ἀγάπη
agapē
love
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ἀγάπη (agapē) is a fundamental concept in the New Testament, appearing 116 times in the Bible. Its short definition is "love," but this encompasses a specific type of love that is characterized by unwavering commitment, selflessness, and unreciprocated affection. In its range of usage, ἀγάπη is often contrasted with other forms of love, such as φιλία (philia), which refers to friendship or familial love. This distinction highlights the unique nature of ἀγάπη, which is not bound by emotional reciprocity or social obligation. Instead, it is a love that is freely given, often at great personal cost. The significance of ἀγάπη lies in its association with God's love for humanity, as well as the love that Christians are called to demonstrate towards one another. Its frequent appearance in the New Testament underscores its importance as a core value in the Christian faith, emphasizing the need for selfless, unconditional love in all relationships.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
116 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
Luke 11:42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
John 5:42But I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in yourselves.
John 13:35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:9Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.
John 15:10If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.
John 15:10If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.
John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
John 17:26I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Romans 5:5and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:8But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 8:35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 12:9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.
Romans 13:10Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:10Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 14:15Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
Romans 15:30Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
1 Corinthians 4:21What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
1 Corinthians 8:1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
1 Corinthians 13:1If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:3If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
1 Corinthians 13:8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
1 Corinthians 13:13But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 14:1Follow after love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 16:14Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
2 Corinthians 2:4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.
2 Corinthians 2:8Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him.
2 Corinthians 5:14For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died.
2 Corinthians 6:6in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,
2 Corinthians 8:7But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.
2 Corinthians 8:8I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
2 Corinthians 8:24Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.
2 Corinthians 13:11Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:13All the saints greet you.
Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
Galatians 5:13For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
Ephesians 1:4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love,
Ephesians 1:15For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,
Ephesians 2:4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
Ephesians 3:17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Ephesians 3:19and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 4:2with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love,