Hi Steve: I think we mustn't forget that original conversation was not in Greek but in Hebrew or Aramaic. I doubt Jesus could make in those languages that distinction you point to. For example syraic Peshittah uses same word for "to love" three times. Dmitriy Reznik On Fri, 5 Jan 2001 22:26:52 -0500 "Steve Godfrey" writes: > My thanks to Carl Conrad for responding to my previous posting on > John > 21:15 and ff., and for pointing me toward previous postings > regarding John > 21, AGAPAO, and PHILEO. He asked insightfully, "What about the > other > synonyms?" After browsing through some of the previous postings, > and then > reflecting further on the text, I would like to offer the following > in > reply: > > Many argue that if there is to be a distinction made between AGAPAO > and > PHILEO that one must also hold out for a distinction between the > other > pairs of synomymns: OIDA/GINOSKO, VOSKO/POIMANO, ARNIOV/ PROBATON. > There > is a distinction between these terms that brings the emotional > significance of this entire exchange into full relief. > > Jesus puts his first question to Peter in the simplest possible > terms. > Feeding lambs is not difficult. One need only be able to hold a > bottle of > milk while cradling the little beast. And yet, to this simple > requirement, Peter hedges in reply, by using a synonym for 'love' > that by > implication falls short of the full love Jesus has in mind. The > reason > Peter hedges is that he is ashamed of the way that he denied Christ > previously. He considers himself damaged goods, never again to be > as > useful to his master as he was before his great fall. > > Jesus understands, and therefore graciously raises the stakes of > what he > has in mind in the second round. He repeats the question unchanged, > insisting on his own term: Peter, do you AGAPAO me? Again Peter > hedges > with PHILEO, stubbornly refusing to take Jesus on the Jesus' own > terms. > > So the third time, to show Peter just how much he is loved, and just > how > valuable he remains to the kingdom of God, Jesus switches to Peter's > term > of preference. "Okay, Peter, do you PHILEO me?" Peter was hurt > both > because his second response wasn't considered sufficient, and > because > Jesus had now lowered the standard, and was seeming to question > Peter's > integrity even at this reduced level of love. So Peter answers, > "Lord you > know all things, you know innately (GINOSKO) that I love you." > Peter here > appends a synonym to OIDA for passionate emotional emphasis. Jesus > then > grants affirmation and grace in how he phrases his third charge. He > switches back from "shepherd" to "feed", while keeping "sheep" > instead of > "lambs". It is to say, "Peter, what I am asking you to do you can > do, > because you do love me, and because sheperding my sheep involves > little > more than feeding them. In the most poetic language possible, the > author > (John) has Jesus saying to Peter, "My dear son, I believe in you." > And > in so doing, Jesus has affirmed Peter the same number of times that > Peter > had denied Christ. The grace of Christ is sufficient to cover even > our > most egregious sins. > > Those who doubt must be able to justify their view by reading the > passage > out loud in Greek. The biblical text is not a lab rat to be cut up > and > analyzed word by word. It is literature, and literature can only be > understood when viewed in totality. One does not understand Van > Gogh by > comparing one brush stroke to another, but rather by taking in the > glorious combinations of subtle stroking and shading in composition. > In > John 21, we are given a portrait of the restoring grace of Christ. > > Conclusion > A distinction between PHILEO and AGAPAO is intended. However, the > distinction is not grounded in the innate meanings of the words, > which are > indeed very close synonyms. The distinction is in how Peter was > responding to Jesus, with a term other than the one Jesus used in > his > question. Whatever term Peter might have used in the actual Aramaic > is > not germane: the point is that John, the author, has something > important > to say in Greek. John wants to say that while we may shirk from the > perfect love of Jesus, the Lamb of God is nevertheless gracious > enough to > come to us and to restore us beginning at the level of love of which > we > are currently capable. > > Steve Godfrey > > --- > B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek > You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [reznik1@juno.com] > To unsubscribe, forward this message to > leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu > To subscribe, send a message to > subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu > > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. --- B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu