Peter's 3 Answers

Some observe that by thrice allowing Peter to affirm his love for Him, Christ was giving Peter a chance to amend for his thrice-made denial that desperate night of the trial. See, for example, James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. (1916), 693; Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment,” Ensign,Nov. 2012, 83–84. For a discussion of the denial and lessons to be learned from it, see Gordon B. Hinckley, “And Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly,”Ensign, May 1979, 65–67; Neal A. Maxwell, “A Brother Offended,”Ensign, May 1982, 37–38. Other commentators, noting the subtle differences in the Greek of the text, suggest that the three questions were each asked to teach Peter different aspects and duties of his calling. Accordingly, the Savior twice asked Peter, “Lovest thou me?” using the Greek agapao for “love,” meaning a social or moral kind of love, often thought of as godly or unconditional love and elsewhere translated as “charity” (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13:1–4; 2 Peter 1:7; Revelation 2:19). The third time Jesus asked Peter, “Lovest thou me?,” He used the termphileo for “love,” meaning friendship, affection, or brotherly love. Interestingly, in answer to each of the three questions, Peter affirmed his love usingphileo. To the first affirmation of Peter’s love, Christ commanded him to “feed,” from the Greek bosko, meaning to pasture, graze, or nourish, His “lambs,” from the Greek arnion,meaning a young or baby sheep. To the second affirmation of Peter’s love, Christ commanded him to “feed,” from the Greekpoimaino, meaning to tend or shepherd, His “sheep,” from the Greekprobaton, meaning an adult sheep. In response to Peter’s third affirmation of love for Christ, he was tobosko His probaton.Thus, by asking the question three times in three ways, the Savior asked the disciple if he had both charity and brotherly love for Him, and in His subsequent commandments the Savior taught Peter that he was to not only nourish but also shepherd both the young and old of His flock.

“Whom Say Ye That I Am?”

By Terry B. Ball

Professor of Religious Education, Brigham Young University

Ensign Feb 2018 reference #6