The adjective agapētos means beloved — one who is the object of deep, deliberate, covenantal love (agapē, G26). It is the adjectival form of the verb agapaō (G25), and it functions both as a direct address ('beloved friends') and as a designation applied to specific persons of supreme value.
The most exalted use of agapētos is the Father's declaration at Jesus' baptism and transfiguration: 'This is my Son, whom I love [agapētos]; with him I am well pleased' (Matt 3:17; 17:5). The word echoes the LXX of Genesis 22:2 where God says of Isaac, 'your beloved son' — the son of the promise, the son given for sacrifice. The identification of Jesus as the agapētos son places Him as the true Isaac, the one who was not spared but given (Rom 8:32). Paul and John apply agapētos to all believers: because we are 'in Christ,' we share in the Father's love for the Son. 1 John 4:7–11 draws the ethical consequence: 'Dear friends [agapētoi], let us love one another, for love comes from God.' Our identity as beloved ones compels us to become loving ones.