[b-greek] Sorting out the slight distinctions of John 21 Synonyms

From: virgil newkirk (virgilsalvage1@email.msn.com)
Date: Tue Jan 09 2001 - 01:37:25 EST


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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First let me disagree with my subject header. There
is indeed a great and significant difference between these seeming synonyms.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The further we go into the
New Testament, the more this distinction is brought to be. Look for example at 1
John 4:8 where John makes the awesome declaration that actually described AGAPE
when he says, " The very&nbsp;God is existing as the very ( dative case,
singular ) personification of AGAPE." Yes, God is AGAPE, hence whatever AGAPE
is....it can be seen by looking at who and what God is. PHILEO indeed may be and
is friendship, love, connection, commitment, warmth, fondness, and quite
possibly many other things that one might find in relationship with others. Yet
John never says...God is PHILEO. Jesus never charged us with a new charge that
we were to have PHILEO for one another. However He did issue a new charge that
we are to AGAPE one another. Just one more example to add to the discussion that
I think has clearly shown with many examples that there must be a distinction.
So, what is it? What does AGAPE mean? IF we define this,it must fit with what
happened there in John 21:15. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; AGAPE is....a
directing of the will of such an extent that it is a directing and projecting of
the very being of a person. It is, as some have mentioned something of the will,
of choice, ultimately expressing the very nature and constitution of someone
that contains their intents and purposes. According to Stauffer in Kittel's vol.
1, page 36...in the word AGAPE the Greek finds nothing of the power or magic of
EROS, and little of the warmth of PHILEO. It means to be satisfied with
something, often it means " to receive "&nbsp; or " to greet ". He goes on to
say on page 37...AGAPE is a love which makes distinctions, choosing and keeping
to it's object.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Richard Trent in his
Synonyms of the New Testament points out that as far back as the Vulgate...AGAPE
is translated by the Latin..`" diligo " ( esteem ) and for PHILEO..." amo " (
love ). " Diligere " = " deligere " to choose " expresses an intellectual
attachment of choice and selection. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Spiros Zodhiates in
his Complete Word Study of the New Testament Lexical Aids says of AGAPE....It is
God's willful direction towards man. Concerning AGAPAO he says...it indicates a
directing of the will.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But, as has
been pointed out...what about the Pharisee's AGAPE concerning seats and
greetings? What about Demas's AGAPE as concerns the world? Ah...can you see in
just these two examples the definition of AGAPE as being the very directing of
ones will? The very projecting of who and what one is...or perhaps has become.
It seems obvious to me that there are definitely two kinds of AGAPE. What's the
difference?&nbsp;One has become damaged and polluted and one is God Himself as
shown in John 3:16...For God in such a manner EGAPESEN ( directed His will and
projected His being ) the world, that it resulted in Him&nbsp;giving His One and
Only Son, that whoever believes into Him may not end up destroyed, but be having
eternal Life by taking hold of eternal Life. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There is an AGAPE
that has been corrupted and polluted by another god...one that Paul calls the
god of this world. Without the Life that is One who is Life, any AGAPE we end up
exercising fails us, misleads us, takes us over and ends up destroying us. Look
at Shechem in Gen 34 who AGAPAO Dinah.....resulting in a plot to takes what
belongs to Jacob.&nbsp;Look in 2 Sam 13 where Amnon very being is taken over by
his AGAPE for Tamar and once his being controlled by that polluted AGAPE takes
Tamar and invades and spoils her...he throws her away. This is not the real
AGAPE...it is a false, damaged, polluted something that masquerades as AGAPE
until it destroys you. Shechem and Amnon both were killed. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Peter thought that
he had AGAPE and had it more than anyone. He didn't realize that even the
strength of what he felt was poisoned, damaged, infected by the god of this
world. So by the time that he had failed the Lord multiple times and in the most
reprehensible ways, even though he had seen the Lord in Resurrection he still
wasn't used to or perhaps even aware of what&nbsp;had happened that evening in
John 20:21, 22 when Jesus said, " As the Father has sent me, in the same way I
am sending you and when He had said this He breathed on them and said...Receive
you the Holy Spirit. Peter and all the disciples received the very&nbsp;God who
is being the very personification of AGAPE and everything else that God ever was
and is and will be. However they weren't used to that and as yet did not know
how to live by that. A good illustration of this was that Thomas wouldn't
believe until he sees the proof. That didn't mean that Jesus wasn't really
alive, it just affected what Thomas experienced. The same with Peter and
Nathaniel and Thomas and the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples that
somehow even though they had seen Jesus in Resurrection, ended up about 120
miles away over some period of time and were apparently back in the fishing
business. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now we are at the
setting of John 21:15-17, and this is where the first premise that we made has
to fit in. Is there a distinction between AGAPAW and FILEW. There is Peter,
leading his fellow brothers back into the fishing business and there's plenty of
proof that it is not what they are supposed to be doing. No fish. I don't know
if Peter's naked because he is working so hard he can't stand having his clothes
on or what. Maybe he's getting a little crazy over his frustration of not having
any success, he's torn his clothes off and is cussing and swearing like he did
the night he denied the Lord three times. Whatever it was it was bad because
when the Lord from His position on the shore chided them with, " Children! You
don't have any! ( present indicative active...hard to tell sometimes whether it
is a declaration or a question. ) and they being affected by that responded in
the affirmative...no. Then we He added His effect to their situation and
directed them to the fish, the one disciple that had in a specific and special
way been the object of the directing of the will of the Lord (AGAPE) and hence
had some insight the others didn't have apparently...said, to Peter ( who had
led them into this ) IT IS THE LORD! That was enough for Peter. Talk about being
exposed and centerstaged! He did what I did as a small boy when I had not come
in before dark, I was so scared to come in and get in trouble that I stayed
