Biblical Context: Love
DB Ryen
The Greeks had four words that could translate to “love” in English, each with a different meaning.
Length: Short, 421 words
After they had breakfast, Jesus asks Simon Peter, “Simon of John, do you love me more than this?”
“Yes, Lord,” he replies, “you know I love you.”
So he says, “Feed my lambs.”
Then he asks him again, for the second time, “Simon of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” he replies, “you know I love you.”
So he says, “Take care of my sheep.”
He asks him a third time, “Simon of John, do you love me?”
Peter became sad because he asked, “Do you love me?” a third time.
“Lord,” he said, “you know everything. You know I love you.”
So Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”
— The Story of Jesus 37.6
[adapted from Jn 21:15-17]
In the passage about Peter’s confession of Christ on the beach (above), Jesus’ first two questions to Peter use the word agape, while Jesus’ final question and all of Peter’s responses use phileo. Both of these terms translate to “love”, but there were two other words in Greek that could be translated the same way, depending on the context.
AGAPE
Agape refers to deep, genuine love or charity. It’s active, unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial. Agape is used to describe feelings towards one’s children and spouse, as well as God’s love for mankind. It’s by far the most commonly used word for “love” in the Bible. In fact, the Gospel writer John states in one of his letters that “God is love (agape)” (1 John 4:8).
EROS
Eros refers to passionate, sensual desire and intimacy. It’s not necessarily sexual, but it’s most often used in the context of romance and typically denotes attraction of some sort. Eros is the root of the English “erotic.” It occurs often in ancient Greek literature and is the name of the Greek god for sexual love (also known as Cupid to the Romans). However, eros isn’t mentioned in the Bible.
PHILEO
Phileo refers to deep friendship. It describes the warmth, loyalty, and affection towards friends, family, and community. It occurs often in Greek literature and the Bible.
STORGE
Storge refers to natural affection, particularly describing a parent’s feelings towards children. It’s the least common of the four, predominantly used within the context of family relationships. Storge isn’t mentioned in the Bible, but its opposite, astorgos (“without natural affection”), occurs twice. Additionally, storge occurs in Paul’s letter to the Romans in combination with phileo as philostorgos (“tender love”, Romans 12:10).
© D. B. Ryen Incorporated, 2019-2025.
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