In the English language, the word love encompasses everything from delight in a favorite food ("I love ice cream"), to enjoyment of a preferred pastime ("I love to read"), to affection for family members ("I love my son"), to passion for a sexual lover ("I love my sweetheart"). The original languages in which the Bible was written often had distinct words to express these different nuances. The Bible uses three different Hebrew words which are sometimes translated in English as "love" in the Old Testament and three different Greek words for "love" in the New Testament. God calls us to love Him and to love others (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:37–40; John 13:34–35; Romans 13:8–10; 1 John 4:7–8).
Loving God and loving others are central commands in the Bible that shape our lives and relationships. Jesus taught in Matthew 22:37–39, "You shall love (agape) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love (agape) your neighbor as yourself." These verses emphasize the priority of whole-hearted devotion to God and the inseparable connection between loving Him and loving those around us. First John 4:7–8 says, "Beloved, let us love (agape) one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." Our ability to love others flows from experiencing God's love and reflects our relationship with Him. Jesus told the disciples that the way people will know we are Christians is by our love (agape) for one another (John 13:35). John 15:13 also tells us: “Greater love (agape) has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus did this for us as He willingly gave His life so that all who believe in His death and resurrection will be saved. We have a call and an example of love to follow as Christians. As we embrace God's love for us and extend it to others, we fulfill His purpose for our lives and demonstrate His transformative power in our relationships and in the world.