Love

We are to speak the truth in love!! What a powerful statement…how does this deal with doctrine, reproof, and correction! Thy word is truth…make sure you speak it in love though!

^KJV Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Is agape love stronger than phileo love? Is one godly and the other worldly? Do you have to be “born again” to do either? This study goes into how “agape,” contrary to the belief that it means godly love, actually means a deep-seated respect, or finding intrinsic value in a thing, while “phileo,” contrary to the belief that it means brotherly love, actually means an emotional affection, or cherishing of a thing.

PPT is soon to be uploaded –also based off of a study I found on the web–trying to locate its author to give him credit -Thanks!

This teaching is to educate on a few shocking points:
Agape is a noun and when it is put into action (or into its agapao verb form) it is easily seen to be used by God, Saved Man, and Unsaved Man.
Phileo, which surprised me more than anything, had nothing to do with “brother”, philadelphia did but that was because it was a compound word. There are 16 compound words using phileo in the scripture and they were phileo + good, brother, husband, mankind, silver, self, pleasure, God, contention, stranger, pre-eminence, wisdom, affections, children, honor  and mind.
The obvious conclusion was that my belief of agape being superior to phileo was in jeopardy. My two main points were not true. God did both which elevated in my mind phileo, Unsaved man did both which degraded agape in its “holy” and “exclusive” status I had given it, and finally phileo had no indication to being a worldly, human, second rate love so I better find out what the distinction in both really were.
What did I find? 1 Corinthians 13 is key. Agape is patient, kind, not jealous, not provoked, never fails etc.  We must not forget to factor in that unbelievers can do this too.  All people still have others in their life that at times they are patient, kind, not jealous, and not provoked by.  Scripture says that “Man loved (agapao) darkness.” I can see God performing this, and his believers doing this, but how could anyone else?  When someone simply “likes” someone , we see all the time how easy it is to be kind to him/her. You don’t feel jealous or arrogant toward them either. You are not always rude and you often want to see that person do well. You often grant them the benefit of the doubt, you practice patience and even cover their errors!  This is so often practiced by sinner and saint and practiced by both hypocritical Pharisees and beloved saints. 
So, going back to 1st Cor 13, what is the main point of this section? The common denominator is that to have AGAPE towards ALL MEN you must find an “INTRINSIC VALUE” in someone or something. That’s why unbelievers can perform this because they do.
The other key point is how your freedom of “will” and “choice” is involved. We all have THE CHOICE to do all those things to everyone (like them or not)! Go through the list in 1Corinthians 13 again. This time, place in your mind’s eye someone you deeply despise. When God says to love your enemies, you are forced to find “intrinsic” value in them (for being human or because said so!) and you are to be patient, and kind, and refuse arrogance towards that person, as well as reject jealousy … and all the rest.  It’s important to differentiate “agapao” love from the emotion that is connected with “Phileo”. You can “agapao” your enemies! You don’t need to cherish or phileo them. It’s not a mushy, warm feeling. Agapao is an act of our will and is not dependent upon the actions of those we are commanded to practice agapao toward.
As for Phileo, this word is packed with emotion and means to cherish. If you have it in your mind that phileo means, “brotherly love” or “human love,” you must get that out. Phileo is often compounded with many things. All this shows is that all people can cherish good things or bad. For example, Brothers or money; God or worldly wisdom.  The differentiator in Phileo isn’t the object of your affection, its the “emotional involvement” and intense endearment that compels you. God also expresses it, so it cannot be downgraded to merely a human love. Phileo results in holding someone in high position in your heart. Again this is practiced by God, saved man, and unsaved man.