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STUDY LOVE

Full Texts of Selected References
Leviticus 19:17-18--Thou shalt not hate (this:na^') thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. 18 Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love (w:'a^habh:ta^) thy neighbour as thyself: I am HaShem. (JPS)
Alt.:--Thou shalt not hate (miSE-seis) thy brother in thine heart (diaNOIa): thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, so thou shalt not bear sin on his account. And thy hand shall not avenge (ekdiKAtai) thee; and thou shalt not be angry (me-niEIS) with the children of thy people; and thou shalt love thy neighbour (agaPE-seis ton ple-SIon sou) as thyself (ho-s seauTON); I am the Lord. (BLXX)
Alt.:--Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite (NLT)
Alt.:--You must not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community (HCSB)
Alt.:--Don’t secretly hate any of your neighbors. But tell them openly what they have done wrong so that you will not be just as guilty of sin as they are. Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don’t try to get even. (ERV)
Alt.:--Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine lev; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear chet because of him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the bnei ammecha (children of thy people), v’ahavta l’re’acha kamocha (OJB)
Alt.:--Do not harbor a deep hatred for any of your relatives. If your neighbor is doing something wrong, correct him or else you could be held responsible for his sin. Do not seek revenge or hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself, for I am the Eternal One. (Voice)

John 3:16-- For God so loved (e-GAPe-sen) the world (KOSmon), that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (pisTEUo-n) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
Alt.:--he gave his one and only Son (NIV)
Alt.:--For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son (ISV)
Alt.:--For God loved the world in this way: so much that he would give up his Son, The Only One, so that everyone who trusts in him shall not be lost, but he shall have eternal life. (ABPE)
Alt.:--but may have the Life of Ages. (Wey)
Alt.:--whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction (Voice)
Alt.:--For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (AMP)

John 13:34-35--A new commandment I give to you, that you love (agaPAte) one another: just as I have loved (e-GAPe-sa) you, you also are to love (agaPAte) one another. 35 By this all people (PANtes) will know that you are my disciples, if you have love (aGApe-n) for one another. (ESV)
Alt.:--love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (LB)
Alt.:--In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. (CJB)
Alt.:--if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]. (AMP)
Alt.:--This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other. (Msg)
Alt.:--Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others. (Voice)

Romans 13:8-10--Owe no one anything, except to love (agaPAN) one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet (epithyME-seis)”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love (agaPE-seis) your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love (he- aGAPe-) does no wrong (kaKON) to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law (PLE-ro-ma oun NOMou he- aGAPe-). (NRSV)
Alt.:--Keep out of debt altogether, except the perpetual debt of love which we owe to one another. The man who loves his neighbour has obeyed the whole Law in regard to his neighbour. ... Love hurts nobody: therefore love is the answer to the Law’s commands. (Phillips)
Alt.:--Let love be your only debt! ... No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands. (CEV)
Alt.:--Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others—never finish paying that! For if you love them, you will be obeying all of God’s laws, fulfilling all his requirements. If you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself you will not want to harm or cheat him, or kill him or steal from him. And you won’t sin with his wife or want what is his, or do anything else the Ten Commandments say is wrong. All ten are wrapped up in this one, to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love does no wrong to anyone. That’s why it fully satisfies all of God’s requirements. It is the only law you need. (LB)
Alt.:-- Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen, meeting all its requirements]. ... You shall not covet (have an evil desire) ... Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law. (AMP)
Alt.:--Love works no evil to a neighbor. (MEV)
Alt.:--Love does not commit evil against a neighbor. (LEB)
Alt.:--always owe love to each other ... You must not want to take your neighbor’s things. ... Love never hurts [does wrong/evil to] a neighbor, so loving is obeying all [fulfilling] the law. (EXB)
Alt.:--Be owing nothing to anyone except to be loving one another. ... Love does not work harm to the neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law. (DLNT)
Alt.:--Owe, be indebted, obligated nothing to anyone except a choiv (debt) of ahavah (love); for he who has ahavah has fulfilled the Torah. For the mitzvoh, LO TIN’AF, LO TIRTZACH, LO TIGNOV, LO TACHMOD and any other of the mitzvot (commandments) is akitzur (restated, in summary), in this dvar Torah, V’AHAVTA L’RE’ACHA KAMOCHA. Ahavah (agape) does no wrong to the re’a (neighbor); therefore the fulfillment of the Torah is ahavah. (OJB)

