The 4 Types of Love

All of us have experienced love, in one way or another. Do we know which type of love it falls under?

The Ancient Greek text describes 4 types of LOVE: Storge, Philia, Eros & Agape

1) Storge
This is the most basic kind of love. It comes naturally, the way parents feel for the children. It’s just a feeling that you automatically experience when you like someone. You don’t need to do anything or fulfill any criteria – you just feel it. All of us experience this love from family members or those we like. This is the basic feeling we have when we like something or someone.

2) Philia
This is the next level of love. It’s the kind of loyalty you have towards friends, brothers, sisters, the community or even a sport or activity. You feel it for someone that you really enjoy being with, or going to places you really like. You feel it when you play your favourite sport. You prioritize someone or something because of ‘philia.’

3) Eros
This is an even higher level of love. It involves passion and sensual desire. It comes with a deep longing of the heart. It makes you miss a person so much, and dream of them with your eyes wide open. It may start with a strong feeling the moment your eyes lock, and makes your heart beat a million times faster when you meet. You feel ‘eros’ when you are sexually attracted to someone. Yet, it’s more than just a sexual feeling. It evolves into a deep appreciation of the soul and a person’s true self. This is what dating lovers and married couples feel for each other.

4) Agape
This is the highest form of love. It transcends all the other 3 levels. Agape love is much more than a feeling. It’s ‘unconditional love.’ It’s a CHOICE. It means you love even when you don’t feel like it. You love someone even when they don’t deserve to be loved. You sacrifice to show that you love. You forgive easily. When you have agape love, you can love your enemies. You can be nice to the people who are bad to you. You will love them even when it hurts you. In agape love, there is no selfishness, jealousy, hatred or anger. It is PURE LOVE. You love without expecting anything in return. You just give freely, because of LOVE.

This is the kind of LOVE that Jesus was talking about. He died for our sins and taught us to love our enemies because he was the Agape love.

Agape love is the kind of love we should all strive to achieve. It’s not easy, but with Christ, it is possible.

What type of love do you have?

-JJ-

1 Corinthians 13: 1-13

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.