AGAPAO VS AGAPE

Author of 2025 Sabbath School Lesson (1st quarter) suggests that agape was not always used to express God’s love. As an example he gave 2 Timothy 4:10 where we read that Demas is described as having “loved this present world” (agapao).

Jack Sequeira in audio sermon explained that noun agape was always used in the Bible in reference to God’s unconditional self-sacrificing love but the verb agapao sometimes may refer to a human love.

I understand that in case of Demas agapao was used because Demas was a converted Christian who possessed HS and agape love but allowed agape to be contaminated with the human egocentric love.

The verse in 2 Timothy 4:10 states, “Demas, because he loved (agapao) this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica”.

The Greek word “agapao” used here, while often translated as “love,” is not necessarily the same as the unconditional, selfless love (agape) often associated with God’s love. In this context, it suggests a strong attachment to worldly things and a preference for the benefits and pleasures of this life over spiritual pursuits.

In the context of religious and philosophical discussions, "agape" (noun) refers to God’s love, the highest form of love, often described as selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional, while "agapao" (verb) means to love in that way, as God loves humanity. Here's a more detailed explanation:

Agape (ἀγάπη)

Agapao (ἀγαπάω) It's a verb, meaning "to love" in the agape sense. 

Other Greek words for love:

Eros: often translated as romantic or passionate love between man and woman. 

Philia: often translated as brotherly love between friends. 

Storge: often translated as family love. 

“Light has come into the world, but men loved (agapao) darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3: 19 NIV).

“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love (agapao) the best seats in the synagogues and you love (agapao) to be greeted and bowed down to in the public marketplaces” (Luke 11: 43 AMP).

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love (agape) of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24: 12 NIV).

“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow Balaam son of Beor, who loved (agapao) the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2: 15 NIV).

“But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved (agapao) praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12: 42, 43 NIV).

“If you love (agapao) those who love (agapao) you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love (agapao) those who love (agapao) them” (Luke 6: 32 NIV).

It is clear from the verses in this and the previous two posts that agape/agapao is a type of love that characterizes God (God is love), is expressed from God to man, and can be expressed by believing (Kingdom) men and women, unbelieving men and women, and even the ‘wicked’. It is a type of love that can have divine origins, but it is not exclusively divine. Men agapao: the “wages of wickedness”, “praise from men more than praise from God”, “the best seats in the synagogue”, and “darkness”. So how does this revelation change my understanding of agape love?

Good question. With the exception of the last verse quoted above, all the scriptures above about agape love refer to love for something other than another person – they loved “the praise of men”, “wickedness”, or “the best seats in the house”. Agape love is a love that is willed and a love that sees value and worth in the other person, or in the case of human agape love, the things of the world, even the darkness. It is a self-giving love, even if you are giving your self to something that will ultimately destroy you.

Based on scripture, I see that unbelieving men and women can have agape love for people; the things of the world, both emotional — love of praise, relevance, acceptance, etc, and more tangible — love of money, power, sex, etc; and even the darker things in the world. Apparently, people who reject Christ or have never heard of Jesus, who have not repented and believed, who are not living in the Kingdom of God — including the wicked — are capable of agape/agapao love.

What then is the difference between the agape love as in “God is love” and this other type of human agape love, and why is the distinction important? First, it is necessary to remind ourselves that God lives in the hearts of all true believers – “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1Corinthians 3: 16 NIV). When God lives in our hearts, when we are ‘in Christ’, we have all the attributes of God within us, including love because God is love. As Kingdom men and women we are empowered to release this love – God’s love – into the world. This is the agape love I wrote about in the previous two posts. I can only release this type of love in the power of God within me, which is the Holy Spirit.

This love transforms lives. When we love this way we tell the other that they are valuable to us, they have real worth. This knowledge alone, backed up by actions and not just words, can open the door for their spiritual and emotional transformation.

But is God’s agapao capable of a deeper transformation? When we choose to love someone with God’s agape love, God’s power flows out of us like living water because God is love and wherever God is present so it His power. Does God’s Spirit released through us latch onto the other’s spirit, bringing a deep revelation of God’s love for them? If this is true, it would be the real source of deeper transformation and the beginning of healing, deliverance, and abundant life. Does agape love have this kind of power?

Consider this: “if a=b and a=c, then b=c”. Simple logic. So, if Jesus=love and Jesus=power, then love=power — the power of God released through us when we love with or like Jesus. So, I would say “yes”, this agape love flowing through us has embedded in it, in some mysterious way, supernatural power to break down the ‘fortified cities’ in another’s heart, allowing the love of the Father to penetrate into the places of bitterness, anger, resentment, and fear. The agape love of God, released through us, has the potential to set people free.

What about the other agape love, the human kind expressed by the unbeliever, the wicked, or the ones who suppose themselves to be Christian, but in reality are not? This love can also be willed, it can see value in the other, it can be selfless, and someone can love this way independently of others behavior. But the value it sees is generally the value perceived by the human heart. It is not Godly value. If it is love that values inanimate things it has no real power. My love for money might be an act of my will rather than emotion, I might find value or worth in money, but my love for money will have no impact on money. In fact, the opposite will likely occur – money will have an impact on me – and not a positive one.

Human, unbelieving agape love directed toward another person can certainly have a positive impact on them. It can even be real – unbelievers love their family members; they can love pets, and other people like co-workers if they have common interests and goals. They can love inanimate things like mountains or the desert. But this type of love can rarely love an enemy. It takes power to do this, and human agape love lacks this power because it lacks God.

More importantly, human agape love has no power to effect a real, deep transformation of the heart. This can only be accomplished by the power of God flowing out of the heart filled with God’s Spirit. If we are loving another with human agape love, but are not living ‘in Christ’ ourselves, we will have a limited impact on their spiritual life – or no impact at all. And if we are trying to love the world with human agape love, we will never be able to love those who hate us. Human agape love can check all the boxes: it can be selfless, willed, focused on the other’s worth or value. It has the form of agape love, but not the substance. I believe, and this is just me, much of the love you find in the church today is this human agape love. It is the love of “all we need is love”.

So there are several ‘flavors’ of agape love. There is true agape love – God is love. There is true agape love flowing out of the hearts of Kingdom men and women. And there is human agape love. It can be used positively, but it is lacking real power to change lives. It can also be used negatively to release more darkness into the world.

The Bible tells us that God is agape love, but not all agape love is of God.