[B-Greek] Synonymous(?) verbs in John 21:15-17

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Mon Jul 14 13:42:35 EDT 2008


I really didn't mean to send off this message without a subject-header.

On Jul 14, 2008, at 1:39 PM, Carl Conrad wrote:

>
> On Jul 14, 2008, at 12:30 PM, Greg Sahlstrom wrote:
>
>> Ron Fay,
>>
>> I appreciate the caution you expressed in your email (below), but
>> since Jesus and Peter use the same word for love until the very end
>> of the dialogue where Jesus changes and uses the word Peter had been
>> using, couldn't one also conclude that the change of word is
>> significant?  How would one know that it is otherwise?
>
> You pays your money and you takes your choice! There's no more  
> reason to believe that the change of word is significant than there  
> is to believe it is not significant. As has been noted, the final  
> command switches three times: BOSKE TA ARNIA MOU (vs. 15), POIMAINE  
> TA PROBATA MOU (vs. 16), BOSKE TA PROBATA MOU (vs. 17). Peter is  
> bidden to be Jesus' Shepherd, whether he BOSKEI or POIMAINEI and  
> whether the flock are termed ARNIA or PROBATA, whether he FILEI  
> Jesus or AGAPAi Jesus.
>
>>
>> Be careful with distinctions between the kinds of love in John simply
>> because
>>  John will often change words for stylistic variation rather than
>> for actual
>>  change in meaning. The most common mistake is made in the epilogue
>> to the
>>  Fourth Gospel where Jesus is "reinstating" Peter. Yes, the word
>> love changes
>>  from FILEW (twice) to AGAPAW. At the same time, please note that
>> the words for
>>  sheep and feed change also, and I really doubt anyone holds to the
>> theological
>>  significance of those words.
>>
>> Yes, John changes "types" of love, but it
>>  does not necessarily mean
>>  anything.
>>
>> ________________________________________________
>> Ron C. Fay, PhD
>> Cornerstone Community Church
>> Wadsworth, IL
>> roncfay at hotmail.com
>>
>> ---
>> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
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>
>
> Carl W. Conrad
> Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
>
>
>




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