October 23, 2025 • 28 mins
Start with a single word that dares to redefine everything: love. Not the kind that fades when the fireworks end, but agape—the steady, others-first commitment that turns a vice-soaked city into a living testimony of grace. We walk through Corinth’s streets, hear Paul’s urgent appeal in 1 Corinthians 13, and ask what happens when a church chooses to practice love daily rather than chase spiritual hype or cultural applause.
We open the hood on four different “loves” and why only one can carry the weight of a life: storge as natural family affection, philia as friendship and affinity, eros as romantic desire, and agape as the self-giving decision to value another regardless of payback. You’ll hear why philia runs out when tastes shift, why eros withers in the face of bills and broken bones without covenant, and why storge collapses in a society bent inward. Then we put agape at the center—where God put it—showing how it anchors families, deepens friendships, dignifies romance, and rebuilds a community that used to be known for everything but holiness.
Along the way we face hard questions: Can grace be both forgiving and demanding? What does it mean to move from “such are some of you” to “such were some of you”? How do we hold the doors open to all while submitting our desires to Scripture? The path forward isn’t abstract: practice love every waking hour. Choose presence over performance, service over status, and covenant over convenience. If you’re ready to exchange the rush for the rooted, listen now, subscribe for the full True Love series, and share this episode with someone who needs a better word for love. And if this encouraged you, leave a review—tell us where you want to practice agape this week.
Stephen's latest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
What single word would you say best summarizes
the gospel of Jesus Christ?
SPEAKER_01 (00:13):
In this chapter, Paul will introduce them to a
brand new concept.
It will be a word ignoredentirely by the Corinthian
culture, but this singular word,agape, embraced by the inspiring
Holy Spirit, will be the primaryword that will become the
(00:38):
vehicle to explain the gospel.
SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
One of the most important biblical concepts is
wrapped up in a smallfour-letter word, love.
Our world is in desperate needof love.
And it's the universal cry ofthe human heart.
Jesus defined the first andsecond most important
commandments as the command tolove God and love others.
(01:15):
And love defines the way thatGod responds to us.
The Bible has different wordsthat we translate love.
And we're gonna learn what thoseare today.
This is Wisdom for the Heartwith Stephen Davy.
Stephen's beginning a seriescalled True Love.
And he's entitled This Message,Will True Love Please Stand Up?
SPEAKER_01 (01:41):
There was once a city that if you'd lived in the
first century, you would haveknown about.
It was a fast, loud, sensual,commercial metropolis.
It was devoted to culture andsports and commerce.
I have never been there, but Ihave read a lot about it.
It could have easily been calledthe Vanity Fair of the Ancient
(02:04):
World.
It would have been the sailor'sfavorite port.
It would have been a policeman'snightmare.
It would have been an actor'sdream spot.
It would have been a merchant'sgold mine.
It would have been a prodigal'sparadise.
By the time Paul wrote to thebelievers in this city, it had
(02:25):
gained the reputation of beingthe vice capital of ancient
Greece.
Corinth was its name.
It was also the first city, ifyou can imagine this, to admit
the gladiatorial games wherecompetitors would die for the
bloodlust of the spectator.
This was Las Vegas and SanFrancisco and the back alleys of
(02:49):
most major cities, all sort ofcombined.
Corinth was well known for beinga sinful city.
In fact, if you wanted to tell aperson to go to the devil in
Paul's day, you would simplytell them to Corinthianize.
If you wanted to refer to awoman as being loose, you called
her a Corinthian girl, hadorganized brothels with temple
(03:14):
prostitution as part of theirso-called religious service.
This culture was literallybloated with lust for blood and
lust for money and lusting afterthe flesh.
In the middle of this culture,though, was something almost
unbelievable.
(03:34):
It was almost unimaginable.
It was the revolutionary work ofthe liberating gospel of Jesus
Christ.
There was a church in the middleof this city.
An assembly of redeemed,liberated, forgiven, imperfect,
(03:54):
growing, needy sinners, nowcalled by this apostle saints.
It's charter members.
If you want to see who theywere, you'll discover a list of
them in 1 Corinthians chapter 6.
These were men and women who hadpast lives of immorality and
infidelity and homosexuality.
(04:17):
There were former thieves.
In fact, the Greek word refersto a man who steals with the use
of violence.
There were alcoholics, therewere white-collar criminals.
Just look at the list.
Do you not know, verse 9, thatthe unrighteous will not inherit
the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived, neitherfornicators, that's sexual
(04:38):
relations outside of marriage,nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
that's sexual relations withmarried, nor effeminate, nor
homosexuals, nor thieves, northe covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers willinherit the kingdom of God, but
such were some of you.
(04:59):
This is the list of chartermembers in this assembly.
Such were some of you.
In other words, this is what youused to be until you were washed
and sanctified and justified inthe name of the Lord Jesus and
in the Spirit of our God.
So you have in this churchfelons who are now serving as
(05:20):
deacons.
You have former thieves who arecounting the offering.
That's great.
