Ambiguity: God’s Love for Us / Our Love for God
Classes are canceled because of the winter storm warning, so I’ve been reviewing today’s Greek lesson. Here’s an issue that came up:
ὃς δ’ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται ἐν
–1 John 2:5
Does the phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ mean “God’s love for us” or “our love for God”? For the phrase can may be translated as “the love of God”, just as where the ESV reads “but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.”
It seems that the genitive phrasing in this sentence is ambiguous in the Greek. Certainly, there is a significant difference in meaning, going from the love of God for us to our love for God. But what did the Apostle John really intend to say? What did he mean?! What has truly been perfected in him who keeps His word?
Hmmmm
