The Law of Agape
by Fred Rapp
There are two main Greek words translated love in
our Bibles. Phileo refers to natural love and
agape refers to divine love.
The clearest comparison between phileo and agape
is found in John 21:15-17. Both Greek words are
used, and both are translated love in English.
The first two times Jesus ask Peter if he loved
Him, Jesus uses the Greek word agape. Peter
responds with, “you know I phileo you.” This
conversation is a result of Peter proclaiming he
was willing to die for Him. Not only did Peter
not die but he ended up denying Jesus three time.
The third time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him,
Jesus uses the Greek word phileo natural love.
Peter was grieved at this third question because
he knew that though he said he was willing to die
for Jesus his love failed him. Jesus knew at the
time of Peter’s proclamation, his love was not
agape, yet He never corrected Peter but let life
take its course for a much more valuable lesson.
That is why Peter said, “Lord You know all
things.” Peter learned through this trial, that
his love was not enough to enable him to do what
he said. He also learned that Jesus knew, his
heart was not in a place to enable him to do what
he said.
In John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater agape has no
one than this, that one lay down his life for his
friends.” In John 14:31 Jesus said, “so that the
world may know that I agape the Father, I do
exactly as the Father commanded Me.” It was agape
that enabled Christ to die in our place. It was
phileo that failed Peter’s proclamation to die
for his Lord. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthian 13:7-8,
“Agape bears up under all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Vs
8, Agape never fails.” Agape divine love did not
fail Jesus in the greatest trail a human would
ever face. The agape of His Father gave Jesus a
strength that we as fallen man cannot relate to.
Paul wrote in Romans 8:29 that there is, a people
that God has predestinated to be conformed to the
image of His Son. The Greek word Paul uses for
conformed means, to take on the exact inward
likeness. The same strength Jesus experienced all
His life, will enable us to live for God the same
way. Paul describes the attributes of agape in 1
Corinthians 13:4-8, as to what agape does and
doesn’t do. Agape will enable the soul to live
the same life Jesus lived, because agape comes
from God, 1 John 4:7. Jesus prayed in John 17:23,
“I in them and You in Me, that they may be
perfected in unity, so that the world may know
that You sent Me, and agaped them, even as You
have agaped Me.” The world is going to see a
people that can live far beyond the natural
ability of man. The world will also know that
what they are seeing is not because of us but is
because of what Jesus did to take away the sin of
the world, John 1:29. In that day we will not
take credit for what we’ve become.
In Jeremiah 31:33, “This shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel; After
those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in
their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;
and will be their God, and they shall be my
people.” It is written of Jesus in Ps 40:8, “I
delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is
within my heart." Jesus said in Matthew 5:17,
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or
the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil.” What enabled Jesus to make this
statement is because the laws of God where within
His heart. The answer to how the laws of God were
in His heart can be summed up in one word, agape.
This is how God is going to put His laws into our
hearts as well. Paul wrote in Rom 13:8-10, “Owe
no one anything except to agape one another, for
he who agapes another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, you shall not commit
adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not
steal, you shall not bear false witness, you
shall not covet, and if there is any other
commandment, are all summed up in this saying,
namely, You shall agape your neighbor as
yourself.
10 Agape does no harm to a neighbor; therefore,
agape is the fulfillment of the law.” Agape will
enable us to live a life fulfilling the laws of
God.
So how is God going to put His agape in our
hearts? John wrote in John 3:27, “A man can
receive nothing, except it be given him from
heaven.” James wrote in James 1:17, “Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22, “The fruit of the
Spirit is agape….” Paul also wrote that, “…the
agape of God is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans
8:39. The key to how we get the agape of God is
found in John 15:9, I believe this is the pivotal
verse in the New Testament. Jesus said, “As the
Father has agaped Me so have I agaped you, abide
in My agape. The Greek word for abide is meno,
which means, “remaining or dwelling in a place.”
This is the path to living a life fulfilling the
law. Jesus said in verse 12 of this chapter,
“This is My commandment, that you agape one
another, as I have agape you.” This is the result
of our remaining in the agape of Christ. We will
work no ill to our neighbor and live fulfilling
the law of God.
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