You have former drunkards whoare now teaching children in
Sunday school.
They had come to find their truesatisfaction and liberation and
forgiveness in the blood ofJesus Christ.
(05:41):
So in the middle of the city,you have this church.
Wisdom got an email from a manwho was moving into town, had
heard me on the radio, and hewanted to know if our church
accepted same-sex couples.
I wrote him back and said,anyone and everyone is invited
(06:01):
to attend our services, and wethrow the doors open to the
community at large.
But to be accepted into ourchurch as a member means that
you have accepted the authorityof the Word of God.
And I told him we take the Bibleliterally here, and it clearly
informs us that any sexualactivity outside of marriage is
forbidden, whether homosexual orheterosexual.
(06:24):
Beyond that, the Bible clearlyinforms us, I wrote that
homosexual relations is sinful,and I sent him to read Romans
chapter 1.
I invited him, but I wanted toinform him that the gospel of
Christ is both forgiving anddemanding.
We who believe have come underthe authority of the Word of
(06:49):
God.
So Paul did not write to them,and such are some of you still,
you can keep stealing, you cankeep fornicating with others who
aren't married, you can commitadultery with those who are, you
can keep on reviling, you cankeep on abusing, you can keep on
swindling other people out oftheir money.
(07:10):
No, he wrote, but such were someof you.
These are Corinthians who arenow rescued by the grace of God.
But listen, let me add this: just because you've come to (07:21):
undefined
faith in Jesus Christ does notmean you know how to live for
Christ.
Repenting of your sins does notcreate an automatic awareness of
how to live a holy life.
And all of the past temptationsare just sort of set aside, and
you never wrestle over the drinkor the relationship or the cheat
(07:46):
or the stealing.
When you get saved, you beginthe process of becoming like
Christ.
It isn't the last step.
Coming to faith in Christ is thefirst step.
Desiring to live a holy life forChrist is not the end.
It is the beginning of yourlife.
(08:08):
You need to understand that whatthe Apostle Paul is about to
deliver to this congregation isnot something they really will
ever master, but it is somethingthat they are supposed to
practice.
And they're to practice andpractice and practice.
Not for an hour a day, not fourhours a day, but every hour of
(08:30):
every waking day, they're topractice.
And what is it they're topractice?
What will revolutionize thischurch and any church?
True, genuine, authentic, livesmarked by love.
You already know where I'mgoing, so turn to 1 Corinthians
(08:50):
chapter 13.
This is referred to as the lovechapter.
Paul says, in effect, in thefirst few verses, listen,
everybody, I don't care who youare, I don't care how connected
you are, I don't care how muchyou own or have, if you do not
operate in the principle andupon the foundation and through
the motivation of love, you arenothing.
(09:12):
Verse one, you accomplishnothing.
Verse two, you are nothing.
Verse three, you profit nothing.
This is why we have to practiceit.
Because life without love addsup to zero.
Doesn't matter who you are,rich, poor, educated,
(09:33):
illiterate, it doesn't matter ifyou're married or single, young
or old, life apart from love isnothing.
Now, the reason that we have ahard time buying that or even
believing it is because we don'tunderstand what Paul meant when
he begins to talk about whatlove is.
(09:54):
In this chapter, Paul willintroduce them to a brand new
concept.
It will be a word ignoredentirely by the Corinthian
culture.
In fact, the Greco-Roman world,but this singular word, agape,
embraced by the inspiring HolySpirit, will be the primary word
(10:20):
that will become the vehicle toexplain the gospel.
It will become the vehiclewherein we as disciples live and
breathe and act.
It is this Greek word agape.
In short, this word describesthe selfless, committed, love of
(10:43):
the intellect and the will,which places value upon the
beloved, whether or not they aredeserving, or if they're even
able or unable to return thesame.
For God so what loved the worldthat he gave.
Just how attractive was theworld when he gave.
(11:07):
Just how able was the world toreturn that quality back to God.
Just how deserving was the worldthat God would love.
A derivative of agape.
The Corinthians, by the way,didn't understand true love.
In fact, of all the words andexpressions for love in the
(11:28):
first century, agape never madethe list.
One Greek scholar, GerhardKittle, in his theological
dictionary of the New Testament,made the comment that there is
not one clear example of agapeby a Greek author outside of
Scripture.
Not one.
It was ignored completely.
(11:52):
It was considered toounemotional.
It was considered toointellectual.
There were several other wordsin the Greek vocabulary
translated love that were highlyprized.
And so let me very quickly giveyou an overview.
The first was the word storge.
This was a Greek word thatreferred to natural love or
(12:14):
family love.
You love your uncle Henry andyour grandma Ethel and all your
cousins with this kind of love.
You love them because, well,they're they're your grandma and
grandpa and your uncle and auntand your cousins.
You stick up for your sister andbrother with this family love,
even though around the house youtell them to stay out of your
room.
This is love that one authorsaid is like the law of
gravitation.
(12:34):
It's just, it's there.
These people are related to you.
