Re: Jn 21:15-17

From: Jack Kilmon (jkilmon@historian.net)
Date: Sun Apr 19 1998 - 12:40:57 EDT


McKay family wrote:
>
> I said:
> When I did a study on
> >> their use, I found that AGAPAW and FILEW are often used interchangeably
> in
> >> the Bible. The big distinctions people make between them are simply not
> >> sustainable. This is why many Bible translations choose to translate them
> >> both as simply "love."
>
> Jack replied:
> > Examples of AGAPAW as [preference for, regarding the welfare] can
> >be seen in Mt 5:43; Lk 7:5; Jn 11:5; Rom 13:8; 2Cor 11:11; Gal 5:14; Eph
> >5:25,28;
> >1Pet 1:22; and in many places depicting the love of Christians for one
> >another, the love of God to men; God to Jesus, or the love to a master.
> >AGAPAW involves the idea of affectionate reverence.
>
> But the NT also uses FILEW of the love of God to men and even of his special
> love for Jesus [John 5:20]. And the love of Christians for one another is
> sometimes called FILADELFIA [based on FILEW, not AGAPAW]
>
> And while John 11:5 uses AGAPAW of Jesus' love for the Bethany folk, in
> 11:36 the word for Jesus' love of Lazarus is FILEW.
>
> > FILEW is an inclination based on senses and emotion and includes,
> >unlike AGAPAW, a sexual love as well.
>
> But what kind of love was Shechem's love for Dinah [whom he had just raped],
> or Amnon's for Tamar [which led him to rape her] or Samson's for Delilah? In
> each case, the LXX uses AGAPAW.
>
> When John calls himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved" he uses both
> AGAPAW and FILEW. I don't think he is making fine distinctions here, but is
> using the words equivalently, and if you like, somewhat carelessly.
>
> When the word AGAPAW is used of the Pharisees' love of the place of honour
> in the synagogue, and of their love of men's praise rather than God's
> praise, isn't this a "love based on senses and emotion" and thus fitting the
> alleged definition of FILEW perfectly?
> Is this "affectionate reverence?"

        No, David...you are correct on these usages which represent a
deterioration of the original classic Greek usage of the two words and
the translational Greek usage for OT )xb. *Properly* (and this is the
key word} AGAPAN cannot be used (except by later writers like Plutarch
in Pericles 24, 12 p. 165e) for sexual love.

Jack

-- 
Dâman dith laych idneh dânishMA nishMA
   Jack Kilmon (jkilmon@historian.net)    
                                       
                      
 http://www.historian.net


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