Graymere church of Christ

Love ~ John 21:15-17

12/6/2017
Wednesday Morning Men’s Bible Class

Setting the Stage

English translations use the one word LOVE for two different Greek words

Those who dig into the Greek text of John 21 quickly discover that John uses two different words for “love.” Jesus' first two questions use the word agape. Jesus' third question and all three of Peter's responses use the word philia.

“Do you love (agape) me?”
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love (philia) you.”
“Do you love (agape) me?”
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love (philia) you.”
“Do you love (philia) me?”
“You know that I love (philia) you.”

The question arises: What is the difference between agape and philia? What’s really going on in the conversation that doesn't come across in English?

Ἀγάπη or Ἀγαπάω (Agapē or Agapaō)

a. Definition:
i. Agapē is called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved. It is a love of esteem, of evaluation. It has the idea of prizing. It is the noblest word for love in the Greek language.
ii. Agapē is not kindled by the merit or worth of it’s object, but it originates in it’s own God-given nature. God is love.
iii. It delights in giving.
iv. This love keeps on loving even when the loved one is unresponsive, unkind, unlovable, and unworthy. It is unconditional love.
v. Agapē desires only the good of the one loved. It is a consuming passion for the well-being of others.
b. Usage:
i. There are only a few known occurrences of this word love outside of the bible. In other words, this word was not used very often in extra-biblical writings.
ii. It is used approximately three hundred and twenty times in the New Testament.
c. Selected References:
John 3:16, 3:35, 13:34, 14:15, 15:9, 15:13; Romans 5:5, 13:8-10; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 3:17, 4:2, 4:15, 5:2, 5:25; Col. 3:14; 1 Thess. 3:12, 4:9-10; 1 Peter 4:8

Φιλἐω (Phileō)

a. Definition:
i. Phileō is a companionable love.
ii. This love speaks of affection, fondness, or liking.
iii. Kenneth Wuest says, “It is a love that is called out of one’s heart as a response to the pleasure one takes in a person or object.”
iv. Phileō is a love that responds to kindness, appreciation, or love. It involves giving as well as receiving; but when it is greatly strained, it can collapse in a crisis.
v. Phileō is a higher love than eros because it is our happiness rather than my happiness.
vi. This love is called out of one’s heart by qualities in another.
b. Usage:
i. It is used in a number of times in its noun and verb forms in the New Testament.
ii. In John 21:15-17, it is contrasted with agape love.
c. References:
Matt. 6:5, 10:37, 23:6, 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 20:46, 22:47; John 5:20, 11:3, 36, 12:25, 15:19, 16:27, 20:2, 21:15, 21:16-17; 1 Cor. 16:22; Titus 3:15; Rev. 3:19, 22:15 (see also Titus 2:4 philandros and philoteknos)

What treasure might we mine from this passage?

Note the following observations, which could easily be made from the English text.

Setting: The scene takes place at a charcoal fire (John 21:9), the same setting where Peter denied Jesus three times (John 18:18). By no accident, charcoal fires appear in only these two scenes in John’s Gospel.

Flow: Peter begins the chapter chasing his former vocation as a fisherman (John 21:3). Jesus wants to turn him into a shepherd (John 21:15-17). Peter gets it. Later, when he instructs church elders, he doesn't call them to be fishers of men. He commands them to shepherd the flock of God (1 Pet. 5:1-2).

Model: Jesus wants Peter to follow him (John 21:19b). Peter should be a shepherd like Jesus was (John 21:15-17), which means dying for the good of the sheep, just like Jesus did (John 21:18-19, 10:11-15).

John 21 shows Jesus restoring and commissioning Peter for sacrificial leadership in the church. This much is clear even in translation.