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26 ~ἀγάπη~ agape \@ag-ah’-pay\@ from 25; n f AV-love 86, charity 27, dear 1, charitably+ 2596 1, feast of charity 1; 116

1) {Singular} brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence {#Joh 15:13 Ro 13:10 1Jo 4:18}

1a) Of the love of men to men; esp. Christians towards Christians which is enjoined and prompted by their religion, whether the love be viewed as in the soul or expressed {#Mt 14:12 1Co 13:1-4,8 14:1 2Co 2:4 Ga 5:6 Phm 5,7 1Ti 1:5 Heb 6:10 10:24 1Jo 4:7 Re 2:4,19} &c

1b) Of the love of men towards God {#Lu 11:42 Joh 5:42 1Jo 2:15 3:17 4:12 5:3}

1c) Of the love of God towards man {#Ro 5:8 8:39 2Co 13:14}

1d) Of the love of God towards Christ {#Joh 15:10 17:26}

1e) Of the love of Christ towards men {#Joh 15:8-13 2Co 5:14 Ro 8:35 Eph 3:19}

2) {plural} love feasts expressing and fostering mutual love which used to be held by Christians before the celebration of the Lord’s supper, and at which the poorer Christians mingled with the wealthier and partook in common with the rest of the food provided at the expense of the wealthy. {#Jude 12 2Pe 2:13 Ac 2:42,46 1Co 11:17-34}

• Syn.: ~φιλία~ 5373 ~ἀγάπη~, signifying properly (v. s. ~αγαραω~ 25) love which chooses its object, is taken from the LXX, where its connotation is more general, into the NT, and there used exclusively to express that spiritual bond of love between God and man and between man and man, in Christ which is characteristic of Christianity. It is thus distinct from ~φιλία~, \@friendship\@ (#Jas 4:4 only), ~στοργη~, \@natural affection\@ (in the NT only in its compounds, v. s. ~ἄστοργος~ 794) and ~ερως~ \@sexual love,\@ which is not used in the NT, in its place being taken by ~επιηυμια~ 1939.