A question from a novice!

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Sun Mar 19 12:41:50 EST 2000


At 12:16 PM -0500 3/19/00, Jim West wrote:
>At 09:53 AM 3/19/00 -0500, you wrote:
>>In a message dated 3/19/2000 9:30:07 AM Central Daylight Time,
>>moon at saint.soongsil.ac.kr writes:
>>
>><<
>> I cannot pinpoint to it, but I sort of remember that in LXX,
>> AGAPAW is frequently used to express the love relationship
>> between men and women, even the one that is quite selfish.
>> If so, on what ground did you consider AGAPH as selfless love, self
>> sacrificing
>> love? >>
>>
>
>because thats how the NT uses it.  The original question did not ask about
>LXX usage- but about NT.
>
>Words have usage- not meaning.  Context is all important for determining
>meaning.  When the NT uses AGAPAW and its derivatives it is ALWAYS in the
>sense of self giving love which requires and expects nothing in return.
>That the LXX uses the word differntly is TOTALLY irrelevant to its NT usage.

The original question was, in fact: "I have a question on the definition of
AGAPH:  What distinguishes this word from other Greek words meaning love?"
Then a NT example was cited for the assumed meaning.

But I would be hesitant about so bold and sweeping a statement as, "When
the NT uses AGAPAW and its derivatives it is ALWAYS in the sense of self
giving love which requires and expects nothing in return." We've several
times had exchanges over the interchange of FILEW and AGAPAW in John 21,
and although I know that there are still those who hold that there is a
real distinction between the two words there, my impression is that there's
been a decided shift away from the majority that was once quite confident
of such a distinction.

Here's Louw & Nida:

25.43 AGAPAW; AGAPH, hH f: to have love for someone or something, based on
sincere appreciation and high regard - 'to love, to regard with affection,
loving concern, love. 'I give you a new commandment, that you love one
another' Jn 13:34;  'for he will hate the one and love the other' Lk 16:13;
'the Father loves the Son' Jn 3:35;  'for he loved us first' 1Jn 4:19.
AGAPH:  'love does not fail' 1Cor 13:8;  'a person who loves doesn't do
evil to his neighbor' Ro 13:10.
	Though some persons have tried to assign certain significant
differences of meaning between AGAPAW, AGAPH  and FILEW, FILIA (25.33), it
does not seem possible to insist upon a contrast of meaning in any and all
contexts. For example, the usage in Jn 21:15-17 seems to reflect simply a
rhetorical alternation designed to avoid undue repetition. There is,
however, one significant clue to possible meaningful differences in at
least some contexts, namely, the fact that people are never commanded to
love one another with FILEW  or FILIA, but only with AGAPAW and AGAPH.
Though the meanings of these terms overlap considerably in many contexts,
there are probably some significant differences in certain contexts; that
is to say, FILEW and FILIA are likely to focus upon love or affection based
upon interpersonal association, while AGAPAW and AGAPH focus upon love and
affection based on deep appreciation and high regard. On the basis of this
type of distinction, one can understand some of the reasons for the use of
AGAPAWw and AGAPH in commands to Christians to love one another. It would,
however, be quite wrong to assume that FILEW and FILIA refer only to human
love, while AGAPAW and AGAPH refer to divine love. Both sets of terms are
used for the total range of loving relations between people, between people
and God, and between God and Jesus Christ.
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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