Page 48 - Discipleship Ministries Student E-Book

Notice the third time Jesus asked Peter if he “loved” him, he changed the question to ask Peter if he
“liked” him (phileo). Peter was offended by this different question, and told Jesus that since He knew all
things, He did know that Peter at least liked (phileo) Jesus. The change in the type of love Jesus sought
offended Peter. Later in his life, Peter fully learned what agape love was, and in the end, was willing to
sacrifice his own life for His Savior.

Here are verses in the Bible that tell us that we need to agape one another as a validation of
our discipleship and commitment to Christ. Every word for “love” in these verses is the word,
agape.

1 John 4:11 (KJV) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

John 14:15 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.

1 John 4:21 (KJV) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother
also.

Romans 13:10 (KJV) Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

John 15:9 (KJV) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

John 13:34 (KJV) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another.

I Peter 4: 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Luke 10: 26-27 (Parable of Good Samaritan) “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you
read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.”

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I Corinthians 13 explains to us more what agape love should look like.

1. Agape love is patient.

The Greek word comes from two words meaning, “long-tempered.” If you’re patient, you’re slow to
anger, you endure personal wrongs without retaliating. You bear with others’ imperfections, faults, and
differences. You give them time to change, room to make mistakes without coming down hard on them.

I read a story of a man who had developed this quality to a far greater extent than I. During the late
1500’s, Dr. Thomas Cooper edited a dictionary with the addition of 33,000 words and many other
improvements. He had already been collecting materials for eight years when his wife, a rather difficult
woman, went into his study one day while he was gone and burned all of his notes under the pretense
of fearing that he would kill himself with study. Eight years of work, a pile of ashes!

20 https://bible.org/seriespage/5-loving-husband-action-1-corinthians-134-7

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