Bible Dictionaries
Beloved

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

from agapao, "to love," is used of Christ as loved by God, e.g., Matthew 3:17; of believers (ditto), e.g., Romans 1:7; of believers, one of another, 1 Corinthians 4:14; often, as a form of address, e.g., 1 Corinthians 10:14 . Whenever the AV has "dearly beloved," the RV has "beloved;" so, "well beloved" in 3 John 1:1; in 1 John 2:7 , AV, "brethren" (adelphos), the RV has "beloved," according to the mss. which have agapetos. See DEAR.

in its perfect participle Passive form, is translated "beloved" in Romans 9:25; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 . In Jude 1:1 the best texts have this verb (RV); the AV, "sanctified" follows those which have hagiazo. See LOVE.

Note: In Luke 9:35 , the RV, translating from the most authentic mss., has "My chosen" (eklego), for AV, "beloved" (agapetos); so in Philemon 1:2 , "sister" (adelphe).