Read John 21 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
Joh 20:30-21:25 Chiastic Structure:
Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him more than these. What these? Whatever else there is: fame, fortune, family, or his own plans or person. Why three times? Peter denied Him three times at His trial.
The first two times He asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” He asked, “Do you agapeo Me? Do you love Me unconditionally, sacrifically, selflessly? Do you choose to love Me, regardless of convenience or emotion?” And Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, I love You. I phileo You.”
Phileo is one of the four Greek verbs which English translates as love.
1. Agapeo is a sacrificial love of choice regardless of emotions.
2. Phileo is a bond between brothers, or friends who are as brothers, with accompanying feelings.
3. Eros is a romantic love of passion.
4. Storge is a familial love between parents, children, siblings, and extended family.
The third time Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” He asked, “Do you phileo Me? Do you love Me merely as a friend or brother, but not sacrifically as I love you?” And this question upset Peter, because he understood that he had denied Jesus three times, and that Jesus downgraded the kind of love He asked of Peter. And Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, I love You. I phileo You.”
Then Jesus foretold that Peter would indeed learn to agapeo love Him, because he would stretch out his arms and be taken where he did not wish to go. Since John told us this is a prophecy of Peter’s death, you may be interested to learn that the Romans did eventually kill Peter because of his testimony of Christ. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion. And Peter, abhorred at the thought of dying in the same way that his Lord had died, asked to be crucified upside down. The traditional time of his death was during Roman emperor Nero’s reign, and his traditional burial site is in Rome where the Vatican now stands.
John outlived all the other apostles. Of the twelve, eleven were martyred, and only John died a natural death at an old age.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
What are the Four Main Greek Words for Love? – Jameson Steward
St. Peter the Apostle — Encyclopedia Britainnica
St. John the Apostle — Encyclopedia Britainnica
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