Charity

Translation Notes · New Testament

Charity

ἀγάπη agapē · Strong's G26

The church’s old word for the love that comes from God and goes out to God and to men.

Modern versions: “love” (all modern versions)

The KJV renders agapē “love” 86 times and “charity” 28 times, most famously through 1 Corinthians 13. In 1611 “charity” meant far more than giving to the poor. It was the church’s word, from the Latin caritas of the Vulgate, for the love that God gives: love to God and to one’s neighbour for God’s sake.

Wycliffe’s English had already used it in 1 Corinthians 13 (“Charite is pacient”). Webster’s first sense in 1828 is still this one: “In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.” The translators’ preface says they kept “the old Ecclesiastical words,” and that they did not tie themselves “to an uniformity of phrasing” where one English word would not serve every place.

So the KJV has two words for one Greek word, and “charity” gathers where the apostles speak of love as the grace of the Christian life. Charity “never faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:8), is “the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:14), and is “the end of the commandment” (1 Timothy 1:5).

Where the King James Bible Has It

Romans 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.

Colossians 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

1 Thessalonians 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

1 Timothy 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Titus 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Peter 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

3 John 1:6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:

Jude 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Revelation 2:19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Sources

Wycliffe’s Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4 (c. 1390)

Charite is pacient, it is benygne; charite enuyeth not.

Checked against: Wikisource, 2026-10-16
The Latin Vulgate, 1 Corinthians 13:13

Nunc autem manent fides, spes, caritas, tria haec: maior autem horum est caritas.

Checked against: The Latin Library, 2026-10-16
Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), “Charity”

In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

Checked against: webstersdictionary1828.com, 2026-10-16
The Translators to the Reader, preface to the KJV (1611)

Another thing we think good to admonish thee of, gentle Reader, that we have not tied ourselves to an uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words.

Checked against: Wikisource, 2026-10-16