The Bible’s Definition of Love

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Definition of Love

Love is a word that has a lot of different definitions. Many people try to define it based on the way they feel. For many people, love is a sensation (based on physical and emotional attraction) that magically, spontaneously generates when they meet the right person.

We can talk about different meanings of love and it can be endless, but the bible has a very clear definition of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version (NIV) states that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”.

This definition is very deep, but we can say that love is not just a feeling, an emotion, or an attraction. Love is our moral character and we can show it by the way we act and treat other people.

Love is what we do, and not what we feel. It is not about words, but it is about our actions. 1 John 3:18 states “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

When we love, we do what is right, as Romans 13:10 states “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”. Loving someone or something means doing all the good things.

There’s a famous saying that states “Love conquers all”. This is true because someone who is in love can do everything.   1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”.

Example of Love”:

  • She is wondering if he loves him because he only says he loves her when he wants something from her.
  • He does everything to make her happy. I asked him why and he said it’s because he loves her.

Dialog:

Jessy: Who was that guy you were talking to yesterday? Is he your new boyfriend?

Angel: No. I just met him, and he asked me out. I think he was just bored, so I said no.

Jessy: I see. By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you fell out of love with Paul? I thought he was your soulmate.

Angel: Well, he was controlling and was always jealous of my colleagues. I think he really didn’t love me at all. Love is not just about intimacy and physical attraction.

Jessy: I agree with you. I hope I can find someone who loves me completely.

Angel: You will, I’m sure. He will come at the right time. 

Jessy: Yeah, we should stop worrying about it and just focus on living our lives.   


Other words you can create from love:

Loveable: This is an adjective that is used to describe someone or something that deserves love or affection.

Loving: This can be a noun or an adjective. When it is used as a noun, it refers to the demonstration of love or great care. When it is used as an adjective, it describes someone who is feeling or showing love or great care.

Lover: A person who loves someone or something. This can also refer to someone who is having a sexual relationship with someone outside of their marriage.

Collocations:

Deep love

Great love

Overwhelming love

Passionate love

Genuine love

Pure love

Real love

True love

Unconditional love

Abiding love

Eternal love

Undying love

Hopeless love

Unrequited love

Thwarted love

Mutual love

Free love

First love

Brotherly love

Maternal love

Parental love

Sisterly love

Courtly love

Platonic love

Romantic love

Erotic love

Physical love

Sexual love

Heterosexual love

Homosexual love

Redemptive love

Divine love

Human love

Feel love

Have love

Search for love

Seek love

Find love

Express love

Show love

Declare love

Profess love

Promise love

Return love

Share love

Give love

Send love

Be in love

Make love

Love affair

Love life

Love letter

Love scene

Love song

Love story

An act of love

Deeply in love

Madly in love

Passionately in love

Desperately in love

Hopelessly in love

Related phrasal verbs: 

Fall for someone – to start to love someone.

  • She was falling for him, but he decided to forget about her.

Fall in love with someone – When you fall in love with someone, you realize that you love everything about that person and you want to be with him or her all the time.

  • She fell in love with him when he won the race and dedicated all his prizes for her.

Fall out of love – To stop loving someone. When you fell out of love, it means that you don’t love that person anymore.

  • She broke up with him because she said she had fallen out of love with him.

Related idioms:

Love at first sight – when you love someone at first sight, it means that you love them the first time you saw them.

  • We just met, and he asked me out right away. I asked him why and he said it was love at first sight.

To fall head over heels in love – to fall in love with someone very deeply.

  • I fell head over heels in love with him, so when he proposed, I automatically said yes.

Puppy love – refers to an intense but shallow physical attraction felt by adolescents.

  • My 15-year old son told me he was madly in love with his classmate, and I told him it was just a puppy love.

Those three little words – this refers to “I love you.”.

  • He was drunk, and he suddenly said those three little words to her.

To be smitten with someone – to be completely attracted by someone and feel great joy.

  • Rhea is smitten with the guy she met at the coffee shop yesterday. She always talks about him.

To be the apple of someone’s eye – this is derived from an expression signifying the pupil of the eye as one of the most sensitive parts of the body. When someone is the apple of your eye, it means that you cherish and love that someone unconditionally.

  • She has been the apple of my eye since the first day I met her.

A soulmate – someone who understands and accepts the other person completely.

  • She believes that her husband is her soulmate.

Take one’s breath away – when you say someone takes your breath away, it means that you are in love with that person so much that you find it hard to breathe when you are with them.

  • She is so captivating that she takes my breath away.

To fancy someone – to find someone very attractive.

  • Daniel really fancies Sally, so he asked her out.

To love someone with all of one’s heart and soul – to love someone deeply and completely.

  • I know my mom loves my dad with all her heart and soul.

Synonyms (other ways to say):

Deep affection

Devotion

Worship

Adoration

Compassion

Benevolence

Philanthropy

Goodwill

Sympathy

Kindliness

Unselfishness

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