Most Jesus people have heard at least one sermon on the different words for love in Greek. It’s a favorite topic of pastors, wedding officiants, and linguists. While there are six words in the Greek lexicon for love, only three are explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Each of these loves speaks to the outpouring of love, and they all point back to the love of God. ξενία | xenia | the love for guests that inspires hospitalityHospitable love is only mentioned a handful of times in the Bible, but it is considered a defining love of the Christian church to some. The two specific examples of xenia both occur in Paul’s travels: once, in Acts, when the space in which Paul is being hosted and is overcome with eager learners (Acts 28:23); and once when he asks Philemon to prepare him lodging (Philemon 1:22). These verses both specifically mention hosting brothers and sisters in Christ as they travel, but other biblical authors remind us that xenia should also be given to strangers. Another great reminder is in the greeting to the churches in Rome, which says, “Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you” (Romans 16:23). These hosts were not just homeowners or hoteliers but were invested in the lives of those they hosted. Gaius cares deeply for his guests and the work they are doing in the church. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,” the Hebrews author reminds us. “For thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews13:2). Similar to the author of Hebrews, Paul calls the Roman churches to contribute to needs and show hospitality to enemies as well as brothers (Romans 12:13-20). Showing love for guests must be done not just to traveling followers of Christ, but also to the poor, the ones who would hurt you, or the unknown. Even the Levitical law commands Israel to “treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34). It’s likely that Paul was harkening back to this very command as he spoke to the freshly returned Jews in Rome, who were at odds with Roman life and their new Gentiles brothers and sisters. Xenia is about showing kindness and charity to fellow travelers, regardless of where they come from or where they’re going. It can be easy to recall the first instances of xenia, where Christians support other Christians. Hosting students, feeding the church, and meeting the needs of followers is not a simple task, nor one that should be ignored. However, our view of xenia cannot stop at this demonstration of love. We also need to show love to the outsider, the enemy, and the stranger. This love is difficult and terrifying, and what sets us apart from the world. Some evolutionary psychologists, such as Dr. Justin Barrett, suggest that what defines humanity is our propensity to help people who are not in our group, whatever that group may be. We are different because we show empathy and respect to people who should be perceived as threats. In this sense, showing kindness to people who have not proven a benefit to us is the most altruistic love can be. ἀγάπη | agápe | love that leads to sacrificeThe most prolific Greek form of love found in the New Testament is the love God has for us: ἀγάπη (agápe). This love isn’t used exclusively for God’s love for humanity but for any type of self-sacrificing relationship. This love is perhaps best exemplified in John 3:16 when God’s love is measured by Their sacrifice. This love is not just taking a bullet for a loved one, but making sacrifices even when they don’t deserve it. Paul reminds the churches at Rome, “one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:5-8). They saw our failures and our unworthiness and still suffered for us. Agápe is the word used when the love of God is described, but also when the love we should exhibit as followers of Christ is defined. The first letter to the Corinthians lays out all the things love is - patient, kind, humble, respectful, serving, peaceful, forgiving, fair, true, and unfailing (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) - and all these things are encompassed in the love that is agápe. All these words require sacrifice in some ways. Giving up our pride, our anger, our hurt, and betrayal, can be a sacrifice. Choosing servitude and respect even when you aren’t receiving the same in return can be a sacrifice. God does these things for us when we spurn Them, and it is this love that we are called to strive toward. Interestingly, agápe was seemingly noun-ified for the Septuagint and is used as the translation for the Hebrew word for love, Ahava. In other words, it did not take on the specific meaning of sacrificial or selfless love until the time of the New Testament. It’s possible that Paul uses agápe to refer to selfless love because his readers would recognize it, first and foremost, as the love shared between the Hebrew God and Their people. In this sense, agápe is the purest form of love but also calls back directly to the sacrificial actions of God in the Old Testament. φιλία | philía | a love between friends and equalsThe difference between philia and agápe is one of my favorite examples of why language translation matters. Jesus, in one of the many scenes I imagine the Saviour of Humanity rolling His eyes, asks Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you agápe Me more than these?” And then Peter replies, “Yes, Lord; You know that I philia You.” Jesus asks him again and Peter replies again with philia. Jesus asks for the third time, but this time he says, “Peter, do you philia Me?” and Peter gets upset. “Lord, You know all things; You know that I philia You.” (John 21:15-17)
This story is not Peter refusing to say “agápe”. The point of the interaction is Peter’s redemption after his denial, hence Jesus asking three times. There are several possible interpretations of the verbiage used. One is that agápe and philia are simply interchangeable but, as a linguist, I can’t abide by that. One common proposal is that Jesus is highlighting Peter’s unwillingness to sacrifice for Him. Another is that Peter is trying to restore his relationship with Jesus by highlighting that mutual love. No matter your interpretation, the fact remains that there is a difference between sacrificial love and brotherly love. That’s not to say that brotherly love doesn’t also come from God. Paul, in his first letter to Thessalonica, commends them for their philia. He says he has no reason to preach to them on this love, “for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another” (1 Thess 4:9). Paul recognizes brotherly love as something we learn from God. This love is often accompanied by a “one another”, reminding us that love is not just service and sacrifice but it is also reciprocal. It must be both given AND received. Agápe asks someone with power or capital to give it up for someone who cannot do so themselves. We could never save ourselves from sin, so God did it for us. A child in danger cannot protect themselves, so their parent does it for them. A woman in Rome holds no legal autonomy, so her husband should act as if he were both of them. Philia asks two people of equal standing to show love, whatever that might look like. This brotherly love requires less humility and sacrifice, but rather a mutual appreciation. The love between Jesus and Lazarus is called philia, indicating a deep understanding of each other and mutual respect (John 11:30-37). Philia is friendship - which is to say that it can hold other kinds of love inside it but specifically indicates a reciprocal love.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWren Bouwman is a student of linguistics and literature and a passionate Christo-feminist. Her works primarily focuses on advocated for equality in church leadership and marriage, although she has plenty of opinions on other things. ArchivesCategories |