Covering.
 
Agape is anybody's and everybody's love because it's the one and only Greek noun
there is for love in the entire New Testament.

The thing is: love as a noun is merely an abstract until verbs put it into perspective,
e.g. phileo and agapao.

When love lacks modifiers and/or verbs, it means very little in particular. For
example: My love for an injured animal laying alongside the road is different than
my love for the girl I married. My love for the animal is compassionate, whereas the
love I have for my wife of forty-one years is for someone special.

Those two differences are exemplified by John 3:16 and John 16:27 where it's on
display that God's love for the world is agapao, which is merely sympathetic,
whereas His love for Jesus' followers is expressed by phileo, which speaks of
fondness and affection-- the two primary emotions that form strong bonds and
attachments.

Business and business transaction are not synonyms.
_


My apologies brother, looking at my notes I see the verses and the words are spot on. (Should have refreshed my memory first) ;)

Seeing as I also have Strongs for G25 agapao I include it below

Greek Strong's Number: 25
Greek Word:
ἀγαπάω
Transliteration: agapaō
Phonetic Pronunciation: ag-ap-ah'-o
Root:
perhaps from agan (much) [or cf <H5689>]
Vine's Words: Beloved, Love

English Words used in KJV:
love 135
beloved 7
[Total Count: 142]

perhaps from agan (much) [or compare H5689 (`agab)]; to love (in a social or moral sense) :- (be-) love (-ed). Compare <G5368> (phileo).
Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.


Greek Strong's Number: 5368
Greek Word:
φιλέω
Transliteration: phileo
Phonetic Pronunciation: fil-eh'-o
Root:
from <5384>

Vine's Words: Kiss, Love

English Words used in KJV:
love
kiss 3
[Total Count: 25]

from <G5384> (philos); to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while <g25> (agapao) is wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: the two thus stand related very much as <g2309> (thelo) and <g1014> (boulomai), or as <G2372> (thumos) and <G3563> (nous) respectively; the former being chiefly of the heart and the latter of the head); specially to kiss (as a mark of tenderness) :- kiss, love.

Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.

Shalom
 
Agapao is more than sympathy: it's all-encompassing, charitable, sacrificial,
unconditional, greater than any other form of love.
Jerry; mind the grammar-- agape and agapao are not interchangeable. The one is a
noun, the other a verb.
_
 
Jerry; mind the grammar-- agape and agapao are not interchangeable. The one is a
noun, the other a verb.
_
Same root word. If I say "God is righteous", and also say "it is God's righteousness", one is verb, the other is noun, but both speak to the nature of God. Same for agapao and agape: both speak of the same nature of God's love, one as verb the other as noun. I think we are done here.
 
If I say "God is righteous", and also say "it is God's righteousness", one is verb, the
other is noun, but both speak to the nature of God.
There is a significant difference between those two statements. The first speaks of
God's nature ,whereas the second speaks of God's conduct-- in point of fact
something specific referred to by the pronoun "it".
I think we are done here
This is a an extremely important grammatical issue Jerry. I have to make an
effort to resolve this thing because it's very likely that people all over the free world
are watching us on the internet; and some of those people are curious to know
what God thinks of them, i.e. does He like me as a person, or does He just feel
sorry for me; like road kill?
_
 
I'd agree with JerryfromMass. in post 867

God loves us and because Of His righteousness -- He sent His Son to this earth to die for our sins and rise again bodily on the 3rd day.

John 3:16 "For God so Loved the world, that He gave....."
 
There is a significant difference between those two statements. The first speaks of
God's nature ,whereas the second speaks of God's conduct-- in point of fact
something specific referred to by the pronoun "it".

This is a an extremely important grammatical issue Jerry. I have to make an
effort to resolve this thing because it's very likely that people all over the free world
are watching us on the internet; and some of those people are curious to know
what God thinks of them, i.e. does He like me as a person, or does He just feel
sorry for me; like road kill?
_
There is a significant difference between those two statements. The first speaks of
God's nature ,whereas the second speaks of God's conduct-- in point of fact
something specific referred to by the pronoun "it".

This is a an extremely important grammatical issue Jerry. I have to make an
effort to resolve this thing because it's very likely that people all over the free world
are watching us on the internet; and some of those people are curious to know
what God thinks of them, i.e. does He like me as a person, or does He just feel
sorry for me; like road kill?
_
John 3:16: "God so loved (ēgapēsen) the world" Verb form from the root word agape. The world as in "anyone/everyone believing in him" (pas ho pisteuon eis auton). The world seeing this and reading God's word will learn that God's agape love is unconditional, sacrificial, charitable, immeasurable, and redeeming.
 
But these are additional words describing the main word.

unconditional, sacrificial, charitable, immeasurable, and redeeming...love

Love is the main word, the other words are types of. e.g

Hesed describes the word love as being a steadfast love.
 
Jerry; mind the grammar-- agape and agapao are not interchangeable. The one is a
noun, the other a verb.
_


Its all one work of faith as a labor of love. .Let there be the action, and it was God the power to prove .

The desire and the power to do the will .


