It can be seen there (as is the case elsewhere both in the New Testament and the Septuagint) that agape can simply be used to denote preference of using someone or something for a specific use to the neglect of another thing. Romans has an example of this use as well in Romans 9:13.
By saying we must agape God to the neglect of our parents what is really being said is we must prefer God even to the neglect of our own parents. We see this in Luke in comparing love for God to love for parents. However, it can also be used as a word of simple preference between two things and in this situation, it does not really indicate a self-sacrificial love at all but rather when choosing between two things and then preferring something (or someone) over something (or someone) else. When Agape is used as love that denotes preference of someone over your own wants and needs (self sacrificially) it gets an even fuller description by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. However, when used as a verb toward someone it indicates self-sacrificing love because what it is saying is you prefer the person above yourself. Therefore, it is not always used in sacrificial terms. Now with this in mind one must remember that the word Agape does indicate preference. In light of this, it is often associated with selfless or self-sacrificing love both of which are results of preferring or esteeming another above one’s self. However, it is more specific than our word love because it means a very specific aspect of love that involves preferring and/or esteeming another above oneself or in contrast to another or above all else depending on context. Agape – is a very well-known word that is commonly translated as love.
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