--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There may come a time when it will be…" description: "\"There may come a time when it will be possible for you to humiliate your worst enemy or even to defeat him, but in order to love the enemy you must not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/martin-luther-king-jr-127_agape_there-may-come-a-time-when-it-will-be-po_2953320.png" --- # There may come a time when it will be possible for you to… ![“There may come a time when it will be possible for you to humiliate your worst enemy or even to defeat him, but in order to love the enemy you must not do it... The Greek language has another word [for love]. It calls it agape. Agape is more than romantic love. Agape is more than friendship. Agape…” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/martin-luther-king-jr-127_agape_there-may-come-a-time-when-it-will-be-po_2953320.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/martin-luther-king-jr-127_agape_there-may-come-a-time-when-it-will-be-po_2953320.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/martin-luther-king-jr-127_agape_there-may-come-a-time-when-it-will-be-po_2953320.png) > “There may come a time when it will be possible for you to humiliate your worst enemy or even to defeat him, but in order to love the enemy you must not do it... The Greek language has another word \[for love\]. It calls it agape. Agape is more than romantic love. Agape is more than friendship. Agape is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men. Agape is an overflowing love, a spontaneous love, which seeks nothing in return. And theologians would say that it is the love of God operating in the human heart. When you rise to love on this level you love all men, not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, not because they are worthful to you, but you love all men because God loves them. And you rise to the noble heights of loving the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. And I think this is what Jesus means when he says, “Love your enemies.”” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Agape love is selfless, unconditional goodwill toward all, even enemies, reflecting divine love. **In simple terms:** Selfless love for everyone, even enemies. Key Takeaway Practice unconditional compassion. Themes love forgiveness spirituality ethics Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal growth - community building - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts agape redemptive goodwill divine love Questions to Reflect On - How can you show love to someone who harms you? - What limits exist for unconditional love? A Different Perspective Loving enemies can be emotionally draining and may conflict with personal safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agape/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Goodwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodwill/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Human heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-heart/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-god/) [Love your enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-your-enemies/) [Loving your enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-your-enemies/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Romantic love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic-love/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Worst enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-enemy/) [Your soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-soul/) ## Related quotes > [Agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-is-something-of-the-understanding-creative-redemptive-goodwill/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Agape is disinterested love. . . . Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-is-disinterested-love-agape-does-not-begin-by-discriminating/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Divine love, agape, is self-sacrificing love, which sounds difficult, as it is, and not very attractive. If the best image we have of love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/divine-love-agape-is-self-sacrificing-love-which-sounds-difficult-as/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [“Holistic, unconditional love, agape, is the unity in which duality disappears. It is as if a certain internal boundary has vanished. With agape what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-edmund-helminski/holistic-unconditional-love-agape-is-the-unity-in-which-duality/) Kabir Edmund Helminski > [Agape doesn't love somebody because they're worthy. Agape makes them worthy by the strength and power of its love. Agape doesn't love somebody because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/agape-doesn-t-love-somebody-because-they-re-worthy-agape-makes-them/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“In the final analysis, agape means a recognition of the fact that all life is interrelated. All humanity is involved in a single process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/in-the-final-analysis-agape-means-a-recognition-of-the-fact-that-all/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [Fasting and feasting are universal human responses, and any meal, shared with love, can be an agape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-m-boulding/fasting-and-feasting-are-universal-human-responses-and-any-meal/) [Elise M. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-m-boulding/) > [Therefore, go out yee and share the God-kinda love (AGAPE) with everybody for Love covers up a multitude of sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingandipewa/therefore-go-out-yee-and-share-the-god-kinda-love-agape-with/) Ingandipewa > [Jesus is not an impractical idealist; he is the practical realist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/jesus-is-not-an-impractical-idealist-he-is-the-practical-realist/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There's another reason why you should love your enemies, and that is because hate distorts the personality of the hater. We usually think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-s-another-reason-why-you-should-love-your-enemies-and-that-is/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/hate-multiplies-hate-violence-multiplies-violence-and-toughness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Loving Your Enemies... Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this demand is an absolute necessity for the survival of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/loving-your-enemies-far-from-being-the-pious-injunction-of-a-utopian/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Agape quotes > [There's a term, agape, you hear used a lot with charismatic religious groups, that it's this more pure love of caring, of sharing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/there-s-a-term-agape-you-hear-used-a-lot-with-charismatic-religious/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Agape means recognition of the fact that all life is interrelated. All humanity is involved in a single process, and all men are brothers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-means-recognition-of-the-fact-that-all-life-is-interrelated-all/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There must be a stronger foundation than mere friendship or sexual attraction. Unconditional love, agape love, will not be swayed by time or circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kendrick/there-must-be-a-stronger-foundation-than-mere-friendship-or-sexual/) [Stephen Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kendrick/) > [“Agape love is strengthened by the person who expresses it - not by the person who receives it. In fact, the person who receives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-apollo/agape-love-is-strengthened-by-the-person-who-expresses-it-not-by-the/) Brian Apollo > [“Every action is a losing, a letting go, a passing away from oneself of some bit of one’s own reality into the existence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-mcgill/every-action-is-a-losing-a-letting-go-a-passing-away-from-oneself-of/) Arthur C. McGill > [“No doubt, God has placed you in the position to love the unlovely, whether or not you've been obedient to that command. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/no-doubt-god-has-placed-you-in-the-position-to-love-the-unlovely/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [What I am trying to say is that it is not without any value. The value of copies is that they can direct us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-it-is-not-without-any-value-the-value/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [My teenage children watched Senator Clinton on the Today Show, mouths agape. They attended our local caucus with me and saw hundreds of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoshana-zuboff/my-teenage-children-watched-senator-clinton-on-the-today-show-mouths/) [Shoshana Zuboff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoshana-zuboff/) > [“ Agape is disinterested love. It is a love in which the individual seeks not his own good, but the good of his neighbor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/agape-is-disinterested-love-it-is-a-love-in-which-the-individual/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“To agape,” we all echoed, raising our wineglasses and drinking to higher love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/to-agape-we-all-echoed-raising-our-wineglasses-and-drinking-to-higher/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [Agape is disinterested love. . . . Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-is-disinterested-love-agape-does-not-begin-by-discriminating/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“HE remembered looking "agape" in his encyclopedia volume after he read Dr. King's speech in the DEFENDER. The newspaper ran the address in full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/he-remembered-looking-agape-in-his-encyclopedia-volume-after-he-read/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [We must never stop dreaming. Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body. Many times in our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-must-never-stop-dreaming-dreams-provide-nourishment-for-the-soul/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Experience and Demonstrate the Agape Love, is far more than Gold - Go for it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/experience-and-demonstrate-the-agape-love-is-far-more-than-gold-go/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [“Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a great mother. She had so much of tenderness in her, so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/sissy-had-two-great-failings-she-was-a-great-lover-and-a-great-mother/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) [Browse all 71 Agape quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agape/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There may come a time when it will be possible for you to humiliate your worst enemy or even to defeat him, but in order to love the enemy you must not do it... The Greek language has another word [for love]. It calls it agape. Agape is more than romantic love. Agape is more than friendship. Agape is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men. Agape is an overflowing love, a spontaneous love, which seeks nothing in return. And theologians would say that it is the love of God operating in the human heart. When you rise to love on this level you love all men, not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, not because they are worthful to you, but you love all men because God loves them. And you rise to the noble heights of loving the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. 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