outside curled up by the stairs while it was getting&nbsp;later and later and
all the while I was getting more and mored scared to come in. Until finally, I
just had to come in and face the music, because after all I did want to be
inside! This is what happened next. Peter clothes himself and jumps in the water
to hide or something. Maybe he kind of felt like dying, or at least hiding,
because everyone else headed for shore as quickly as they could. They were not
in the kind of defeat Peter was in. They came to land and went to Jesus,
apparently ignoring his imperative to bring some of the fish. They could
probably by that time have cared less about the fish...they were becoming
persuaded that this was really the Lord. Meanwhile, Peter had decided not to die
or at least that he couldn't stay forever out in the Sea of Tiberius, because as
he finally came up out of the water...he went for the fish! No one else did,
apparently. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now, imagine
after having eaten, after realizing that the Lord really is for real in His
Resurrection, after realizing how can it be so easy for me to leave the Lord
again and how can it be so easy that already I am just back having my own life
again and not only that, I lead " these " (this will be important in a minute)
brothers away with me too, Peter has to be in a serious quandry about what is
all this?&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And then the Lord
throws him a real curve by saying Simon (his old name) Peter (his new name)
genitive case JONA indicating Simon Peter you have been living lately as
characterized by what you have from your earthly father...although you still
have what you received from your heavenly Father (Peter and his realization of
who and what the Lord really is) then the real curve ball...Present Indicative
Active YOU ARE AGAPAO Me and it is an AGAPE that is the more love that you see
and think is in " THESE " others here that you know didn't fail me like you did!
Peter! TOUTON is in the genitive case which means it is doing the qualifying
here and it is more than what Peter thinks he has. Peter knows his own heart and
he won't deny what is there. It's not that other ( That directing of one's very
being...that state of being that cannot fail until it carries through) he knows
that's not what he has....but he does know that he is related to the
Lord....that he cares for the Lord....that in his own way he is as committed as
he can be to the Lord....but no....not that other thing...not AGAPE. However the
Lord is the One full of Grace and Truth and He knows for sure something that
Peter doesn't know or realize yet....and that is that the coming to him and the
others that Jesus had spoke of in John 14 that His going away was going to
accomplish had been accomplished and breathe into them on the evening of John
20:21,22. Jesus knew that in Peter...in his spirit, the very One who is being
AGAPE was now at home in his spirit. So, with confidence Jesus went on and
said...Feed my sheep! Jesus is the reality! He goes on to speak more from that
place. He said to Simon, you didn't get it...you are still the genitive of
Jona....Listen! YOU ARE AGAPAO me! Present...( right now ) Indicative..( it is
for sure ) Active ( you are doing the action of the verb but not in the Jona
born parts of you...but in the, from above born part of you).&nbsp; Yea Lord,
well no, not really but kind of ...you know I care for you, I want to be with
you, I FILEW you.&nbsp; But I'm nowhere near that directing of my will, being
able to project for sure and always my being to you. UH uh no way........Once
again the Lord only being able to come from a place of reality says....even
stronger Sheperd my sheep! Then the Lord being also...full of Grace begins to
let up on Peter after He reminds him again that he is still coming from his
genes ( genitive Jona ) knowing that Peter is safe in His Grace
and&nbsp;that&nbsp;God's purposes and Life will prevail in Peter, comes to the
place that Peter is still at and acknowledges, Peter you are ( present
indicative active ) FILEW me....I know your heart and position. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now, Peter
feels a part of himself that he isn't used to getting in touch with so
far...but&nbsp; having been in the Lord's presence and in the reality of His
speaking he begins to get in tune somewhat with his spirit, because when the
Lord says you are FILEW me, his spirit which contains the Lord, the Father and
the Spirit is pained, passively receiving a suffering because a description is
having to be made that is not reality but something that needs to be done for
Peter for the sake of his going on at the present. And he acknowledges...Lord
you absolutely know everything for what it really is and you know for sure that
I at the very least FILEW you. Jesus again speaks from a place of confindence
and reality...although He lightens up on Peter even in this....Feed ( not
sheperd ) my sheep. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As a final ( for the time
being ) encouragement to try to get Peter to his spirit and the concept that he
is really with and mingled with God and His purpose, He even tells him that not
only will you serve me all your life, but even right into and by your death.
Don't worry...things are going to be different. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is AGAPE that
is corrupted and weak and doomed to failure. There is all kinds of PHILEO. But
there really is only One AGAPE that is God Himself and that is what Jesus what
trying to get through to Peter. God has extended Himself to us and included us
and supplied Himself to us so that we can be filled full in the image that we
were created in. Filled with His Life. Knowing God...knowing
AGAPE...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Later in 2 Peter 1:1 He
passes on the same information concerning the reality that is in us when he
writes....." that what we have all received is exactly in portion and value what
he received...</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 John 4:16 And we have
come to the place of absolutely knowing and believing the directing of the will,
His very being that God is having in us. God is the very personification
of&nbsp;the directing of the will, of the very being, and the one who is
remaining in the directing of the will, the very being is remaining in God and
God is remaining in him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If&nbsp; you all would see
how this explains something we have all wondered about for so long and longed
for...wherever you find AGAPE in any of it's forms, try substituting the concept
or phrase if you will of...." The directing of the will "</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Having the hope that this has
CHRESTOS....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Virgil Newkirk&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Salt Lake City,
Utah</FONT></DIV>
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