Agape - Love

Summary

In this insightful video, Tim from the Bible Project explores the multifaceted concept of 'agape' love as taught by Jesus. He clarifies that Jesus's teachings on loving God and neighbors are inseparable, emphasizing love as an action, not just a feeling. Jesus's life exemplifies this love through service to the poor and marginalized, culminating in his sacrificial death for his enemies. The video concludes by highlighting the Christian belief in God's selfless love, revealed in Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, encouraging believers to reflect this love in their actions towards others.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Golden Rule is a restatement of Jesus's teachings on the essence of life, emphasizing love for God and one's neighbor.
• 💬 The term 'love' in English can be ambiguous, as it can apply to different types of affection, which was clarified in the context of Jesus's teachings.
• 📖 The original Hebrew word for 'love your neighbor' is 'ahavah', and in Aramaic, it's 'rakhmah', both indicating a deep form of love.
• 🌐 As Jesus's teachings spread, they were translated into Greek as 'agape', which was redefined by the early followers based on Jesus's life and teachings.
• 🔑 Jesus identified the most important commandments as loving God and loving one's neighbor, viewing them as inseparable aspects of the same principle.
• ❤️ For Jesus, 'agape' love is an action and a deliberate choice to seek the well-being of others, rather than just a feeling.
• 🤝 Genuine love, according to Jesus, involves seeking the welfare of others without expecting anything in return, especially towards those who cannot reciprocate.
• 🕊 Jesus's teachings on love extend to loving one's enemies, which he considered the ultimate standard of authentic love, reflecting God's own character.
• 🚶 Jesus's life exemplified his teachings on love, as he consistently helped and served others, particularly those in need who could not benefit him.
• ✝️ Jesus's death was an act of love for his enemies, demonstrating the power of God's love as revealed through his life, death, and resurrection.
• 🙏 The Christian faith is rooted in the belief of a loving God, who has shown his love through Jesus, and calls believers to receive and extend this love to others.

Q & A

What is the Golden Rule as taught by Jesus?

The Golden Rule, as taught by Jesus, is 'Do to others what you would want them to do to you.' It is a restatement of the command to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

What does the term 'love' signify in different contexts in English, and why is it problematic?

In English, 'love' can signify different types of affection, such as familial love for one's mother or the fondness for food like pizza. The problem arises when these different types of love are not distinguished, leading to potential misunderstandings.

What is the Hebrew word for 'love' as mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures?

The Hebrew word for 'love' in the context of the Hebrew Scriptures is 'ahavah'.

In which language did Jesus primarily speak and teach, and what is the word for 'love' in that language?

Jesus primarily spoke and taught in Aramaic, and the word for 'love' in Aramaic is 'rakhmah'.

How was Jesus's teachings translated into Greek, and what Greek word was used for 'love'?

Jesus's teachings were translated into Greek using the word 'agape' for 'love'.

How did the early followers of Jesus understand the meaning of 'agape'?

The early followers of Jesus understood the meaning of 'agape' not by looking it up in dictionaries but by examining the teachings and life story of Jesus, which redefined their concept of love.

What command from the Torah did Jesus quote when asked about the most important command in the Jewish Scriptures?

Jesus quoted the command from the 'Shema' prayer in the Torah, which is to 'Love the Lord your God with all of your heart.'

According to Jesus, how are the love for God and love for your neighbor related?

For Jesus, love for God and love for your neighbor are two sides of the same coin, inseparable, and expressed through actions that seek the wellbeing of others.

What does Jesus define as the ultimate standard of authentic love?

Jesus defines the ultimate standard of authentic love as treating the person you can't stand with kindness, loving your enemy, and doing good to them without expecting anything in return.

How did Jesus demonstrate his teachings on love through his life and actions?

Jesus demonstrated his teachings on love by constantly helping and serving people around him, moving towards the poor and hurting, and showing love for those who were often forgotten.

What did Jesus's death represent according to the apostle Paul and John?

According to the apostle Paul, Jesus's death represented God's 'agape' love for us, as he died for us while we were still sinners. The apostle John saw it as God's love revealed through sending his son into the world so that we could have life.

What is the Christian faith's view on the purpose of human existence in relation to God's love?

The Christian faith views the purpose of human existence as receiving the love that has come to us in Jesus and then giving it back out to others, creating an ecosystem of self-giving love focused on others.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Essence of Jesus' Teaching on Love

This paragraph delves into the interpretation of Jesus' famous 'Golden Rule' and its deeper meaning within the context of his teachings. It clarifies the ambiguity of the word 'love' in English by exploring its original Hebrew and Aramaic roots, 'ahavah' and 'rakhmah', respectively, and how it was translated into Greek as 'agape'. The paragraph emphasizes that Jesus' concept of love is not merely a feeling but an active choice to seek the well-being of others, especially those who cannot reciprocate. It highlights Jesus' teachings on loving both God and one's neighbor as interconnected and inseparable, with love for God being expressed through love for people. The summary also touches on Jesus' life as an embodiment of this love, serving and helping others without expectation of return, and his ultimate act of love by dying for his enemies.

