Love is a feeling or emotional inclination towards a person or divine being in the religious case, which can vary in intensity. Love can make us change our way of thinking, it can be used to influence decisions or thoughts of others, etc. Moreover, as we will see below, there are different types of love according to the Bible.
Human beings need love from the first day they are born, we need to feel loved, we need to love. The Bible teaches us to love, it teaches us that God is love, that love is a true test of genuine faith. Because it was God our Lord who endowed man and woman with the capacity to love, to love others and to love oneself.
4 kinds of love according to the Catholic Bible
Considering the importance of this feeling, we have decided to dedicate an article to see the types of love that according to the Bible we can find and feel.
According to the Bible there are four forms or representations of love: Eros, Storge, Philia and Agape, which represent God’s romantic, familial, fraternal and divine love. We will discover what love really means, and how to follow the command of Jesus Christ to love one another.
1. Eros love in the Bible
Eros is a term of Greek origin that means “romantic, sensual love…” This type of love is impulsive, carnal, sexual… It is a “corrupt” love where one only seeks to satisfy and satiate oneself in a selfish way without taking into account others.
Although the word Eros has no presence as such within the sacred scriptures, The Bible does make reference to carnal love and the importance of being strong and not being carried away by these immoral thoughts. We must remember that according to Christianity, sexual relations should only take place within the marriage (provided that the union was by the church and with the consent of God our Lord).
2. Storge love in the Bible
Of the types of love according to the Bible, this is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful. Storge (a word of Greek origin) describes the bond of appreciation, protection, welfare, cooperation, … that is created between fathers and children, mothers and children, between siblings…
As there is a naturally developed strength that binds families together and is difficult to break. Unlike the love of Eros, there are many references to family love in the Bible. such as the mutual protection between Noah and his wife, Jacob’s love for his sons, and the strong love that the sisters Martha and Mary had for their brother Lazarus.
Love one another with brotherly love; as to honor, referring to one another. Romans 12:10
3. Phileo love in the Bible
Philia love (Greek term) is that which is formed by an emotional bond between two people. They are those deep friendships that we all have in greater or lesser quantity with friends whom we defend in the face of all kinds of adversity, we forgive in moments of weakness…
“At all times a friend loveth, And is as a brother in time of trouble.” Proverbs 17:17
This is the love of Friends, it is a love that is often conditional, it depends on the mutual satisfaction and fidelity between 2 people.
Philia is considered the type of love that is most present in the bible, since it seeks to promote the common good, love for one’s neighbor, respect… with close people, who do not necessarily have a family relationship.
4. Agape love in the Bible
And finally we come to the most important, the most complete, the strongest, the purest love. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape is a term that defines God’s immeasurable and incomparable love for humanity. As it is a love willing to suffer, believe, hope and endure anything without diminishing or succumbing. How the Lord’s love is unconditional and powerful, how he does not discriminate against anyone because of their physical features and has equal sympathy for all.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
- How does God love me?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
God doesn’t need chemistry, He doesn’t need you to have anything in common, He is powerful; God’s Love doesn’t matter weight, height, color, etc.
And there is no greater proof of this than by the example of the love that Jesus Christ demonstrated to his Father and to all mankind in the way he lived and died. This love was demonstrated by Jesus Christ, who loved and obeyed his father at all times, and gave his life for mankind out of love. After his resurrection, Jesus asked the apostle Peter if he loved him. In which Peter answered three times yes, but the word he used was phileo or brotherly love.
Before finishing this wonderful article, we have left you a video summary so that you can have an even clearer idea of the different loves that the Bible conveys.
We really hope that reading this article has made you reflect and appreciate the love that God has given us so that you will be able to make the most of it in all its expressions. Because love heals everything, and we would be no one without it.
May love and peace be with you. See you in the next articles!