John 21:15-17
I read this passage this morning and thought one of the notes about it from my study Bible (Life Application Study Bible, 1991) to be really insightful. I just love hearing about and understanding the original greek--seems to unfold new meaning. So here's the passage and the note.
John 21:15-17 (New International Version)
than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all
things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
Note: "Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. The first time Jesus said, 'Do you truly love (Greek agape: volitional, self-sacrificial love) me more than these?'; The second time, Jesus focused on Peter alone and still used the word translated into Greek, agape. The third time, Jesus used the word translated into Greek, phileo (signifying affection, affinity, or brotherly love) and asked, in effect, 'Are you even my friend?' Each time Peter responded with the word translated into Greek as phileo. Jesus doesn't settle for quick, superficial answers. He has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. Peter had to face his true feelings and motives when Jesus confronted him. How would you respond if Jesus asked you, 'Do you truly love me?' Do you really love Jesus? Are you even his friend?
Greek is fun and it's neat to look for nuances like this, however, there are other scholars out there who don't believe there is a distinction between the different "love" verbs, especially in this passage. (See Don Carson - Exegetical Fallacies, pp.52-53)
Recent scholarship has also called into question the semantic distinction between the words at all, rather noting that agape was becoming a more and more common word used for love (of any type) during that period of Hellenistic Greek.
If we started wondering about a distinction in the love verbs here, we'd also have to wonder about the significance of the different words he uses for sheep in the three questions. (First one "ta arnia" meaning(ish) "lambs", second two "ta probata" meaning "sheep").
All John really tells us here is that Christ asks Peter three times "do you love me?" An awesome parallel to the three times Peter denies Christ. Three time Christ entrusts his denier with the care and feeding of his flock. Wow...