This Sunday the Brazilian pastor, Ps. Jamie Cisterna, of our churched shared on “The Four Loves”. The sermon was part of the “Community of Love: Learning Love” series that our South Calgary Community Church is going though this season. He spoke of four types of love, three natural and the final one not natural…
- Storge – (storge) – Affection
- Phileo / Philia / Fileo (philía) – Friendship
- Eros (éros) – Passion
- Agape (agapé, agápe) – True Sacrificial Love
The first three types of love, storge, phileo and eros as part of their definition were defined as natural, ambivalent, oscillating and ending. The fourth, and final type of love that we spoke about was a different and more powerful and endearing type of love…
Definition of Agape Love
- not natural
- a gift from God
- a decission
- a commitment
- not ambivalent (can only cause what is right)
- does not oscillate
- never ends or fails
- filters storge, philia and eros types of love
- motives natural love
Paul defines Agape Love in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 as:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
We can also see how Christ shows us His Agape Love for us in John 13:1:
Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
Agape love is a gift from God and has the power to filter, motivate and control the other three types of love: storge, phileo and eros.
Agape Love is “true and sacrificial love” that can only come as a gift from God…
(you can listen to this sermon series here)