As with most things offered by Freemasonic instruction, you'll get filtered and partial Light only. Like a hyperlink, it's up to you to chase down the masonic rabbits intended to gain insight(s) into the EXTREMELY superficial offerings.I do not know what you were taught by Freemasonry about the word agape,...
Yeah... and I'm American. And although I have explored the meaning(s) offered up by foreign tongues, I have to ultimately investigate and understand it within the context of the times and culture the word was used within. In this case, what I have offered up is enough information to allow serious students enough light to pursue the masonic rabbits further, should they truly desire to understand what's superficially offered up to them by the Craft....I am Greek,
Yeah.. but we are NOT talking about "modern Greek", are we?...and "agape" means exactly "love" in modern Greek. Not unconditional love, or something else.
Yep. You're getting it. Kudos!But, if you write something like "Agape", which is equivalent to "Love", you can mean unconditional love, as in English.
As with most things having to do with language(s), the modern day Greek usage is not the meaning assigned to it "way-back-when" and in the English of the day, and more specifically, by the original spin-meisters of Freemasonic Rituals who were doing there best to plant breadcrumb trails for the more serious members to pursue.
Hence the clarification that I put forth. Pursue it further or don't. Your choice.
"Agape (Ancient Greek ἀγάπη, agapē) is a Greco-Christian term referring to unconditional love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". The word is not to be confused with philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance. It goes beyond just the emotions to the extent of seeking the best for others. The noun form first occurs in the Septuagint, but the verb form goes as far back as Homer, translated literally as affection, as in "greet with affection" and "show affection for the dead". Other ancient authors have used forms of the word to denote love of a spouse or family, or affection for a particular activity, in contrast to eros (an affection of a sexual nature)."
-- SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape