ἀγαπάω – Pronunciation Guide: ah-gah-PAH-oh

Basic Definition

Strong’s G25: To love unconditionally and sacrificially, expressing a deliberate choice to put another’s highest good above one’s own interests. This love transcends mere emotion or affection, representing a profound commitment to actively seek the welfare of others regardless of their merit or response.

Word Study

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Language Origin: Ancient Greek
• Root: ἀγάπη (agapē)

Morphology:

• ἀγαπῶ (agapō) – I love
• ἀγαπᾷς (agapas) – you love
• ἀγαπᾷ (agapa) – he/she/it loves
• ἀγαπῶμεν (agapōmen) – we love
• ἀγαπᾶτε (agapate) – you (plural) love
• ἀγαπῶσι(ν) (agapōsi(n)) – they love

Word Origin & History

The term ἀγαπάω emerged distinctively in biblical Greek, setting itself apart from other Greek words for love like ἔρως (erōs) and φιλέω (phileō). While rare in classical Greek literature, it gained prominence through the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew אָהַב (ahav), establishing itself as the primary term for divine love.

In pre-biblical usage, when it did appear in classical works, it carried connotations of showing preference or choosing to honor something above other options. Plato occasionally used it to describe the highest form of love that transcended physical attraction, though not with the same theological depth it would later acquire.

Biblical Usage

In the New Testament, ἀγαπάω represents the highest form of love – selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. It appears frequently in contexts describing both God’s love for humanity and the love Christians should demonstrate toward God and others.

Key Passages:

• John 3:16 – “For God so loved (ἠγάπησεν) the world…”
• 1 John 4:7-8 – “Beloved, let us love (ἀγαπῶμεν) one another…”
• Matthew 5:44 – “Love (ἀγαπᾶτε) your enemies…”

Cultural Insights

In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of loving one’s enemies was revolutionary. While φιλέω described natural affection between friends and family, ἀγαπάω introduced a radically different kind of love that could extend even to those who persecuted you. This transformed the cultural understanding of love from an emotion based on reciprocity to a chosen action independent of the recipient’s worthiness.

Theological Significance

ἀγαπάω represents the very nature of God Himself, as declared in 1 John 4:8. This love forms the foundation of Christian theology, demonstrating that God’s love isn’t merely a feeling but an active force that prompted Him to send His Son as a sacrifice for humanity.

The use of this verb in Scripture reveals that divine love is both a choice and an action. When God ἀγαπάω’s us, He chooses to act for our highest good regardless of our response. This same love is then to flow through believers to others, marking them as disciples of the Messiah.

Personal Application

Understanding ἀγαπάω challenges us to move beyond emotional responses to deliberate actions of love. It calls us to love not only when it’s easy or natural but especially when it’s difficult. This might mean choosing to act in someone’s best interest even when they’ve hurt us, or sacrificing our preferences for another’s good.

Related Words

• ἀγάπη (agapē) – love (noun) – See G26
• φιλέω (phileō) – to love (brotherly love) – See G5368
• στοργή (storgē) – family love – See G794

Did you Know?

• ἀγαπάω appears over 140 times in the New Testament, making it one of the most significant verbs in biblical Greek.
• Modern Greek still uses this word, though often with less theological weight than its biblical usage.
• The Early Church Fathers frequently used ἀγαπάω to distinguish Christian love from pagan concepts of love.

Remember This

Divine love (ἀγαπάω) is not just an emotion we feel, but a deliberate choice we make and an action we take, reflecting the very character of God Himself.