Re: Love me more than these?

From: wes.williams@twcable.com
Date: Tue Jun 25 1996 - 19:09:25 EDT


Carl,

>>Number 2.
>> Yet, understanding John 21:15 in this way requires
>>that an unstated verb be implied, such as "Do you love me more than these
>>[do]?"
>>But such an extra verb is not in Jesus' question, and it presents
>>grammatical difficulties.

>>Could it be, then, that Number 3 was what Jesus was asking, 'Do you love
>>me more than these things, such as the fish?' This possibility fits
>>the way the question is phrased in Greek, for Peter was being asked to choose
>>between two things (between Jesus and "these").
     
     
>On the other hand, if TOUTWN refers to "fish," two questions arise in my
>mind.
     
>(2) The other question strikes me as more serious: would one really be
>likely to use _either_ FILEW _or_ AGAPAW with an implicit "fish" or
>"things like that" as an object to express a PREFERENCE? Even assuming
>AGAPAW involves a "valuation" of its object, is the word used of a
>relationship toward "things" or only of a relationship with people? And if
>FILEW refers to either friendly afection or to familial love, is it the
>appropriate word to express a greater commitment to fishing than to Jesus?
>Somehow the verb seems wrong to express this meaning.
     
     Good questions, agreed. But I'm remembering the use of agapaw with
     "things" like kosmos and aiwn.
     2 Tim 4:10 "Demas has forsaken me because he agaphsas the aiwn"
     1 John 2:15 "Me agapte ton kosmon" Do not be loving the kosmos.
     
     As for making a choice, would this not be similar to Jesus' use of
     agapaw in Matt 6:24? No one can slave for two masters, for either he
     will hate the one and the other agaphsei... You cannot slave for God
     and for riches (mammon). The preference to loving riches more than
     God was expressed with agapaw (but not filew).
     
     I agree with you that I'm somewhat uncomfortable with "filew" with
     "things", but based on these examples, I would think that agapaw would
     be the proper word (but not filew) to express the thought in Greek "Do
     you love me more than your career?", wouldn't it?
     
     Sincerely,
     Wes



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