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The word agape is used in its plural form (agapai) in the New Testament to describe a meal or feast eaten by early Christians, as in Jude 1:12 and 2nd Peter 2:13. The agape love feast is still observed by many Christian denominations today, especially among Brethren and other Plain, Anabaptist churches.
Agape (ἀγάπη, agápē [1]) means, when translated literally, affection, as in "greet with affection" and "show affection for the dead". [2] The verb form of the word "agape" goes as far back as Homer. In a Christian context, agape means "love: esp. unconditional love, charity; the love of God for person and of person for God". [3]
An agape feast, or lovefeast [b], is a term used for various communal meals shared among Christians. [2] The name comes from the Greek word ἀγάπη , which implies divine love, to love as fully as God loves, unconditionally. Agape meals originated in the early Church and were a time of fellowship for believers.
The word "love" can have a variety of related but distinct meanings in different contexts. Many other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts that in English are denoted as "love"; one example is the plurality of Greek concepts for "love" (agape, eros, philia, storge). [8]
Theological agapism holds that our love of God is expressed by loving each other. As the ethics of love, agapism indicates that we should do the most loving thing in each situation, letting love determine our obligation rather than rules. Alternatively, given a set of rules, agapism indicates to follow those rules which produce the most love.
Agape in Greek simply means love. The presence of agape love is when there is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. [14] This type of love does not relate to that of romantic nor sexual love. Nor does it refer to Philia type of love where it is a close friendship or brotherly love.
Love of God can mean either love for God or love by God. Love for God (philotheia) is associated with the concepts of worship, and devotions towards God.[1]The Greek term theophilia means the love or favour of God, [2] and theophilos means friend of God, originally in the sense of being loved by God or loved by the gods; [3] [4] but is today sometimes understood in the sense of showing love ...
[7] [8] Agape is more a love by choice than Philos, which is love by chance; and it refers to the will rather than the emotion. It describes the unconditional love God has for the world in the Christian faith. Paul describes love in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8: [9] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.