Any popular preacher from the radio or television as well as the pastor of any local church is a strong candidate to be a promoter of the agape love delusion. Many think that agape is a word in the Greek text of the New Testament to describe a special type of love that uniquely describes God’s love and which pertains only to God. But that is a delusion. This delusion has been spread much since it is commonly taught in Bible colleges and seminaries.

It is claimed that agape represents the highest form of love. Not so.

John 3:19: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 12:43: “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

2 Timothy 4:9-10a: “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world…”

2 Peter 2:14-15: “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…”

The word for love in the Greek text of each of the preceding Bible passages is a form of the Greek word agape.

It is claimed that agape love does not come naturally to sinners. Not so.

Luke 6:31-32: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.”

The love which sinners naturally have for those who love them is described in the Greek text by a form of the word agape.

They might say (or at least imply) that the Greek words to describe love in the New Testament are always so specific that they could never be used interchangeably. Not so.

Matthew 23:6-7 (Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees): “And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.”

The word used for love in the preceding passage is phileo. People think of this as brotherly love (the city of Philadelphia’s name is derived from this word- that is why they call it the city of brotherly love). The word phileo can obviously be used though in a more flexible way.

Now look at Luke 11:43: “Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.”

Though the parallel statement in Matthew’s Gospel account uses the word phileo to describe the Pharisees’ love for the uppermost seats and greetings in the markets, the word used for love in Luke 11:43 is actually agapao- a form of agape.

It is reasonable to suspect that those who talk about agape being a love that is unique to God are dishonest. At best, they are parroting what they hear others say without adequate caution (you only need a Bible concordance and basic literacy to know that agape is not referring to a love that is unique to God).

To claim that there is a special love that is unique to God which is expressed through a particular Greek word in the New Testament- when the same word is used right in the New Testament to describe sin love for sin- could even be a form of idolatry in itself due to how it involves man fashioning an image of God rather than worshiping God as He has actually revealed Himself.

Those who resort to talking about how agape is the highest form of love which belongs uniquely to God are misrepresenting God’s love; and thereby misrepresenting God. The following verse might shake the theology of some if it hasn’t been shaken already.

1 John 2:15 (I will insert the Greek word translated as love each time the word love appears here): “Love (agopao) not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love (agapao) the world, the love (agape) of the Father is not in him.”

Yes, people can love the world with agape love which is mutually exclusive to the agape love of God being in one.

We know now that agape isn’t a word to describe a love which pertains uniquely to God nor is agape a reference to some higher form of love due to how it is used in the Bible to describe love which is sinful and love for sin itself.

It is not honoring to God to think that one word or phrase can adequately define His love.

Even without the twisted definition of agape (aka the agape delusion) in the equation (and even more so with this delusion in the equation to bolster the wicked concept), many believe that God’s love will bail them out of condemnation in the end even if they continue in sin.

With the agape delusion shattered, we’ll close with several Bible passages to get a better picture of God’s actual love- along with the requirements for man involved therein. The New Testament does indeed often (but not always) use the word agape to describe God’s love.

It should be obvious in looking at these verses that though God has commended His love to all and offered His love to all, receiving that love and continually partaking of that love unto salvation are indeed conditional.

Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God’s love for man never could and never would be inconsistent with His love for truth.

Hebrews 1:8-9: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved (that’s agapao) righteousness, and hated iniquity (or, lawlessness); therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

John 14:21-24: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

1 John 2:3-5: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

1 John 3:17: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

2 John 6-7: “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Revelation 2:4: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

John 15:9-10: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

Jude 21: “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Hosea 9:15: “All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.”

Jeremiah 16:5: “For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies.”

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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