Bible Study 1st Mar

The Study of Love

• Phileo is used to describe friendship that is strengthened by shared experiences
• Eros describes sensual love that is stimulated by our senses
• Agape describes the pure love that is unconditionally expressed as an act of the will

What is your greatest challenge to love?

What does love mean to you?

What is God in relation to love?

God is love (I John 4:8, 16). God does not need to attain nor attempt to maintain love; it is the very substance and nature of God.

The types of love activity

i) Within the trinity

1. Love is demonstrated by the keeping of commandments (John 14:31; cf. vss. 15, 21, 23)
2. John 14:31 explicitly states that Jesus loved the Father

ii) Love toward man

1. God's love for man (Deut. 10:18; 33:3; I Kings 10:9; Isa. 43:4; 63:9; Jer. 31:3; Hos. 14:4; Zeph. 3:17)
2. God's electing love for the nation of Israel (Deut. 4:37; 7:6-8; 10:15; Hos. 3:1; 11:1, 4; Mal. 1:2)
3. There is the covenant love, which is a loyal or steadfast love (hesed; e.g., Exod. 20:6; Deut. 5:10; 7:9, 12; I Kings 8:23; II Chr. 6:14; Neh. 1:5; 9:32; Ps. 89:28; Dan. 9:4)
4. God's love toward individuals (Solomon in II Sam. 12:24 and Neh. 13:26; Ezra in Ezra 7:28)

Character of Love

Gal. 5:22 - joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control

cross-reference to I Cor. 13

Man’s Expression of love

The two greatest commandments indicate that man is to love his fellow man as well as God.

1) towards God

• God commands man to love God with his whole being (Deut. 6:5; 10:12; 11:1, 13, 22; 13:3; 30:6, 16; Josh. 22:5; 23:11; Ps. 31:23)

2) towards Man

• Love for neighbor - Matt. 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31, 33; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8; Rom. 13:8, 10, Deut. 10:19
• Love for one's fellow believer - Gal. 6:10; Lev. 19:17-18; John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; cf. I John 3:23; 5:2; II John 5
• Love for family -

1. Husband to wife: Col. 3:19, Gen. 24:67; 29:18, 20, 30; II Chr. 11:21; Song of S. 4:10; 7:6
2. Wife to Husband: Song of Solomon 1:7; 3:1-4; 7:12
3. Parents to child: Titus 2:4
4. Children to Parent: Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Prov. 1:8; Matt. 19:19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Eph. 6:1; Col. 3:20

• Love for enemies - Matt. 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-35; Rom. 12:14, 17-21; I Thess. 5:15; I Pet. 3:9