One of my favorite scriptures of all time is 1 Corithians 13. In this chapter Paul gives his great discourse on charity or love. (Depending of course on which translation.) I grew up with an old King James version of the Bible, and was always familiar with this word charity being used in this chapter.
As I got older and started reading different translations of the bible I discovered a great many which used the word love instead of charity. As someone who speaks two languages it made perfect sense. There are some words that either don't translate directly or could translate to have more than one meaning.
Well this year I'm taking a new testament class and just a few weeks ago we discussed this chapter. My Proffessor, Dr. Draper, put a number of words on the board which in greek could be translated to the english "love". The words stergos, eros and agape.
Stergos: An emotional bond between people who share something in common. This word could be used to discribe the love between family and really close friends.
Eros: A desire to possess. When people fall in love, this is the word the which they would use in greek.
Agape: A word that was actually hardly used initially because it had such a vague meaning. To the greeks the word originally wasn't very strong or specefic which is why the Christians (in this case Paul) took it and made it their own. It connotates love for everyone. Not just for ones peers, or people who treat us nice, but even the people who mistreat us.
That's why this word for love is sometimes translated as charity. Certainly love and charity are nearly synonomous. But charity seems to carry a conotation of giving without being able to get repayment. Hence, when you help the poor it's considered a charitable act whereas loving your family isn't considered charity.
The Book of Mormon also helps us understand what this agape, charity, and/or love really is. The prophet Mormon who lived during one of the most vicious, violent, and vendictive eras of manking gave perhaps one of the most sublime sermons on love.
At the climax of his discourse he states, "Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."
So agape, or in the biblical tense love, or as some translations have it charity is the pure love of Christ, which is the greatest of all and endures forever. Mormon finishes his discoure explaining how we can obtain this kind of love by saying, " Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."
So it can be had by all of us who follow him sincerly and pray to the Father with all energy of heart to obtain it.
Jason Bentley is just a punk college kid who is attending Brigham Young University.
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