psimmond, you wrote:The passage in John proves that both agapao (αγαπας) and phileo (φιλω) are transitive verbs. If you can command someone to agapao you, you can just as easily command someone to phileo you.
I don't question the
ability of commanding someone to be fond of you. But that command cannot be carried out, since emotions come and go, and we have little if any control over them. Don't you think that might be the reason that the writers of the New Testament do not use "φιλεω" for "love" when reporting the command to love?
Agapao does not mean divine love, or sacrificial love, or unconditional love; it just means love:
I have never claimed it to mean "divine love" or "unconditional love", but I do claim it to mean "love in action", and that usually if not always involves a greater or lesser degee of sacrifice. It is never a mere feeling.
2 Tim 4:10: for Demas has deserted me, because he loved (agapao) this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
Even here, "love" can mean action. In this case, it may have been more than merely being fond of worldly things. Perhaps Demas was devoted to the things of the world, so that he served these things even at the expense of other things that he should have been doing. There may have even been some self-sacrifice involved.
2 Sam. 13:15, LXX: After this [the rape of his sister], Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that the hatred he hated her with was greater than the love (agape/ahabah) he had loved (agapao/ahab) her with. “Get out of here! ” he said.
This seems to be the strongest support for your position. In reading the account, Amnon seemed to have only desire for his half-sister. I wouldn't call it even "fondness". Perhaps "αγαπαω" was used even for "desire" in the days in which the Septugint was translated.
And phileo does not just mean "fond of":
1 Cor 16:22: If anyone does not love (phileo) the Lord, a curse be on him. Marana tha that is, Lord, come!
John 5:20: For the Father loves (phileo) the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be amazed.
John 11:3: So the sisters sent a message to Him: “Lord, the one You love (phileo) is sick.”
John 16:27: For the Father Himself loves (phileo) you, because you have loved (phileo) Me and have believed that I came from God
How do you know that "φιλεω" means anything more than "like" or "is fond of" in all of these verses?