This is the word for the lovethat causes a mother to
naturally want to take care ofher newborn child.
This is the natural love thatcauses a man to sacrifice time
and effort to provide for hisfamily.
What's interesting is that Paultells us in Romans chapter 1 is
(12:59):
that as society continues togrow more and more depraved,
more and more perverted, moreand more self-centered, that one
of the obvious results would bethat people would no longer
evidence storage.
They would no longer havenatural affection, which is how
it is translated.
Children will be cruel toparents and leave them without
(13:22):
care.
Parents will abandon theirchildren.
They will deliver newborns andput them in the dumpster without
any thought.
Child abuse will arise as wellas the abuse of the elderly.
Husbands and wives will kill oneanother for insurance money.
These are the signs that storegay is on the wane.
(13:44):
There's really nothing wrongwith this word.
It's a love that producesnatural protection.
However, what makes store-gaywork best is when it is founded
upon agape.
When the foundation for naturalfamily love is built upon the
selfless, compassionate,willful, servant love of agape.
(14:06):
Another Greek word is philia,which gives us words like
Philadelphia, the city ofbrotherly love.
This is the kind of love thatbound people together who like
the same things, who prefer thesame hobbies.
This is the love of mutualattraction.
(14:27):
This love is fondness.
Kenneth Weiss says affection andliking.
Leon Morris wrote that this loveis built on common interest or
common tastes.
Philia means I love that shirt.
Or I love that necktie.
Bob, that's a sharp necktie.
I like that.
He likes that too.
So we like the same thing.
(14:49):
That's like saying, I love, Ilove apple pie.
I love I love crispy cream.
I really love that's agape,actually.
I'm committed to that.
I love Beethoven.
And you find people that lovethe same kinds of things.
This is just sort of mutualattraction.
(15:12):
This is the common expressionused today for love.
Basically, what somebody issaying, though, when it's used
outside of agape, is I love youbecause you are like me.
We like the same stuff.
Philia is that kind of pursuit.
It's the common love of theCorinthian culture and the
(15:32):
American culture.
It basically says, I love youbecause you love everything I
love.
Now, it is a love drawn togetherby the strings of common
affection, and it's not all bad.
In fact, it's used 45 times inthe New Testament to speak of
community love, to speak offriendly love, to speak of
affection for someone that isthe outgoing of one's heart in
(15:54):
delight to see them happy.
That's where you, as a husbandor wife, choose to like things
that your spouse likes.
Because you do have love forthem.
The trouble comes when the otherperson doesn't return happiness.
The trouble comes when theydon't make phalia worthwhile,
when they are unworthy.
(16:14):
This is why the love of ourculture, which is primarily
store-gay and phalia, at bestruns out of steam, and lovers
are replaced as quickly as usedautomobiles.
See, we grew apart.
We don't like the things we usedto like together anymore.
So it runs out of gas.
The world can only wonder whythey run out of steam.
(16:38):
Love that is phallia only is whyone actress I read about
recently was being interviewed.
She said, her relationships arereally great for about three
months.
And they're over.
She said, the fireworks aregone.
This is why the excitement andthrill of love disappears at the
sight of an overflowing diaperpail.
That's a romantic thought foryou.
(16:59):
This is how a book can actuallybe written and purchased by
people enough so that it makesthe best-selling list.
Where they are suggesting thatwhat you really need is to plan
for three spouses over thecourse of your lifetime.
You have one spouse for childrearing years, you have another
for the middle years of busynessand contracts and social climb,
(17:22):
and then you have your thirdspouse in later years when
you're ready for the sailboatand the golf course and the
rocking chair.
Why?
Because love is all about you.
It's all about somebody meetingyour needs and making you feel
happy.
What they're really saying withthis word is when they say, I
(17:43):
love you, they're saying, I loveme and I want you because you
make me feel better.
Just read the lyrics of the mostpopular songs on the subject of
love.
It's been reduced to a searchfor that never-ending warm and
fuzzy state, right?
I'm hooked on a feeling and Ican't stop loving you.
(18:07):
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, I'm stuck in the 70s, Iknow, but you remember this one?
Why do birds suddenly appearevery time you are near?
Just like me.
(18:29):
They want to be close to you.
You know, that's sad, let metell you.
But that was the 60s and the70s.
You know, now we'resophisticated, and now we got it
together.
Really?
Well, now you can look up lyricson the internet, which I've
spent about 30 minutes doing,and the best-selling songs still
(18:50):
define love in terms of filiaalone.
Here's a song I came across onan album called Big Dog Daddy.
Now, one of my all-timefavorites, I can assure you.
It's a song about a guy who is acustodian and the girl he loves
is beautiful and self-centered,and he sings his lament about
(19:12):
his sad state.
She won't look my way, butbuddy, what would you expect?
I'm just the fix-it-up boy atthe apartment complex.
He says, I'm just sitting aroundwaiting on a telephone call
after a water pipe exploded inthe living room wall.
If your washer and dryer need arepair, you know your handyman's
waiting and it'll be rightthere.
