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This word came into our language from the Latin caritas. To-day we must translate
agape consistently and always by the word "love".
The Greek language has three words for love, philein, eran, agapan. Eran denotes the
love of passion, of vehement, sensual desire; but so unsuitable was this word, by usage
so saturated with lustful ideas, to express the moral and holy character of that love with
which scripture in particular has to do, that it does not occur in a good sense even in the
Old Testament save in Prov. 4: 6; Wisdom 8:2, and, as already remarked, not at all in
the New Testament.
However often agapan and philein are used in the same combinations and relations, it
must not be overlooked that in all cases wherein the simple designation of kindred, a
friendly or in any way intimate relation between friends &100:, was required, the words
philos, philein were naturally used.
"We shall not go wrong if we define the distinction thus: philein denotes the love of
natural inclination, affection--love, so to say, originally spontaneous, involuntary
(amare); agapan on the other hand, love as a direction of the will (diligere)." Agape
"love" is not found in the profane writers, it is unknown either in Philo or Josephus, and
was coined apparently by the 70:
"It denotes the love which chooses its object with decision of will, so that it becomes
self-denying or compassionate devotion to and for the same, love in its fullest
conceivable form; love as it is the distinguishing mark, not of humanity, but, in the
strictest sense, of Divinity" (Cremer).
What teaching, and what example, is found in the apostle's epistles regarding this
great quality. We must read Rom. 14: and I Cor. 13: to see something of its spirit at
work. We must read the whole of II Corinthians to realize its presence in the
apostle's ministry. The expression "in love" occurs six times in Ephesians and once in
Colossians, making seven in these basic epistles of the mystery. Coming to the epistles
to Timothy and Titus, we find agape occurring ten times. We find it joined with "faith"
in I Tim. 1: 14; 2: 15; 6: 11; II Tim. 1: 13; 2: 22; 3: 10; Titus 2: 2. "Love", said the
apostle, "suffers long and is kind" (I Cor. 13: 4), and the need of this longsuffering may
be seen in the words of II Cor. 12: 15, "The more abundantly I love you, the less I be
loved".
"Patience" hupomone, from hupomeno to remain under, so endure, sustain. This is the
word which meets us in II Tim. 2: 10, 12.
"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes."
"If we suffer we shall also reign with Him."
This grace of patience has much to do with the race and the crown.
"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross"
(Heb. 12: 1, 2).