The Greek original is
agape (ag-ap-ay), which, although a form of love, is distinct from:
*
eros - romantic love
*
storge - fond affection
*
philia - familial, or "brotherly", love.
with
agape being active and tender goodwill, Cherishing, hence the use of "Charity" sometimes.
The greek authors following the same line used in the Greek translating of the Hebrew Bible (called the
Sepuagint), where Hebrew has only one word for love but which is translated into Greek using different Greek terms in order to express different forms of love as recognised by the Greeks.
So, in 1 Cor 13, you can either say Love or Charity but the emphasis is one of Cherishing (which I think sounds better than charity and is less vague than love).