Then he sings his problem.
Here it is.
(19:33):
She's my baby doll, my beautyqueen, she's my movie star, best
I've ever seen.
I ain't asked her out yet,because I don't know if I can.
See, it's just a highmaintenance woman, don't want no
maintenance man.
(19:53):
Poor guy.
But it's so descriptive.
It is so descriptive of thewrong side of Philia.
I mean, a love that loves onlythe lovely, only the attractive,
only somebody who's going toadvance the reputation and
self-image, only the popular.
So we're attracted in thissociety which is far from
(20:15):
classless, it's prejudiced, it'sself-centered, it measures
people by what they own and haveand how they look.
Friendship like this can makegood men better and bad men
worse.
Now, the good side of Philia isthe natural affection between
friends who bond with mutuallikes and dislikes, but it has
(20:39):
to challenge each other to growin greater and deeper agape love
for Christ and his church.
One another.
One final word that is perhapsthe most unlike agape, and yet
the most well-loved by theworld, is the Greek word eros.
(21:00):
It gives us our word erotic.
This is sensual, sexual love.
Contained within marriage, it isthe gift of God for affection
and pleasure.
What's interesting is that thisword was the most commonly used
word for love in Paul's day, andyet, follow this.
(21:30):
So what the world and the fleshclamor for, the New Testament
descriptions ignore.
So we have to find out what erosmeans by going outside of the
New Testament.
Now that doesn't mean that theword is inerrantly evil.
Romantic, sexual or sensual loveis at best with agape and
commitment and marriage,wonderful, pure, and lofty.
(21:52):
In fact, the Song of Solomondoesn't use the word, but it
describes Eros.
It is considered a virtue.
But the fact that the NewTestament never selects this
word ought to tell us that theworld and even the church, have
you noticed the church now isfocused on one aspect of love
(22:14):
that is actually secondary andnot foundational.
Without agape, eros isself-seeking, self-centered,
abusive, possessive love.
But combined with a will toserve and commit, eros makes a
man swim in ocean.
(22:34):
It makes you climb a mountain,cross a desert to win that
husband or wife.
Without agape, Eros only luststo own, to have, to conquer.
And then it will discard you forsome newer model.
Eros knows nothing of emergencyrooms, house payments, and
(23:00):
braces.
Eros has no time for homework orlate hours, broken down cars,
and used furniture.
Eros is bored with arthritis.
Eros colors gray hair and cells,steroids, tummy tucks, and
Rolexes.
Eros is fashion and beauty.
(23:23):
It is for the attractive and thewell-connected.
But Eros eventually makeseveryone lose what they'd hope
to have.
Let me review.
Storge says, I love you becauseyou belong to my family.
Agape says, I love you, and I'mgoing to treat you as if you are
(23:46):
a member of my family.
Philiah says, I love you becauseyou are like me.
Agape says, I love you eventhough you are unlike me.
Eros says, I love you becauseyou meet my needs and make my
heart beat fast.
Agape says, I love you, and Icommit my heart to meeting your
(24:12):
needs.
Agape is true love.
I found the lyrics to anothersong familiar to most of us.
This one written by a Christianartist who understood a little
better what agape in arelationship looked like.
It goes like this tomorrowmorning, if you wake up and the
sun does not appear, I will behere.
(24:34):
If in the dark we lose sight oflove, hold my hand and have no
fear, because I will be here.
I will be here when you feellike being quiet.
When you need to speak yourmind, I will listen.
And I will be here when thelaughter turns to crying.
Through the winning, losin', andtrying.
We'll be together.
(24:54):
I will be here.
Tomorrow morning, if you wake upand the future is unclear, I
will be here.
Just as sure as seasons weremade for change, our lifetimes
were made for these years, so Iwill be here.
I will be here and you can cryon my shoulder.
When the mirror tells us we'reolder, I will hold you and I
(25:14):
will be here to watch you growin beauty, tell you all the
things you are to me, I will behere.
I will be true to the promises Ihave made to you and to the ones
who gave you to me.
Tomorrow morning, if you wake upand the sun does not appear, I
will be here.
(25:36):
I will be here.
Ladies and gentlemen, the worldcan only long to find love like
that.
That's why back in Corinth andhere in Kerry, the Christian who
comes out of his culture andinto a church must learn and
(25:56):
must practice how to love likethat.
And that's why God will soclearly spell it out for us in
this great chapter on Agape,where Paul will deliver to us a
radical description, God'sdescription of genuine,
authentic, true love.
SPEAKER_00 (26:31):
In fact, we're gonna spend the next seven lessons
exploring biblical love and howwe can live it out.
As we do, you're gonna besurprised, encouraged, and
challenged as you compare theway you love with the way God
thinks of love.
You're listening to Wisdom forthe Heart with Stephen Davy.
(26:53):
This series is called True Love.
And the lesson you just heard isentitled, Will True Love Please
Stand Up?
If you joined us late, you cango to our website to listen to
the entire message again.
