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Will the Theologians Please Sit Down  /  Chapter 19: Exposing the Blindness of Theologians  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
In the *agape* case study, Bercot argues popular teaching (agape as uniquely unconditional/Holy-Spirit-only love, phileo as mere affection, eros as romantic) collapses under Septuagint and New Testament usage; what parts of your theology or spiritual self-understanding have been built on that agape/phileo contrast, and what changes if the contrast is overstated or false?
Another way to ask: How much of your faith or self-image has been shaped by the idea that agape is “God’s unconditional love” and phileo is just friendship love? If that contrast is exaggerated or wrong, what would you need to rethink?

Direct Answer Bercot’s case study suggests that building a spiritual “tier system” of loves on agape vs. phileo can be misleading, because agape is used broadly in both the Septuagint and the New Testament. If the contrast is overstated, then claims about agape being uniquely divine or impossible before Pentecost need to be reevaluated.

Support from Transcript:

  • He summarizes the popular teaching: agape is “highest… unconditional… seeking the highest good,” phileia is “mere affection,” eros is romantic.
  • He quotes a source claiming “the command to love is never phileo… but rather agape,” and that agape is “unconditional… comes from the Holy Spirit alone,” and is “mostly foreign to classical Greek… origin is from God.”
  • He says early Christian writings “never said there was anything special about the word agape,” which surprised him.
  • He found agape in the Septuagint “283 times… Genesis through Malachi,” showing it wasn’t uniquely Christian.
  • He argues it’s “not true that humans were incapable of agape love before Pentecost,” since God commanded Israel to love (Deut 6:5; love neighbor).
  • He cites David/Jonathan using agape in 2 Samuel 1:26, contradicting the “phileia only” claim.
Discussion Follow-ups If agape isn’t a special technical word, how should we talk about Christian love without leaning on word-myths? What practices (not vocabulary) might better define “God-like love” in daily life?

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