Keywords

💡Golden Rule

The Golden Rule, as mentioned in the script, is a principle of reciprocity that suggests one should treat others as they would like to be treated. It is a fundamental teaching attributed to Jesus and is central to the video's theme of love and ethical conduct. The script uses the Golden Rule to introduce the concept of 'love' in Jesus's teachings, emphasizing its importance in both religious and moral contexts.

💡Love

In the script, 'love' is explored as a multifaceted concept with different meanings in various contexts. It is defined in relation to Jesus's teachings, distinguishing between affection for people and objects. The video discusses how Jesus's language, Aramaic, used 'rakhmah' for love, which was translated into Greek as 'agape', indicating a love that is sacrificial and selfless. This concept of love is integral to understanding the video's message about the nature of genuine love as taught by Jesus.

💡Ahavah

'Ahavah' is the Hebrew word for love, as quoted in the script from the Hebrew Scriptures. It signifies the command to love one's neighbor and is used to illustrate the historical and cultural roots of Jesus's teachings. The term helps to contextualize the discussion on love within the broader tradition of Jewish thought and its influence on Christian ethics.

💡Rakhmah

'Rakhmah' is the Aramaic term for love, which Jesus likely used in his teachings. As explained in the script, it is a maternal form of love that is compassionate and tender. The term is important for understanding the cultural nuances of Jesus's language and how it shaped the early Christian understanding of love.

💡Agape

'Agape' is the Greek word for love that was used by early Christian writers to translate Jesus's teachings. The script explains that 'agape' love is not about feelings but about actions and choices made for the well-being of others. It is portrayed as the highest form of love, reflecting God's love for humanity, and is a key concept in the video's exploration of Christian ethics.

💡Shema

The 'Shema' is an ancient prayer from the Torah that Jesus quotes in the script to emphasize the importance of loving God with all one's heart. It is a central prayer in Judaism and is used in the video to illustrate the connection between love for God and love for one's neighbor, which are both considered the most important commands in Jesus's teachings.

💡Neighbor

The term 'neighbor' is used in the script to discuss the scope of love as taught by Jesus. It is not limited to those who are close to us but extends to everyone, including those who may be difficult to love. The video uses the concept of 'neighbor' to highlight the inclusive nature of Jesus's teachings on love and the challenge to love unconditionally.

💡Enemy

In the script, 'enemy' refers to someone one may find difficult to love or do good to. Jesus's teachings, as described in the video, challenge the conventional notion of love by advocating love for enemies as the ultimate standard of 'agape' love. This concept is used to illustrate the selfless and sacrificial nature of the love that Jesus modeled and taught.

💡Sacrifice

'Sacrifice' is a concept that is deeply intertwined with the script's discussion of love. It is exemplified by Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, which are portrayed as acts of sacrificial love. The term is used to emphasize the idea that true love, as taught by Jesus, often involves giving up one's own interests for the sake of others.

💡Ethics

Ethics in the script are discussed in the context of Jesus's teachings on love. The video explores how Jesus's teachings redefine the concept of love as an ethical action rather than just a feeling. It uses the term to highlight the moral implications of Jesus's teachings and how they guide behavior towards others.

💡Ecosystem

The term 'ecosystem' is used metaphorically in the script to describe the community or environment of love that Christian faith aims to create. It suggests a system where love is循环 and self-giving, reflecting the love of God for the world. The video uses 'ecosystem' to illustrate the collective and reciprocal nature of love as understood in Christian theology.

Highlights

The golden rule is a restatement of Jesus's teachings about love for God and neighbor.

The term 'love' can be ambiguous in English, differing between familial and material affections.

The Hebrew word 'ahavah' and Aramaic 'rakhmah' are the original terms for 'love your neighbor'.

The Greek term 'agape' was used to translate Jesus's teachings about love.

Early followers of Jesus redefined 'agape' through his teachings and life story.

Jesus identified the most important commandments as loving God and loving your neighbor.

For Jesus, love for God and love for neighbor are inseparable and of equal importance.

Agape love, according to Jesus, is an action and a choice for the wellbeing of others.

Genuine love involves seeking others' wellbeing without expecting anything in return.

Jesus's teachings emphasize love that extends even to those who cannot or will not reciprocate.

Authentic love is demonstrated by treating enemies with kindness and without expectation of return.

Jesus's life and teachings show that enemy-embracing love reflects God's character.