You'll find it atwisdomonline.org.
Then in the days ahead, pleaseplan to listen to this entire
(27:14):
series.
It's important.
In addition to being your dailyBible teacher, Stephen pastors
the Shepherd's Church in Kerry,North Carolina.
He's also the president ofShepherd's Theological Seminary,
located in Kerry.
Here at Wisdom International, wepublish a monthly magazine that
(27:36):
we send as a gift to all of ourwisdom partners.
If you don't receive it, we'dlike to send you the next three
issues as our gift to you.
Just call and request threemonths of Heart to Heart
magazine, and we'll send it yourway.
Sign up online or call us at866-482-4253.
(28:00):
Join us again tomorrow for morewisdom for the heart.
What single word would you say best summarizes
the gospel of Jesus Christ?
SPEAKER_01 (00:13):
In this chapter, Paul will introduce them to a
brand new concept.
It will be a word ignoredentirely by the Corinthian
culture, but this singular word,agape, embraced by the inspiring
Holy Spirit, will be the primaryword that will become the
(00:38):
vehicle to explain the gospel.
SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
One of the most important biblical concepts is
wrapped up in a smallfour-letter word, love.
Our world is in desperate needof love.
And it's the universal cry ofthe human heart.
Jesus defined the first andsecond most important
commandments as the command tolove God and love others.
(01:15):
And love defines the way thatGod responds to us.
The Bible has different wordsthat we translate love.
And we're gonna learn what thoseare today.
This is Wisdom for the Heartwith Stephen Davy.
Stephen's beginning a seriescalled True Love.
And he's entitled This Message,Will True Love Please Stand Up?
SPEAKER_01 (01:41):
There was once a city that if you'd lived in the
first century, you would haveknown about.
It was a fast, loud, sensual,commercial metropolis.
It was devoted to culture andsports and commerce.
I have never been there, but Ihave read a lot about it.
It could have easily been calledthe Vanity Fair of the Ancient
(02:04):
World.
It would have been the sailor'sfavorite port.
It would have been a policeman'snightmare.
It would have been an actor'sdream spot.
It would have been a merchant'sgold mine.
It would have been a prodigal'sparadise.
By the time Paul wrote to thebelievers in this city, it had
(02:25):
gained the reputation of beingthe vice capital of ancient
Greece.
Corinth was its name.
It was also the first city, ifyou can imagine this, to admit
the gladiatorial games wherecompetitors would die for the
bloodlust of the spectator.
This was Las Vegas and SanFrancisco and the back alleys of
(02:49):
most major cities, all sort ofcombined.
Corinth was well known for beinga sinful city.
In fact, if you wanted to tell aperson to go to the devil in
Paul's day, you would simplytell them to Corinthianize.
If you wanted to refer to awoman as being loose, you called
her a Corinthian girl, hadorganized brothels with temple
(03:14):
prostitution as part of theirso-called religious service.
This culture was literallybloated with lust for blood and
lust for money and lusting afterthe flesh.
In the middle of this culture,though, was something almost
unbelievable.
(03:34):
It was almost unimaginable.
It was the revolutionary work ofthe liberating gospel of Jesus
Christ.
There was a church in the middleof this city.
An assembly of redeemed,liberated, forgiven, imperfect,
(03:54):
growing, needy sinners, nowcalled by this apostle saints.
It's charter members.
If you want to see who theywere, you'll discover a list of
them in 1 Corinthians chapter 6.
These were men and women who hadpast lives of immorality and
infidelity and homosexuality.
(04:17):
There were former thieves.
In fact, the Greek word refersto a man who steals with the use
of violence.
There were alcoholics, therewere white-collar criminals.
Just look at the list.
Do you not know, verse 9, thatthe unrighteous will not inherit
the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived, neitherfornicators, that's sexual
(04:38):
relations outside of marriage,nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
that's sexual relations withmarried, nor effeminate, nor
homosexuals, nor thieves, northe covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers willinherit the kingdom of God, but
such were some of you.
(04:59):
This is the list of chartermembers in this assembly.
Such were some of you.
In other words, this is what youused to be until you were washed
and sanctified and justified inthe name of the Lord Jesus and
in the Spirit of our God.
So you have in this churchfelons who are now serving as
(05:20):
deacons.
You have former thieves who arecounting the offering.
That's great.
You have former drunkards whoare now teaching children in
Sunday school.
They had come to find their truesatisfaction and liberation and
forgiveness in the blood ofJesus Christ.
(05:41):
So in the middle of the city,you have this church.
Wisdom got an email from a manwho was moving into town, had
heard me on the radio, and hewanted to know if our church
accepted same-sex couples.
I wrote him back and said,anyone and everyone is invited
(06:01):
to attend our services, and wethrow the doors open to the
community at large.
But to be accepted into ourchurch as a member means that
you have accepted the authorityof the Word of God.
And I told him we take the Bibleliterally here, and it clearly
informs us that any sexualactivity outside of marriage is
forbidden, whether homosexual orheterosexual.
