When love is mentioned in the
New Testament, what does it mean?
"So when they had broken their fast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than
these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' Jesus said
to him, 'Feed my lambs.'
"A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Tend my sheep.'
"He said to him the third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' And he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.' "
- John 21: 15 - 19 -
"A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Tend my sheep.'
"He said to him the third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' And he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.' "
- John 21: 15 - 19 -
The chief benefit of being able to read the Greek New Testament is
that the Christian disciple is able to see for him or herself exactly
what was said, and the precise words used, in the original
manuscripts.
Those who are not able to read the Greek labor under the assumption that Jesus cross-examined Peter as a rebuke to Peter's having denied knowing the Christ after his Master was arrested. While that is partially true, there is however a deeper connotation to Jesus' asking and repeating the question.
The Greeks, at that time, had three words for love. The first is philios, which means brotherly love. The second is eros, which means sexual love. The third is agape, which means Godly, spiritual love. Eros is not to be found in the Greek New Testament. The Greeks were so subtle in their use of language that, unfortunately, that subtlety was initially missed when the New Testament was translated from the original Greek into English. Most Christians today go through their entire spiritual life never having known of the deeper implication contained in John's passage above.
In the Greek, in the first two instances of Jesus' query, the word philios is used. In the third question, the word agape is used; and while on the surface it may be a tenuous difference, however, for a Christian disciple it is not a minor issue but, in fact, the most profound of differences. Even Peter had trouble discerning which love Jesus was looking for in his question; for he responded twice with philios - brotherly love. This is not what Jesus wanted to hear from his chief apostle.
What Jesus was looking for from Peter was a verbal commitment of love at a level so deep that it would transcend everything; and a glimpse of that 'everything' quickly followed as Jesus indicated to Peter the kind of death by which he, Peter, would glorify God. To consciously undergo death in the name of Jesus Christ would require much more of Peter than just brotherly love. Brotherly love is to be expected of civilized man - not necessarily God-fearing man - but a socially restrained and cultured man who has been 'civilized' by law and the wise avoidance of physical and verbal violence.
Agape. What is agape love? It is the supreme love that exists between the Christian disciple and his or her Lord and Master, Jesus. People will talk about agape love, and to some extent try to emulate it within their church communities, but this form of love cannot be shared between humans, but only shared - intimately - between the disciple and Jesus. Yet, the Greeks knew of the existence of such a love, and had quoined the word before the advent of the man Jesus. Previous to Jesus, the Greeks were well aware of the special relationship man could have with the gods. A relationship that would prove difficult to put into words and, thus, as the saying goes, 'The Greeks had a word for it': agape. Therefore, when writing of the special love Jesus had for Peter, and Peter's final admission that he, also, shared that special love for his Master, John made use of the only word in existence that would fully convey the meaning of deep, spiritual God love.
What does this mean for the Christian disciple? It means that you must love Jesus more than anything else in your life - including yourself. Now, that's fairly easy to say, but such love may prove to exact a toll that right now is unimaginable. Here is what Jesus said, "Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 'Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple...." - Luke 14: 25 - 26
I will be the first to admit, Jesus' demand here is draconian. Even though the word 'hate' is shockingly disturbing to anyone reading the passage, if personal emotions are brought under control and consideration is given to the premise, how else can a Christian disciple give his or her all to Jesus without placing their love for themselves, or their family, on a different plane? It cannot be done, and it is the same thing as serving two masters. Again, it cannot be done. Hate one's mother?! Outrageous! Yet, if Jesus - via the Holy Spirit residing within the disciple - says, 'Do this.' and mother says, 'Not to do that,' who is the disciple to follow? Mother or Jesus? I will leave the answer for you to discern. Being a Christian disciple is the toughest job a believer will ever have. To follow up on what Jesus said above, the next sentence in Luke's passage reads, " 'Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.' " The hating of one's family - even our own life - is one such cross the Christian disciple must carry. There's no way around it.
Perhaps now the reader is beginning to grasp the full meaning of agape.
Those who are not able to read the Greek labor under the assumption that Jesus cross-examined Peter as a rebuke to Peter's having denied knowing the Christ after his Master was arrested. While that is partially true, there is however a deeper connotation to Jesus' asking and repeating the question.
The Greeks, at that time, had three words for love. The first is philios, which means brotherly love. The second is eros, which means sexual love. The third is agape, which means Godly, spiritual love. Eros is not to be found in the Greek New Testament. The Greeks were so subtle in their use of language that, unfortunately, that subtlety was initially missed when the New Testament was translated from the original Greek into English. Most Christians today go through their entire spiritual life never having known of the deeper implication contained in John's passage above.
In the Greek, in the first two instances of Jesus' query, the word philios is used. In the third question, the word agape is used; and while on the surface it may be a tenuous difference, however, for a Christian disciple it is not a minor issue but, in fact, the most profound of differences. Even Peter had trouble discerning which love Jesus was looking for in his question; for he responded twice with philios - brotherly love. This is not what Jesus wanted to hear from his chief apostle.
What Jesus was looking for from Peter was a verbal commitment of love at a level so deep that it would transcend everything; and a glimpse of that 'everything' quickly followed as Jesus indicated to Peter the kind of death by which he, Peter, would glorify God. To consciously undergo death in the name of Jesus Christ would require much more of Peter than just brotherly love. Brotherly love is to be expected of civilized man - not necessarily God-fearing man - but a socially restrained and cultured man who has been 'civilized' by law and the wise avoidance of physical and verbal violence.
Agape. What is agape love? It is the supreme love that exists between the Christian disciple and his or her Lord and Master, Jesus. People will talk about agape love, and to some extent try to emulate it within their church communities, but this form of love cannot be shared between humans, but only shared - intimately - between the disciple and Jesus. Yet, the Greeks knew of the existence of such a love, and had quoined the word before the advent of the man Jesus. Previous to Jesus, the Greeks were well aware of the special relationship man could have with the gods. A relationship that would prove difficult to put into words and, thus, as the saying goes, 'The Greeks had a word for it': agape. Therefore, when writing of the special love Jesus had for Peter, and Peter's final admission that he, also, shared that special love for his Master, John made use of the only word in existence that would fully convey the meaning of deep, spiritual God love.
What does this mean for the Christian disciple? It means that you must love Jesus more than anything else in your life - including yourself. Now, that's fairly easy to say, but such love may prove to exact a toll that right now is unimaginable. Here is what Jesus said, "Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 'Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple...." - Luke 14: 25 - 26
I will be the first to admit, Jesus' demand here is draconian. Even though the word 'hate' is shockingly disturbing to anyone reading the passage, if personal emotions are brought under control and consideration is given to the premise, how else can a Christian disciple give his or her all to Jesus without placing their love for themselves, or their family, on a different plane? It cannot be done, and it is the same thing as serving two masters. Again, it cannot be done. Hate one's mother?! Outrageous! Yet, if Jesus - via the Holy Spirit residing within the disciple - says, 'Do this.' and mother says, 'Not to do that,' who is the disciple to follow? Mother or Jesus? I will leave the answer for you to discern. Being a Christian disciple is the toughest job a believer will ever have. To follow up on what Jesus said above, the next sentence in Luke's passage reads, " 'Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.' " The hating of one's family - even our own life - is one such cross the Christian disciple must carry. There's no way around it.
Perhaps now the reader is beginning to grasp the full meaning of agape.
© Copyright 2009 - Donald Neal McKay - The MISSION DISCIPLESHIP