Agape vs. Phileo

[Paul Younan]

Shlama Akhay,

Much hoopla has been created by the Greek Primacist arguments regarding Yukhanan John 21:15-17, and how Meshikha is supposed to have played with the meanings of the Greek words for love - "Agape" and "Phileo".

The plain truth is that "Agape" and "Phileo" are merely synonyms! The reading of the Greek versions of Yukhanan 3:35 and 5:20 (same author\translator) makes this very clear!

• John 3:35 - the Father loves (Agapao) the Son
  John 5:20 - the Father loves (Phileo) the Son
  

Furthermore, we are told by the Greek primacists that "Phileo" supposedly means a more "friendly" type of "love", whereas "Agape" is more a "Godly" type of "love."

But how can "Phileo" simply be a "friend-ly" type of love when you consider the following verses in the GNT: ?

• Matt.10:37 He that loveth father or mother
  
  John 12:25 He that loveth his life
  
  Matt.23:6 love the uppermost rooms
  
  John 5:20 the Father loveth the Son
  
  John 16:27 the Father Himself loveth you
  
  John 20:2 the other disciple, whom Jesus loved
  
  Titus 2:4 women to be sober, to love their husbands
  

Conversely, how can "Agapao" be a "God-ly type of love" in light of the following verses in the GNT: ?

• John 12:43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise from God
  
  John 3:19 but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
  
  2 Pet 2:15 who loved the wages of wickedness.
  
  2 Tim 4:10 Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me...
  

Consider these two verses from the same Gospel of Yukhanan:

• Concerning John the beloved disciple:
  John 21:20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved (agapeo)...
  
  John 20:2 She came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved (phileo)...
  

And these from Luke:

• Luke 11:43 "...love (agapeo) the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market-places."
  
  Luke 20:46 "...love (phileo) to be greeted in the market-places and have the most important seats in the synagogues."
  

How can these two words be anything but synonyms? This Greek Primacist argument is simply devoid of any merit!