ἀγαπητός

ἀγαπητός — agapētós

ἀγαπητός, (ῆ, (ἀγαπάω), beloved, esteemed, dear, favorite; (opposed to ἐχθρός, Rom 11:28): ὁ υἱός μου (τοῦ Θεοῦ) ὁ ἀγαπητός, of Jesus, the Messiah, Mat 3:17 (here WH marginal reading take ὁ ἀγαπητός absolutely, connecting it with what follows); Mat 12:18; Mat 17:5; Mar 1:11; Mar 9:7; Luk 3:22; Luk 9:35 (where L marginal reading T Tr WH ὁ ἐκλελεγμένος); 2Pe 1:17, cf. Mar 12:6; Luk 20:13; (cf. Ascensio Isa. (edited by Dillmann) Luk 7:23; Luk 8:18; Luk 8:25, etc.). ἀγαπητοί Θεοῦ (Winers grammar, 194 (182f); B. 190 (165)) is applied to Christians as being reconciled to god and judged by him to be worthy of eternal life: Rom 1:7, cf. Rom 11:28; 1Th 1:4; Col 3:12 (the Sept., Psa 59:7; Psa 107:7; Psa 126:2, ἀγαπητοί σου and αὐτοῦ, of pious Israelites). But Christians, bound together by mutual love, are ἀγαπητοί also to one another (Phm 1:16; 1Ti 6:2); hence, they are dignified with this epithet very often in tender address, both indirect (Rom 16:5; Rom 16:8; Col 4:14; Eph 6:21, etc.) and direct (Rom 12:19; 1Co 4:14; (Phm 1:2, Rec.); Heb 6:9; Jas 1:16; 1Pe 2:11; 2Pe 3:1; (1Jn 2:7 g L T Tr WH, etc.). generally followed by the genitive; once by the dative ἀγαπαπητοί ἡμῖν, 1Th 2:8 (yet cf. Winers grammar, § 31, 2; B. 190 (163)). ἀγαπητός ἐν κυρίῳ beloved in the fellowship of Christ, equivalent to dear fellow-Christian, Rom 16:8. (Not used in the Fourth gospel or the Book of Revelation. In classical greek from Homer, Iliad 6, 401 on; cf. Cope on Aristotle, rhet. 1, 7, 41.)