Galatians 5:22-23--But the fruit of the Spirit is love (aGApe-), joy (chaRA), peace (eiRE-NE-), longsuffering (makrothyMIa), gentleness (chre-STOte-s), goodness (agatho-SYne-), faith (PIStis), 9 Meekness (praYte-s), temperance (enKRAteia): against such there is no law. (KJV)
Alt.:--But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)
Alt.:--But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. (AMP)
Alt.:--But the p’ri of the Ruach HaKodesh is ahavah (agape), simcha (joy), shalom (peace), zitzfleisch (patience), nedivut (generosity, kindness), chesed (loving-kindness), ne’emanut (faithfulness), Anavah (meekness, shiflut, lowliness), shlitah atzmi (self-control)...would you not agree?—against these things there is no isser (proscription in the Torah). (OJB)
Alt.:--The Spirit however, produces in human life fruits such as these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control—and no law exists against any of them. (Phillips)
Alt.:--But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. (Mes)
Alt.:--But the fruits of The Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness, goodness, faith, Humility, endurance; the law is not set against these things. (ABPE)
Alt.:--But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, Mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law. (DR)
Alt.:--The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence; good faith, meekness, self-restraint. Against such things as these there is no law. (Wey)
Alt.:--But the fruit of the Spirit is this: Charity, joy, peace, tolerance, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (EJ2000)

Ephesians 5:1-5--Therefore be imitators (mime-TAI) of God, as beloved children (TEKna agape-TA), 2 and live in love (peripaTEIte en aGAPe-), as Christ loved (e-GAPe-sen) us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But fornication (porNEIa) and impurity (akatharSIa) of any kind, or greed (pleoneXIa), must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Entirely out of place is obscene (aisCHROte-s), silly (mo-roloGIa), and vulgar (eutrapeLIa) talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving (eucharisTIa). 5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (pleoNEKte-s) (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (NRSV)
Alt.:-- And walk in love, ... But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness ... Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking (ESV)
Alt.:--Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God’s consecrated people). Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God]. For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]--for he [in effect] is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (AMP)
Alt.:--Follow God’s example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him. Let there be no sex sin, impurity or greed among you. Let no one be able to accuse you of any such things. Dirty stories, foul talk, and coarse jokes--these are not for you. Instead, remind each other of God’s goodness, and be thankful. You can be sure of this: The Kingdom of Christ and of God will never belong to anyone who is impure or greedy, for a greedy person is really an idol worshiper--he loves and worships the good things of this life more than God. (LB)
Alt.:--and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man (KJV)
Alt.:--Love others as Christ has loved us. He gave his life for us, ... you should not even talk about wrong living, any kind of wrong sex or wanting things you cannot have. There should be no dirty talk, no foolish talk, no funny stories with a wrong meaning. This is not a good way to talk. But what you should do is thank God. You know this. There are people who use sex wrongly, and who are always wanting what others have. No such a person has any place in the kingdom of Christ and of God. He is worshipping an idol. (WENT)
Alt.:--Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Don’t allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect. You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God. (Mes)
Alt.:--So imitate God. Follow Him like adored children, and live in love as the Anointed One loved you—so much that He gave Himself as a fragrant sacrifice, pleasing God. Listen, don’t let any kind of immorality be breathed among you. Any demoralizing behaviors (perverse sexual acts, uncleanliness, greediness, and the like) are inappropriate topics of conversation for those set apart as God’s people. Don’t swear or spurt nonsense. Don’t make harsh jokes or clown around. Make proper use of your words, and offer them thankfully in praise. This is what we know for certain: no one who engages in loose sex, impure actions, and greed--which is just a form of idolatry--has any inheritance in the kingdom of God and His Anointed. (Voice)
Alt.:-- As children copy their fathers you, as God’s children, are to copy him. Live your lives in love--the same sort of love which Christ gives us and which he perfectly expressed when he gave himself up for us in sacrifice to God. But as for sexual immorality in all its forms, and the itch to get your hands on what belongs to other people--don’t even talk about such things; they are not fit subjects for Christians to talk about. The key-note of your conversation should not be nastiness or silliness or flippancy, but a sense of all that we owe to God. For of this much you can be certain: that neither the immoral nor the dirty-minded nor the covetous man (Phillips)

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13--and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love (te- aGAPe-) for one another and for all (PANtas), as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness (aMEMPtous en hagio-SYne-) before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all (PANto-n) his saints. (ESV)
Alt.:--And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, so that He may strengthen and confirm and establish your hearts faultlessly pure and unblamable in holiness in the sight of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) with all His saints (the holy and glorified people of God)! Amen, (so be it)! (AMP)
Alt.:--May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. (NIV)
Alt.:--And the Lord make you to multiply and make charity to abound among you and toward all men, even as it is with us toward you, (EJ2000)
Alt.:--And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. (Mes)
Alt.:--May the Lord make your love grow more and multiply [abound; overflow] for each other and for all people so that you will love others as we love you [or just as our love abounds for you]. (EXB)
Alt.:--May the Lord give you the same increasing and overflowing love for each other and towards all men as we have towards you. (Phillips)
Alt.:--And may Hashem cause you to grow and to overflow and abound in ahavah (agape) for one another and for kol Bnei Adam, just as also we have ahavah (agape) for you, (OJB)
Alt.:--May the Lord flood you with an unending, undying love for one another and for all humanity, like our love for you, (Voice)

1 John 3:16-19--Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. (KJV)
Alt.:--By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him]. But if anyone has this world 's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity). (AMP)
Alt.:--If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. (MSB)
Alt.:--If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (NIV)
Alt.:--But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help (NLT)
Alt.:--Now whoever has vital possessions of the Olam Hazeh and sees the Ach b’Moshiach of him being nitzrach (needy) and has no rachamim (mercy) on him [DEVARIM 15:7,8] and refuses gemilut Chesed, how does the ahavas Hashem make ma’on in him? Yeladim, let us not have ahavah in dvar or in lashon but in ma’aseh and in Emes. [YECHEZKEL 33:31] (OJB)
Alt.:--My little children, don’t just talk about love as an idea or a theory. Make it your true way of life, and live in the pattern of gracious love. (Voice)
Alt.:--let us really love them, and show it by our actions. Then we will know for sure, by our actions, that we are on God’s side, (LB)
Alt.:--If we live like this, we shall know that we are children of the truth and can reassure ourselves in the sight of God, even if our own hearts make us feel guilty. (Phillips)

1 John 4:7-8--Beloved (agape-TOI), let us love (agaPO-men) one another, for love (he- aGApe-) is from God, and whoever loves (ho agaPO-N) has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love (ho ME- agaPO-N) does not know God, because God is love (ho theOS aGApe- esTIN). (ESV)
Alt.:--born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. (Msg)
Alt.:--everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God. (CJB)
Alt.:--for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. (AMP)
Alt.:--Everyone who loves has become God’s child [been begotten/fathered by God] and knows God. (EXB)
Alt.:--Beloved, let us be loving one another. Because the love is from God! And everyone loving has been born from God, and knows God. The one not loving did not know God, because God is love. (DLNT)
Alt.:--My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God (Voice)
Alt.:--To you whom I love I say, let us go on loving one another, for love comes from God. Every man who truly loves is God’s son and has some knowledge of him. But the man who does not love cannot know him at all, for God is love. (Phillips)

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Other Religions
Love is said to be a universal value. Is it? Or is true agape unique to Christianity? This section will gradually be filled with quotations from other religions. The content will be provided by actual practitioners of those traditions. (Thank you!)
Islam
Surah Ar-Rum 30:21:  Among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, in order to have tranquility with them and He put love and mercy between your (hearts) : verily in that are signs for those who reflect.

Ahmad (5/282) Tirmidhee and Ibn Majah from Thawbaan, Saheeh ul-Jaami 5355:  The Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“The most perfect believer in faith is the one whose character is finest and who is kindest to his wife.”

Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Marriage, Number 1847, Sahih:  Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

“We do not see for those who love one another anything like marriage.”

At-Tabarani, Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsat, Number 6067:  Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The basis of reasoning, after faith in Allah, is loving kindness toward the people.”

Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6225:  Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who love each other for the sake of My glory? Today, I will shelter them in My shade; a Day when there is no shade but Mine.”

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