On Love

*** Romantic love (eros)

*** Friendship (philos)

*** Family, those close to us (storge)

Agape

*** BDAG Dfn

*** N/S — A primarily non-sexual love, and while we use this text at weddings, it applies to the Christian’s call to love in general

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NRSV

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

*** Missing piece: If we don’t have love—agape—our Christian lives will never be whole or complete

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NRSV)

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant

or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends...

Matthew 24:12 NRSV

And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.

1 John 4:7–12 NRSV

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

*** Angry mob. We’ve got this mentality now that threatens our ability to love—us v them, good v evil, completely correct v completely wrong

John 13:35 NRSV

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 Peter 4:8 NRSV

Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.

*** Missing the mark. If we don’t have love, we’ll miss the mark every time.