Jesus's actions demonstrated practical and tangible love, especially towards the poor and marginalized.

Jesus's confrontation with religious leaders and his crucifixion exemplify his love for enemies.

The power of God's love was revealed through Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.

The apostle Paul and John emphasize that God's agape love was demonstrated through Jesus's sacrifice.

Christian faith is about trusting in God's love and giving it back to others, creating a cycle of selfless love.

The New Testament meaning of 'agape' love is an others-focused, self-giving love, central to Christian belief.

Transcripts

- [Tim] So if you've heard of Jesus,

you probably know about one of his famous teachings

called the golden rule.

Do to others what you would want them to do to you.

And this actually is a restatement

of something else that Jesus said,

that the meaning of life is to love God

and love your neighbor as yourself.

Now, that's really beautiful,

but what does he mean exactly by the word "love"?

It's an unclear word in English

because you can love your mom

and you can love pizza.

And if the word "love" means the same thing

in both of those cases,

your mom's gonna feel real bad.

So what did Jesus mean in his language?

Well, first of all, this love your neighbor phrase

is the quotation from the Hebrew Scriptures

where the word for love is "ahavah."

However, the language Jesus spoke and taught in

from day to day was a cousin language of Hebrew.

That is Aramaic, in which the word for love is "rakhmah."

But then, as Jesus's followers

spread his teachings around the world,

they translated them into Greek using the word "agape."

But here's what's fascinating.

The earliest followers of Jesus who wrote the books

of the new Testament in Greek,

they didn't learn the meaning of "agape"

by looking it up in ancient dictionaries.

Rather, they looked to the teachings of Jesus

and the story of his life

to redefine their very concept of love.

So one time Jesus was asked about the most important command

in the Jewish Scriptures,

and he first quoted from the ancient prayer

in the Torah called the "Shema."

"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart."

So love for God is the most important thing,

but then Jesus quickly followed up

by saying another command from the Torah

was also the most important,

to love your neighbor as yourself.

So which is the most important?

Loving God or loving your neighbor?

Jesus's answer is yes.

To ask the question means you don't get his point.

For Jesus, they are two sides of the same coin.

Your love for God will be expressed

by your love for people and vice versa.

They're inseparable.

And so this makes it clear that for Jesus,

"agape" love is not primarily a feeling

for someone else that happens to you,

like our phrase, "I fell in love."

For Jesus, love is action.

It's a choice that you make to seek the wellbeing

of people other than yourself.

Jesus also went on to teach

that genuine love for God and others

means seeking people's wellbeing

without expecting anything in return,

especially from people who are in difficult situations

who can't repay you, even if they wanted to.

According to Jesus, this kind of generous love

reflects the very heartbeat of God.

And he took this even further.

Jesus said that the ultimate standard of authentic love

is how well you treat the person that you can't stand,

or in his words,

"You shall love your enemy and do good to them,

expecting nothing in return."

For Jesus, this kind of enemy-embracing love

imitates the very character of God himself.

Now we wouldn't be talking about Jesus still today

if he had only said things like love your enemy.

This is how he actually lived.

Jesus was constantly helping

and serving the people around him

in very practical and tangible ways,

and he consistently moved towards poor and hurting people

who couldn't benefit him in return.

He showed love for the forgotten ones,

the people who usually fall through the cracks.

And when Jesus eventually marched into Jerusalem,

he made himself an enemy of the leaders of his people

by accusing them of hypocrisy and corruption.

But then instead of attacking his enemies

to overthrow them,

he allowed them to kill him.

Jesus died for the selfishness and corruption of his enemies

because he loved them.

After Easter morning,

Jesus, and then his followers,

claimed that it was the power

of God's love for the world

that was revealed in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

As the apostle Paul put it,

"God demonstrated his own agape for us in this.

While we were still sinners,

the Messiah died for us."

Or in the words of the apostle John,

"God's own agape was revealed

when he sent his one and only son into the world,

so that through him, we could have life."

And for John, then,

this leads naturally to the conclusion,

"Beloved ones, if that's how God has loved us,

then we ought to show love for one another."

So Christian faith involves trusting

that at the center of the universe

is a being overflowing with love for his world,

which means that the purpose of human existence

is to receive this love

that has come to us in Jesus,

and then to give it back out to others,

creating an ecosystem of others-focused, self-giving love.

And that's the New Testament meaning of "agape" love.

- [Tim] Hey, thanks for watching this word study video

by the Bible Project.

We make lots of other videos,

and they're all about showing how

the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus.

- [Jon] You can go to our website TheBibleProject.com,

see what we're working on,

and even jump in to pitch in a few bucks to the next one.

Thanks for being a part of this with us.

- [Tim] Thanks, you guys.