There are four Greek words for love that are important for believers to understand. They are agape, phileo, storge, and eros. The first three appear in the Bible. If you are going to understand the Bible and the biblical world, it is important that you understand what these words mean and how they differ.

Agape is the highest form of love, detailed in 1 Corinthians 13. It’s the love I have for My church, and Father has for His creation. It’s unconditional!

Phileo is brotherly love as friend with friend!

Storge love is parent to child love!

Eros love is not in the bible but it refers to sexual love, that must be between a husband and wife, in order to be love.

All four types of love have one thing in common, in order to work as Father created them to work, they must be given away, and never hoarded. Once love is sought after it becomes selfish and and can no longer be found. When people seek love they will look in all the wrong places, and discover a destructive counterfeit. The moment you receive love it must be given away. Even with Eros love, if the husband seeks only his satisfaction, the wife is defrauded, and it is no longer love.

The western believer lives in a self seeking Babylonian world, where giving, without expecting something in return, is completely foreign. In majority of cases real love is never experienced, because love has waxed cold (Matthew 24:12). This is why My kingdom will be established in third world countries and among the homeless first (Matthew 5:3,10).

Only when this world’s goods have no hold on the people can they be free receive love and give it away! The deceitfulness of riches, if the vanishing of love, with no one noticing! (Mark 4:19). What’s in it for me, is always the first thought of the rich! They cannot give without a tax benefit? No giving without some type of recognition? Never true sacrificial giving! In the Babylonian atmosphere every preacher must carefully explain what’s in it for the giver to convince the congregation to hand over the money! Love has disappeared!

If there are any strings attached to your love, it’s not love, it’s simply an exchange!

“For if you love them which love you, what thank have you? for sinners also love those that love them. ³³ And if you do good to them which do good to you, what thank have you? for sinners also do even the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? That’s not love for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵ But you have love when you love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping not to be paid back; and then your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for I am kind unto the unthankful and even to the evil” Luke 6:32-35.

~ Jim Hammerle

Jim Hammerle (1941-2017) began ministry working with David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, founding Teen Challenge Philadelphia. 6 times in the mission field pastoring a mission ship, 15 years with tv and radio, teaching, and preaching.  As a retired businessman, Jim helped to feed widows and orphans in Uganda, helping Muslims find the Jesus who fed them. He became His banker and was privileged to give His money away, wherever He decided, so he also helping to build an orphanage in Haiti and investing in lives in the USA. Totally in love with his Lord, at age 73 he served in ministry at Victory Christian Church and lived every hour listening for his Heavenly Father’s voice.  Jim passed away on May 23, 2017 to be with the LORD.