BROTHERLY LOVE — the love of brothers (or sisters) for each other; the love of fellow Christians for one another, all being children of the same Father in a special sense. Occasionally the New Testament uses the word “brother” to refer simply to another human being, whether a Christian or not (Matt. 25:40), or to one's fellow countryman (Rom. 9:3). Usually, however, it is used of a fellow believer in Christ. This is true of all places where the concept of brotherly love, or brotherly kindness, appears.

In the Old Testament, Israelites were taught not to hate their brothers: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart . . . but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:17–18). This emphasis is continued and is made even more positive in the New Testament. Believers are exhorted to “be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10), to “let brotherly love continue” (Heb. 13:1), to “love the brotherhood” (1 Pet. 2:17), and to “love as brothers” (1 Pet. 3:8).

Brotherly love is to be the badge, or hallmark, of a Christian (John 13:35). The Greek word for brotherly love (Philadelphia) appears as the name of a city in the province of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:11).

LOVE — the high esteem that God has for His human children and the high regard which they, in turn, should have for Him and other people. Because of the hundreds of references to love in the Bible, it is certainly the most remarkable book of love in the world. It records the greatest love story ever written—God's unconditional love for us that sent His Son to die on the cross (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10).

Love is not only one of God's attributes; it is also an essential part of His nature (Deut. 7:7–8). “God is love,” the Bible declares (1 John 4:8, 16)—the personification of perfect love. Such love surpasses our powers of understanding (Eph. 3:19). Love like this is everlasting (Jer. 31:3), free (Hos. 14:4), sacrificial (John 3:16), and enduring to the end (John 13:1).

Two distinct Greek words meaning “to love” appear in the Bible. The word phileo means “to have ardent affection and feeling”—a type of impulsive love. The other word agapao means “to have esteem” or “high regard.” In the memorable conversation between Jesus and Peter, there is a play upon these two words (John 21:15–17).

The warm word agape is the characteristic term of Christianity. This word for love is used several different ways in the Bible.

1. Agape love indicates the nature of the love of God toward His beloved Son (John 17:26), toward the human race generally (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8), and toward those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:21).

2. Agape love conveys God's will to His children about their attitude toward one another. Love for one another was a proof to the world of true discipleship (John 13:34–35).

3. Agape love also expresses the essential nature of God (1 John 4:8). Love can be known only from the actions it prompts, as seen in God's love in the gift of His Son (1 John 4:9–10). Love found its perfect expression in the Lord Jesus. Christian love is the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus in the believer (Gal. 5:22).

Love is like oil to the wheels of obedience. It enables us to run the way of God's commandments (Ps. 119:32). Without such love, we are as nothing (1 Cor. 13:3). Such Spirit-inspired love never fails (1 Cor. 13:8) but always flourishes.

LOVE, BROTHERLY — love between people who are closely related to each other, whether physically or spiritually (Rom. 12:10; Heb. 13:1; 2 Pet. 1:7). The phrase is used in a symbolic sense to express love of Christians for one another, since all are sons of the same Father. The Greek word translated as “brotherly love” implies more than love for one's “blood brothers,” as in pagan writings; it means love for all true believers, for the members of the church, the “household of faith” (Gal. 6:10) and “of God” (Eph. 2:19; also 1 Pet. 2:17; 3:8; 5:9).

Christians are a brotherhood in the service of Christ (Matt. 23:8), a family made up of those who do the will of God (Matt. 12:50; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21). “A new commandment I give to you,” Jesus said to His disciples, “that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).

A Christian's love should extend beyond the Christian brotherhood, however, to all people. “If you greet your brethren only,” said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, “what do you do more than others?” (Matt. 5:47). The Christian is called not only to love his neighbor and his brother but also to love his enemy (Matt. 5:44).

LOVE FEAST — a meal shared by the early Christians when they met together for fellowship and the Lord's Supper. The term love feast is clearly used only in Jude 12 (feasts of charity; KJV). But some Greek manuscripts support “love feasts” instead of “deceptions” in 2 Peter 2:13. The love feast is also referred to in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34, and probably in Acts 6:1–3, although neither passage in English versions of the Bible uses the term. The Greek word for “love feast” also is one of the New Testament words for “love,” indicating that the meal was originally intended to be a rich experience of God's love. The purpose of the love feast was to remember Christ, to encourage His disciples, and to share God's provisions with the needy.

In the time of Christ, communal meals to express friendship and observe religious feasts were practiced in both Greek and Jewish cultures. The yearly Passover meal was the most important such event among the Jews. Jesus chose this occasion to institute the LORD’S SUPPER, or Eucharist (Matt. 26:17–30). Thus it was natural for the early Christians, whenever they celebrated the Lord's Supper, to do it in connection with a common meal. The “breaking of bread,” which the very first disciples did daily, most likely refers to this dual experience of common meal and Eucharist (Acts 2:42, 46).

Because of such abuses as those described in the New Testament (1 Cor. 11:17–34; 2 Pet. 2:13), and probably for reasons of convenience, the meal and the Eucharist became separated in some regions by the second century. The meal—known as the love feast, the agape, and even the Lord's Supper—continued for several centuries. However, at times it became merely a charity supper for the poor and at other times a lavish banquet for the wealthy. After much controversy in the church, it was finally abolished at the end of the seventh century. A few Christian groups, however, still observe the agape.