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phileo

phileo {fil-eh'-o}
Greek: verb

Possible Definitions:
1) to love; to approve of; to like; sanction; to treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend
2) to show signs of love; to kiss
3) to be fond of doing; be wont, use to do

Word Study on 5368 and 25

Richard C.H. Lenski, the famous German Scholar gives the
following word study for John 21:15-17

Jesus asks "Agapas me" and Peter responses "philo se". To this
day, despite the information long available regarding these two
words, some reverse the meaning of these two verbs and let
"agapan" refer to the lower form of love (the English "like")
and "philein" to the higher form. And they confuse the true
ideas, for they think of "agapan" only as love for a benefactor
and of "philein" as love for the person himself. Older
commenters think that the two verbs show no difference. An
appeal to the Aramaic is beside the mark. While Jesus here spoke
this language, the narrative is recorded in Greek. The Aramaic
may or may not have two verbs that are the exact counterpart of
those used in the Greek; every language has means at hand
besides bare verbs for indicating desired differences of
thought, such as are most decidedly indicated in the entire
section. (v.15-17)

The verb "agapan" is the love of intelligence, reason and
comprehension, coupled with the corresponding purpose; in this
its content it vastly outranks the other type of love. And
"philein" expresses the love of mere personal affection or
liking, including even the passions where the context requires,
and no intelligence or high purpose is involved; this content
places the verb on a low level. It could never be said of God
that He "philei" the sinful world; as far as "philein" is
concerned, he could only abominate the foul world. Jesus never
asked us to love our enemies in the sense of "philein"; he never
himself loved his enemies in this way. But "apapan" - yes, with
this love, did God love the world, and we can love our enemies,
comprehending all that is wrong, sanctifying the world,
converting our enemies. Compare John 3:16 and every other
passage in which either of the verbs is used in this Gospel.
Only in a few cases, where either type of love would apply,
either verb might be used; but even then the great distinction
would remain - the two are never equal.

(Commenting specifically on verse 17, Lenski adds): The wrong
kind of emphasis is placed on "the third time" by those who
fail to see the force of the third question because they
confuse "agapan" and "philein". What went to Peter's heart
was this verb "philein" in the final question, "Hast thou
affection for me?". When Jesus twice asked about the higher
love, once as to its degree compared with others and then about
its very presence, Peter with all due humility ventured to
assert only the lower form of love. But now in this third
question Jesus probed even for this lower love, of which Peter
felt so sure that for its presence in his heart he could appeal
to the omniscience of Jesus. This grieved him so deeply.

phileo {fil-eh'-o}

Greek: verb

from 5384;

Translated as:

love (22 times)

kiss (3 times)

Total: 25 times

Strong's Number 5368

TDNT - 9:113,1262