Philipians2: 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
 
But these are additional words describing the main word.

unconditional, sacrificial, charitable, immeasurable, and redeeming...love

Love is the main word, the other words are types of. e.g

Hesed describes the word love as being a steadfast love.
Actually brother, if love is unconditional it is also sacrificial and charitable and immeasurable. If love is sacrificial it is also unconditional charitable and immeasurable. If love is charitable it is also unconditional and sacrificial and immeasurable. And if love is immeasurable it is unconditional sacrificial and charitable. And God's love is so unconditional sacrificial charitable and immeasurable that it is redeeming of sinful mankind. Agape. Can man do that?
 
John 3:16: "God so loved (ēgapēsen) the world" Verb form from the root word
agape.
The Greek word translated "loved" in John 3:16 is conjugated from the verb
agapao, which tells me that God's love in that passage isn't especially divine
because the very same Greek verb is used in Luke 6:32, which says:

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those
who love them."

Every "love" in that verse is derived from agapao. Well; the very fact that sinners
are capable of agapao tells me that it would be a mistake to restrict its use solely to
God and/or to assume that agapao always, and in every instance, speaks of divine attributes.
_
 
The Greek word translated "loved" in John 3:16 is conjugated from the verb
agapao, which tells me that God's love in that passage isn't especially divine
because the very same Greek verb is used in Luke 6:32, which says:

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those
who love them."

Every "love" in that verse is derived from agapao. Well; the very fact that sinners
are capable of agapao tells me that it would be a mistake to restrict its use solely to
God and/or to assume that agapao always, and in every instance, speaks of divine attributes.
_
When applied to God, the word agape in all its forms refers to God's divine unconditional sacrificial charitable immeasurable abundant love. Man does not love as God loves, but when agape and its various forms is used as to man, it refers to the level of love we should show (though we don't) toward one another as we are commanded, including sinners and publicans.
 
Actually brother, if love is unconditional it is also sacrificial and charitable and immeasurable. If love is sacrificial it is also unconditional charitable and immeasurable. If love is charitable it is also unconditional and sacrificial and immeasurable. And if love is immeasurable it is unconditional sacrificial and charitable. And God's love is so unconditional sacrificial charitable and immeasurable that it is redeeming of sinful mankind. Agape. Can man do that?


Can man do that?

It is like asking man to explain 'HOLY' ;)
 
When applied to God, the word agape . . yada, yada, yada
The post you quoted says nothing of agape. It's focus is upon proper application of the verb agapao.

God's divine unconditional . . etc, etc.
There are times when Heaven's love is conditional; for example:

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; just as I
have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love." (John 15:10)

The Greek noun translated "love" in that passage is agape, which is a nondescript
noun. In other words; agape alone doesn't tell me whether the love in view is
affectionate or non affectionate, i.e. phileo or agapao. For example John 3:16 which
says:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The love in that passage is conjugated from the Greek verb agapao, which informs
me that God experiences pity for the world without necessarily liking the world. This
is somewhat similar to the sympathy that many of us experience for a desperate
stranger with a cardboard sign that says "Lost job due to Covid 19"

And then there's this:

"Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him" (Mark 10:21)

The Greek word translated "love" in that passage is conjugated from phileo, which
basically speaks of affection, fondness, and bonding. (cf. 1Sam 18:1)

Here's an hypothetical situation that breaks John 3:16 down to something practical.

Evangelist: Did you know that the Bible says God loves you?

Audience: God likes me?

Evangelist: Sorry, my bad. I should've been specific. I was asking if you were
aware that God pities you.

Audience: Pities me?! What's to pity?

Evangelist: You are on the road to a future that's so disagreeable Jesus said you'd
be better off to lose a hand or an eye than to end up there.

UPDATE: 248 days have elapsed since my first comment. If the figures in post No.5
are in the ball park, then something like 15,406,752 new arrivals have checked into
the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 08, 2020.
_
 
The post you quoted says nothing of agape. It's focus is upon proper application of the verb agapao.


There are times when Heaven's love is conditional; for example:

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; just as I
have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love." (John 15:10)

The Greek noun translated "love" in that passage is agape, which is a nondescript
noun. In other words; agape alone doesn't tell me whether the love in view is
affectionate or non affectionate, i.e. phileo or agapao. For example John 3:16 which
says:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The love in that passage is conjugated from the Greek verb agapao, which informs
me that God experiences pity for the world without necessarily liking the world. This
is somewhat similar to the sympathy that many of us experience for a desperate
stranger with a cardboard sign that says "Lost job due to Covid 19"

And then there's this:

"Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him" (Mark 10:21)

The Greek word translated "love" in that passage is conjugated from phileo, which
basically speaks of affection, fondness, and bonding. (cf. 1Sam 18:1)

Here's an hypothetical situation that breaks John 3:16 down to something practical.

Evangelist: Did you know that the Bible says God loves you?

Audience: God likes me?

Evangelist: Sorry, my bad. I should've been specific. I was asking if you were
aware that God pities you.

Audience: Pities me?! What's to pity?

Evangelist: You are on the road to a future that's so disagreeable Jesus said you'd
be better off to lose a hand or an eye than to end up there.

UPDATE: 248 days have elapsed since my first comment. If the figures in post No.5
are in the ball park, then something like 15,406,752 new arrivals have checked into
the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 08, 2020.
_
Who do you agape and how do you show your agape?
 
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