(06:24):
Beyond that, the Bible clearlyinforms us, I wrote that
homosexual relations is sinful,and I sent him to read Romans
chapter 1.
I invited him, but I wanted toinform him that the gospel of
Christ is both forgiving anddemanding.
We who believe have come underthe authority of the Word of
(06:49):
God.
So Paul did not write to them,and such are some of you still,
you can keep stealing, you cankeep fornicating with others who
aren't married, you can commitadultery with those who are, you
can keep on reviling, you cankeep on abusing, you can keep on
swindling other people out oftheir money.
(07:10):
No, he wrote, but such were someof you.
These are Corinthians who arenow rescued by the grace of God.
But listen, let me add this: just because you've come to (07:21):
undefined
faith in Jesus Christ does notmean you know how to live for
Christ.
Repenting of your sins does notcreate an automatic awareness of
how to live a holy life.
And all of the past temptationsare just sort of set aside, and
you never wrestle over the drinkor the relationship or the cheat
(07:46):
or the stealing.
When you get saved, you beginthe process of becoming like
Christ.
It isn't the last step.
Coming to faith in Christ is thefirst step.
Desiring to live a holy life forChrist is not the end.
It is the beginning of yourlife.
(08:08):
You need to understand that whatthe Apostle Paul is about to
deliver to this congregation isnot something they really will
ever master, but it is somethingthat they are supposed to
practice.
And they're to practice andpractice and practice.
Not for an hour a day, not fourhours a day, but every hour of
(08:30):
every waking day, they're topractice.
And what is it they're topractice?
What will revolutionize thischurch and any church?
True, genuine, authentic, livesmarked by love.
You already know where I'mgoing, so turn to 1 Corinthians
(08:50):
chapter 13.
This is referred to as the lovechapter.
Paul says, in effect, in thefirst few verses, listen,
everybody, I don't care who youare, I don't care how connected
you are, I don't care how muchyou own or have, if you do not
operate in the principle andupon the foundation and through
the motivation of love, you arenothing.
(09:12):
Verse one, you accomplishnothing.
Verse two, you are nothing.
Verse three, you profit nothing.
This is why we have to practiceit.
Because life without love addsup to zero.
Doesn't matter who you are,rich, poor, educated,
(09:33):
illiterate, it doesn't matter ifyou're married or single, young
or old, life apart from love isnothing.
Now, the reason that we have ahard time buying that or even
believing it is because we don'tunderstand what Paul meant when
he begins to talk about whatlove is.
(09:54):
In this chapter, Paul willintroduce them to a brand new
concept.
It will be a word ignoredentirely by the Corinthian
culture.
In fact, the Greco-Roman world,but this singular word, agape,
embraced by the inspiring HolySpirit, will be the primary word
(10:20):
that will become the vehicle toexplain the gospel.
It will become the vehiclewherein we as disciples live and
breathe and act.
It is this Greek word agape.
In short, this word describesthe selfless, committed, love of
(10:43):
the intellect and the will,which places value upon the
beloved, whether or not they aredeserving, or if they're even
able or unable to return thesame.
For God so what loved the worldthat he gave.
Just how attractive was theworld when he gave.
(11:07):
Just how able was the world toreturn that quality back to God.
Just how deserving was the worldthat God would love.
A derivative of agape.
The Corinthians, by the way,didn't understand true love.
In fact, of all the words andexpressions for love in the
(11:28):
first century, agape never madethe list.
One Greek scholar, GerhardKittle, in his theological
dictionary of the New Testament,made the comment that there is
not one clear example of agapeby a Greek author outside of
Scripture.
Not one.
It was ignored completely.
(11:52):
It was considered toounemotional.
It was considered toointellectual.
There were several other wordsin the Greek vocabulary
translated love that were highlyprized.
And so let me very quickly giveyou an overview.
The first was the word storge.
This was a Greek word thatreferred to natural love or
(12:14):
family love.
You love your uncle Henry andyour grandma Ethel and all your
cousins with this kind of love.
You love them because, well,they're they're your grandma and
grandpa and your uncle and auntand your cousins.
You stick up for your sister andbrother with this family love,
even though around the house youtell them to stay out of your
room.
This is love that one authorsaid is like the law of
gravitation.
(12:34):
It's just, it's there.
These people are related to you.
This is the word for the lovethat causes a mother to
naturally want to take care ofher newborn child.
This is the natural love thatcauses a man to sacrifice time
and effort to provide for hisfamily.
What's interesting is that Paultells us in Romans chapter 1 is
(12:59):
that as society continues togrow more and more depraved,
more and more perverted, moreand more self-centered, that one
of the obvious results would bethat people would no longer
evidence storage.
They would no longer havenatural affection, which is how
it is translated.
Children will be cruel toparents and leave them without
(13:22):
care.
Parents will abandon theirchildren.
They will deliver newborns andput them in the dumpster without
any thought.
Child abuse will arise as wellas the abuse of the elderly.
Husbands and wives will kill oneanother for insurance money.
