“Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8a NIV)

How can the apostle Paul say that? Unfailing love is desirable. Yet this world seems to be full of dissensions, strife and heartbreak.

Paul here does not refer to erotics. For that, he would have used another Greek word. Neither does Paul use the Greek word “filia”. This word was commonly used for love in family relationships.

The Greek word “agape” is often used in the New Testament. It is also translated as “love”.

In the New Testament, this Greek word denotes an unselfish love. God challenges us to love others regardless of the benefits we get in return.

In the King James Version, the word “love” is replaced by “charity” in 1 Corinthians 13. This, of course, makes us think of the modern use of the word “charity”. A charity is an institution that helps the poor and needy.

Jesus has challenged us to give to the poor without second thoughts. He wants us to love those who do not love us. The Greek word “agape” includes the idea of benevolence.

To theologians, the Greek word “agape” stands for the love God requires from us. It speaks of God’s love for us. It refers to the divine love that God wants to produce within us.

God is unchanging. God is agape love (cf. 1 John 4:16). He is love that never fails. Through Him, we get access to love that never fails. Through Him, we can learn love that never fails.

(The feature image at the beginning of the post was generated with WordPress.com AI. The image at the end of the post shows the word “agape” in Greek characters written by me.)