the greatest of these is love session 1 introduction

Feb 4, 2007 1

The Greatest of These is

Love

Session 1

Introduction

Feb 4, 2007 2

The Greatest of These is Love

Questions

1. What comes to mind when you hear the word “love”?

2. What does our society and culture say love looks like?

Feb 4, 2007 3


The “Love Chapter”

I Corinthians 13

Feb 4, 2007 4


1 Corinthians 13 (New Living Translation)

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Feb 4, 2007 5


4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

Feb 4, 2007 6


9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!

10 But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

Feb 4, 2007 7


12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Feb 4, 2007 8


Love = love = luv ?• Only one English word for love.

• We love our spouse…

• We love our children…

• We luv pizza…

• We love God….

• More importantly… God Loves us.

Feb 4, 2007 9


Question

• What are the different types of love we experience?

Feb 4, 2007 10


The Different Types of Love1. Friendship

(Greek: φιλία philía )

2. Romantic (Greek: ἔρως érōs )

3. Affection(Greek: στοργή storgē )

4. God’s Love, Charity (Greek: ἀγάπη agápē )

Feb 4, 2007 11


Friendship (Greek: philia)• Focus is often a common interest, activity or

cause.

• Mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection.

• Loyalty towards each other.

• Safety, trust, sympathy, empathy, and intimacy.

• Desire what is best for each other.

• Community is a larger, looser knit form of friendship.

Feb 4, 2007 12


Romantic Love (Greek: eros)• Passionate love between two. (“in love”)

• Focus is on the beloved.

• Appreciation of the beloved.

• Eros is a natural love (procreation).

• Physical aspect is only one part of eros.

Feb 4, 2007 13


Affection (Greek: storge)• Affection is also a natural love.

• Love of parents for children, children for parents.

• Fondness through familiarity.

• Little dependence on value or worthiness of the loved.

• Some people expect it when it is absent.

• Can also be expressed to non-human objects (pets, places, activities).

Feb 4, 2007 14


Charity (Greek: agape)• This is God’s Love for humanity.

• Self sacrificing, altruistic love.

• Love for all, friends and enemies.

• Not an emotion; rather, a rational action.

• Charity is commanded of Christians.

• This is one of the ways God loves the world, through our Charity.

Feb 4, 2007 15


“Guess the Love”

Feb 4, 2007 16


Next week:

Friendship

the greatest of these is love session 1 introduction

Documents

didnt love

love of parents

word love

love4 love

erospassionate love

loveromantic love greek

storg gods love

natural love procreation