These are the signs that storegay is on the wane.
(13:44):
There's really nothing wrongwith this word.
It's a love that producesnatural protection.
However, what makes store-gaywork best is when it is founded
upon agape.
When the foundation for naturalfamily love is built upon the
selfless, compassionate,willful, servant love of agape.
(14:06):
Another Greek word is philia,which gives us words like
Philadelphia, the city ofbrotherly love.
This is the kind of love thatbound people together who like
the same things, who prefer thesame hobbies.
This is the love of mutualattraction.
(14:27):
This love is fondness.
Kenneth Weiss says affection andliking.
Leon Morris wrote that this loveis built on common interest or
common tastes.
Philia means I love that shirt.
Or I love that necktie.
Bob, that's a sharp necktie.
I like that.
He likes that too.
So we like the same thing.
(14:49):
That's like saying, I love, Ilove apple pie.
I love I love crispy cream.
I really love that's agape,actually.
I'm committed to that.
I love Beethoven.
And you find people that lovethe same kinds of things.
This is just sort of mutualattraction.
(15:12):
This is the common expressionused today for love.
Basically, what somebody issaying, though, when it's used
outside of agape, is I love youbecause you are like me.
We like the same stuff.
Philia is that kind of pursuit.
It's the common love of theCorinthian culture and the
(15:32):
American culture.
It basically says, I love youbecause you love everything I
love.
Now, it is a love drawn togetherby the strings of common
affection, and it's not all bad.
In fact, it's used 45 times inthe New Testament to speak of
community love, to speak offriendly love, to speak of
affection for someone that isthe outgoing of one's heart in
(15:54):
delight to see them happy.
That's where you, as a husbandor wife, choose to like things
that your spouse likes.
Because you do have love forthem.
The trouble comes when the otherperson doesn't return happiness.
The trouble comes when theydon't make phalia worthwhile,
when they are unworthy.
(16:14):
This is why the love of ourculture, which is primarily
store-gay and phalia, at bestruns out of steam, and lovers
are replaced as quickly as usedautomobiles.
See, we grew apart.
We don't like the things we usedto like together anymore.
So it runs out of gas.
The world can only wonder whythey run out of steam.
(16:38):
Love that is phallia only is whyone actress I read about
recently was being interviewed.
She said, her relationships arereally great for about three
months.
And they're over.
She said, the fireworks aregone.
This is why the excitement andthrill of love disappears at the
sight of an overflowing diaperpail.
That's a romantic thought foryou.
(16:59):
This is how a book can actuallybe written and purchased by
people enough so that it makesthe best-selling list.
Where they are suggesting thatwhat you really need is to plan
for three spouses over thecourse of your lifetime.
You have one spouse for childrearing years, you have another
for the middle years of busynessand contracts and social climb,
(17:22):
and then you have your thirdspouse in later years when
you're ready for the sailboatand the golf course and the
rocking chair.
Why?
Because love is all about you.
It's all about somebody meetingyour needs and making you feel
happy.
What they're really saying withthis word is when they say, I
(17:43):
love you, they're saying, I loveme and I want you because you
make me feel better.
Just read the lyrics of the mostpopular songs on the subject of
love.
It's been reduced to a searchfor that never-ending warm and
fuzzy state, right?
I'm hooked on a feeling and Ican't stop loving you.
(18:07):
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, I'm stuck in the 70s, Iknow, but you remember this one?
Why do birds suddenly appearevery time you are near?
Just like me.
(18:29):
They want to be close to you.
You know, that's sad, let metell you.
But that was the 60s and the70s.
You know, now we'resophisticated, and now we got it
together.
Really?
Well, now you can look up lyricson the internet, which I've
spent about 30 minutes doing,and the best-selling songs still
(18:50):
define love in terms of filiaalone.
Here's a song I came across onan album called Big Dog Daddy.
Now, one of my all-timefavorites, I can assure you.
It's a song about a guy who is acustodian and the girl he loves
is beautiful and self-centered,and he sings his lament about
(19:12):
his sad state.
She won't look my way, butbuddy, what would you expect?
I'm just the fix-it-up boy atthe apartment complex.
He says, I'm just sitting aroundwaiting on a telephone call
after a water pipe exploded inthe living room wall.
If your washer and dryer need arepair, you know your handyman's
waiting and it'll be rightthere.
Then he sings his problem.
Here it is.
(19:33):
She's my baby doll, my beautyqueen, she's my movie star, best
I've ever seen.
I ain't asked her out yet,because I don't know if I can.
See, it's just a highmaintenance woman, don't want no
maintenance man.
(19:53):
Poor guy.
But it's so descriptive.
It is so descriptive of thewrong side of Philia.
I mean, a love that loves onlythe lovely, only the attractive,
only somebody who's going toadvance the reputation and
self-image, only the popular.
So we're attracted in thissociety which is far from
(20:15):
classless, it's prejudiced, it'sself-centered, it measures
people by what they own and haveand how they look.
Friendship like this can makegood men better and bad men
worse.
