What kind of love?

by David Long

We have one word in the English to describe a multitude of feelings - love. We say we love our dog, car, cat, children, house, mate, etc but do we love them all alike? I hope not. The ancient Greeks had four words to describe different kinds of love.
1. Eros. This describes a purely physical love. Fulfilling fleshly desires is this type of love. Lust or passion is this type of love. This type of love is ok when fulfilled according to God's word. For example: fornication and adultery are sinful ways to fulfill this type of love.
2. Storage. This is love for kinfolks (children, parents), a natural affection. This is a love for blood relatives. It is used one time in Bible (Rom. 1:31). It describes people who didn't possess it.
3. Philadelphia from the root word "philos." This is brotherly love. It is used to describe affection between people who have something in common other than the blood flowing through their veins. It is used to describe Christians (Heb. 13:1; Rom. 12:10).
4. Agape. This is the highest form of love. It is a self-sacrificing love, the kind that seeks another's highest good over one's own needs. It goes beyond just the emotions to the extent of seeking the best of others. It's a deliberate and rational choice (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 5:6-8). It's the kind of love God has for man (John 3:16). It's the kind of love the husband is to have for his wife (Eph. 5:25). It's the kind of love we are to have for God and our fellow man (Matt. 22:37-39). It's the kind of love Christians are to have for each other (John 13:34-35). It's the kind of love mentioned in 1 Cor. 13. It's the kind of love Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). If we don't have this kind of love we will never make it to heaven.