The Surprising Truth Behind “Love Thy Neighbor”

Episode Outline:
0:00 Why Jesus’ command to love your neighbor still matters
0:58 NIHB conference promo and Megan’s live AMA invite
3:17 Bart on criticism, negative reviews, and scholarly turf wars
6:05 Did Christianity introduce love to the ancient world?
7:45 How Greeks, Romans, and Jews understood love
10:16 Different kinds of love in the ancient world
11:23 Final NIHB reminder and conference promo
14:17 Greek love words in the New Testament: eros, philia, and agape
23:33 Love your neighbor, the Good Samaritan, and Jesus’ radical ethic of care
30:25 Bart’s Soapbox: seeing both the good and bad in Christianity

Episode Description

What does it really mean to “love thy neighbor,” and did Christianity invent the idea of love? Historically, many have claimed that Christianity introduced the concept of love into a harsh, ancient world. In Episode 178, hosts Megan Lewis and Bart Ehrman take listeners behind the scenes of the Greek and Roman worlds, examining what “love” meant in antiquity, how ancient Jews understood it, and why Jesus’ teachings mark both a continuation and a dramatic expansion.

After a brief catch-up, Megan Lewis and Bart Ehrman launch into the heart of the discussion: exploring the roots of the concept of love, from Aristotle and Plato to Hebrew scriptures and first-century Judaism. Bart Ehrman draws on his extensive scholarship and insights from his new book, “Love Thy Stranger,” to break down the various nuances of “love” in ancient languages and how translation shapes our understanding even today.

The conversation highlights the four main Greek words translated as “love”—eros, philia, stergō, and agapē—and explores how the New Testament uses primarily just two: philia and agapē. The two examine how agapē emerges as a particularly Christian concept denoting not “emotion,” but an active, self-giving concern for others—even those outside one's immediate circle or tribe.

Dr. Ehrman dispels several popular misconceptions:
- The claim that Christianity invented “love” (it didn’t)
- The old stereotype that the Old Testament’s God was only wrathful
- The nuance lost in translation between Greek and English versions of “love”

Citing famous passages like the Parable of the Good Samaritan and commandments from Leviticus, Bart Ehrman explains how Jesus took the idea of neighborly love and expanded it—arguably to everyone, including enemies.

Three Key Takeaways:
- Love was a prominent and complex topic in the ancient world. Philosophers like Aristotle and Plato wrote extensively about love’s many meanings; Jewish scriptures also had love at their core.
- “Agapē” in the New Testament is not about emotions or feelings, but about acting in another’s best interests—even at cost to oneself. This represents a shift and intensification of the Jewish concept, which centered primarily on the community of Israel.
- Jesus’ teaching—especially “love your enemies”—is a radical call to universal compassion, not just affection for family or tribe. It’s an ethic that challenges even most modern readers.

Also watch these episodes:
Love Thy Stranger: The Radical Origins of Western Compassion
Love Thy Stranger: The Radical Origins of Western Compassion

Did Paul Accept the Teachings of Jesus?
Did Paul Accept the Teachings of Jesus?

Were Early Christians Known to Be Moral Reprobates?
Were Early Christians Known to Be Moral Reprobates?