Now, the good side of Philia isthe natural affection between
friends who bond with mutuallikes and dislikes, but it has
(20:39):
to challenge each other to growin greater and deeper agape love
for Christ and his church.
One another.
One final word that is perhapsthe most unlike agape, and yet
the most well-loved by theworld, is the Greek word eros.
(21:00):
It gives us our word erotic.
This is sensual, sexual love.
Contained within marriage, it isthe gift of God for affection
and pleasure.
What's interesting is that thisword was the most commonly used
word for love in Paul's day, andyet, follow this.
(21:30):
So what the world and the fleshclamor for, the New Testament
descriptions ignore.
So we have to find out what erosmeans by going outside of the
New Testament.
Now that doesn't mean that theword is inerrantly evil.
Romantic, sexual or sensual loveis at best with agape and
commitment and marriage,wonderful, pure, and lofty.
(21:52):
In fact, the Song of Solomondoesn't use the word, but it
describes Eros.
It is considered a virtue.
But the fact that the NewTestament never selects this
word ought to tell us that theworld and even the church, have
you noticed the church now isfocused on one aspect of love
(22:14):
that is actually secondary andnot foundational.
Without agape, eros isself-seeking, self-centered,
abusive, possessive love.
But combined with a will toserve and commit, eros makes a
man swim in ocean.
(22:34):
It makes you climb a mountain,cross a desert to win that
husband or wife.
Without agape, Eros only luststo own, to have, to conquer.
And then it will discard you forsome newer model.
Eros knows nothing of emergencyrooms, house payments, and
(23:00):
braces.
Eros has no time for homework orlate hours, broken down cars,
and used furniture.
Eros is bored with arthritis.
Eros colors gray hair and cells,steroids, tummy tucks, and
Rolexes.
Eros is fashion and beauty.
(23:23):
It is for the attractive and thewell-connected.
But Eros eventually makeseveryone lose what they'd hope
to have.
Let me review.
Storge says, I love you becauseyou belong to my family.
Agape says, I love you, and I'mgoing to treat you as if you are
(23:46):
a member of my family.
Philiah says, I love you becauseyou are like me.
Agape says, I love you eventhough you are unlike me.
Eros says, I love you becauseyou meet my needs and make my
heart beat fast.
Agape says, I love you, and Icommit my heart to meeting your
(24:12):
needs.
Agape is true love.
I found the lyrics to anothersong familiar to most of us.
This one written by a Christianartist who understood a little
better what agape in arelationship looked like.
It goes like this tomorrowmorning, if you wake up and the
sun does not appear, I will behere.
(24:34):
If in the dark we lose sight oflove, hold my hand and have no
fear, because I will be here.
I will be here when you feellike being quiet.
When you need to speak yourmind, I will listen.
And I will be here when thelaughter turns to crying.
Through the winning, losin', andtrying.
We'll be together.
(24:54):
I will be here.
Tomorrow morning, if you wake upand the future is unclear, I
will be here.
Just as sure as seasons weremade for change, our lifetimes
were made for these years, so Iwill be here.
I will be here and you can cryon my shoulder.
When the mirror tells us we'reolder, I will hold you and I
(25:14):
will be here to watch you growin beauty, tell you all the
things you are to me, I will behere.
I will be true to the promises Ihave made to you and to the ones
who gave you to me.
Tomorrow morning, if you wake upand the sun does not appear, I
will be here.
(25:36):
I will be here.
Ladies and gentlemen, the worldcan only long to find love like
that.
That's why back in Corinth andhere in Kerry, the Christian who
comes out of his culture andinto a church must learn and
(25:56):
must practice how to love likethat.
And that's why God will soclearly spell it out for us in
this great chapter on Agape,where Paul will deliver to us a
radical description, God'sdescription of genuine,
authentic, true love.
SPEAKER_00 (26:31):
In fact, we're gonna spend the next seven lessons
exploring biblical love and howwe can live it out.
As we do, you're gonna besurprised, encouraged, and
challenged as you compare theway you love with the way God
thinks of love.
You're listening to Wisdom forthe Heart with Stephen Davy.
(26:53):
This series is called True Love.
And the lesson you just heard isentitled, Will True Love Please
Stand Up?
If you joined us late, you cango to our website to listen to
the entire message again.
You'll find it atwisdomonline.org.
Then in the days ahead, pleaseplan to listen to this entire
(27:14):
series.
It's important.
In addition to being your dailyBible teacher, Stephen pastors
the Shepherd's Church in Kerry,North Carolina.
He's also the president ofShepherd's Theological Seminary,
located in Kerry.
Here at Wisdom International, wepublish a monthly magazine that
(27:36):
we send as a gift to all of ourwisdom partners.
If you don't receive it, we'dlike to send you the next three
issues as our gift to you.
Just call and request threemonths of Heart to Heart
magazine, and we'll send it yourway.
Sign up online or call us at866-482-4253.
(28:00):
Join us again tomorrow for morewisdom for the heart.
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