Generally agape is taken as a description of God-like love which is self
sacrificing and disinterested in reward or return; whereas philadelphia is
used to describe the love which Christians ought to have for one another.
I would say that when these words are used the exegete should be very
careful to extract the full significance of their use; and should also
attempt to convey to the modern reader or hearer the theological import of
the term.
Jim
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Jim West, ThD
Adjunct Professor of Bible, Quartz Hill School of Theology
jwest@highland.net