Answers to Correspondents: Greek Words; Scripture for Blood Shed for Sinners

From: Words of Faith: Volume 1

• 3 min. read • grade level: 6

21. Q.-What is the difference between ἀγαπάω and φιλέω? I am only quite a young Greek scholar, and know very little about it, yet I often get great help in understanding the scriptures from the Greek. 'Αλαπάω, seems, I think, the highest, for John only of the apostles uses it in his epistles, and a great many times in his gospel; and God is love (ἀγάπη), yet "the Father loveth (φιλεῖ) the Son." (John 5:20²⁰For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. (John 5:20).) (φιλέω), is translated kiss in three places. I am sure it is of importance to distinguish them. (2 Cor. 5:14¹⁴For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14); Eph. 3:14-19¹⁴For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; ¹⁷That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; ¹⁹And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:14‑19).) B. S.

A.—Αγαπάω, means "to love," and is used of God who loves His Son, and who so loved the world as to give His Son to die, and who loves His children. Christians are to love one another, and their enemies, for God is love; so, as born of Him, they are to manifest it. (1 John 4; Matt. 5:44⁴⁴But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44).)

φιλέω speaks rather of affection or attachment to a person, or an object. Thus the Pharisees loved (φιλέω) the uppermost seats at feasts (Matt. 23:6⁶And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, (Matthew 23:6)), and the world loves its own. (John 15:19¹⁹If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19).) So the Lord warns us against loving father or mother more than Him. (Matt. 10:37³⁷He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37).) Then we read that the Father loves the Son (φιλεῖ), and shows Him all that He does (John 5. -20); and He loved the disciples because they had loved the Son (John 16:27²⁷For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. (John 16:27)). Of the Lord we read, that whilst He loved (ἀγαπάω) the Philadelphian saints, He shows His love (φιλέω) to souls in rebuking and chastening where needed. (Compare Rev. 3:9⁹Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (Revelation 3:9) and 19.) One sees the import of the term used when addressing the Laodicean assembly. And we can understand the significance of it as used by Martha and Mary, when they sent to the Lord in their sorrow, and said, He whom thou lovest φιλεῖς is sick." (John 11:3³Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. (John 11:3).) And surely the term was well chosen, when the Jews at the grave, observing the Lord's emotion, said, "See how he loved him" (ἐφίλει). Peter's answer to the Lord's challenge is all in character, as he uses but one word of himself. He loved Christ (φιλέω), whatever his denial of Him might seem to imply. And in harmony with this is the apostolic word, "If any man love not (φιλεῖ) the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha." (1 Cor. 16:22²²If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. (1 Corinthians 16:22).)

A derivative of φιλεῖν is φιλημα,"a kiss." So καταφιλεῖλεῖν is "to kiss." How base the treachery of Judas to manifest special attachment to the One whose betrayal he had compassed! With the bearing of φιλεῖν before us, we can see the import of the compound φιλαδελφία, brotherly love; φιλαργνρία, love of money (1 Tim. 2:10¹⁰But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. (1 Timothy 2:10));φιλανθρωπία, love towards man (Titus 3:4⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, (Titus 3:4));φιλήδονος,, a lover of pleasure. (2 Tim. 3:4⁴Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (2 Timothy 3:4).) And one can see the force of the word used by James, when denouncing the friendship (φιλία) of the world as enmity with God.—(James 4:4⁴Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4).) C. E. S.

22. Q.-Do we get any expressions in scripture which give the same idea as one would get from reading the lines- "Who didst for sinners shed Thy blood:"- "Which He on Calvary spilled," &c.; which we find in the " Little Flock " hymn-book? T. A.