G5373 φιλία (philía)

Friendship (5373) (philia from philos = fondness and phileo = to have affection for, to kiss [a sign of this affection]) describes affection, tenderness (in the family), once for erotic love (in the Lxx use in Pr 7:18-note). The idea of philia is to have love or affection for someone or something based on association. It speaks of a friendship based on common interests and concerns. In the ancient world, friendship was used to describe special and exclusive relationship (cp use of philos in Lk 23:12) In James 4:4 philia pictures the readers as adopting the interests of the world as their own personal interests. In a sense philia pictures one falling in love with the world and that if you do this you will begin to hate God! We simply cannot have an affection for the world and for God at the same time. It is either one or the other, but not both. Mayor writes that philia involves "the idea of loving as well as being loved". TDNT writes that in common Greek use... The stem phil- is of uncertain etymology but carries the sense of “related.” Hence phileo means “to treat somebody as one of one’s own people.” It is used for the love of spouses, of parents and children, of employers and servants, of friends, and of gods and those favored by them. With reference to gods and friends it often has the concrete sense “to help,” “to care for,” “to entertain.” Philia means “love” or “friendship”...The strongest ties of philia are love of parents, brothers and sisters, or spouse. The term also denotes erotic love, both heterosexual and homosexual. Friendship is commonly the sense, with such nuances as a “pleasant relationship” and “hospitality.” In politics the word means “alliance.” In a transferred sense it means “harmony” as a principle of unity. PhilÃa becomes a proper name, e.g., for Isis. (Philia) Having Hebrew equivalents only in Proverbs (Pr 5:19; 10:12; 7:18; 15:17; 17:9; 27:5), this term may denote either erotic love (Pr. 5:19; 7:18) or political friendship (1Macc. 8:1; 2 Macc. 4:11). (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans) The 1828 Webster's Dictionary defines friendship as... An attachment to a person, proceeding from intimate acquaintance, and a reciprocation of kind offices, or from a favorable opinion of the amiable and respectable qualities of his mind. Friendship differs from benevolence, which is good will to mankind in general, and from that love which springs from animal appetite. True friendship is a noble and virtuous attachment, springing from a pure source, a respect for worth or amiable qualities. False friendship may subsist between bad men, as between thieves and pirates (Ed: As pictured by friendship with the evil, fallen World!). This is a temporary attachment springing from interest, and may change in a moment to enmity and rancor. The root verb phileo can also mean to treat somebody as one of one's own people. Phileo is used for the love of spouses, of parents and children, of employers and servants, of friends, and of Greek gods and those favored by them. James is describing an attitude which is marked by friendly, affectionate regard for the godless world. This is the only use of philia in the NT but there are 8 uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint, all in Proverbs... Proverbs 5:19-see notes As a loving (Lxx = philia) hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love (Lxx = philia) . Proverbs 7:18-see notes "Come, let us drink our fill of love (Lxx = philia) until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses. Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love (Lxx = philia) covers all transgressions. Proverbs 15:17 Better is a dish of vegetables where love (Lxx = philia) is, Than a fattened ox and hatred with it. Proverbs 17:9 He who covers a transgression seeks love (Lxx = philia), But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. Proverbs 19:7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends (Lxx = philia) go far from him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. Proverbs 25:10 Lest he who hears (Lxx = philia) it reproach you, and the evil report about you not pass away. Comment: Admittedly this is one of the Lxx uses which does not seem to make much sense, for here philia is used where the Hebrew is shama meaning to hear, listen, obey, etc. Proverbs 27:5 Better is open rebuke than love (Lxx = philia) that is concealed. James’ reference to friendship with the world closely parallels a phrase employed by Paul in 2Ti 3:4 (“lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”) and by John in 1John 2:15 (see below). Someone has well said that... Buying, possessing, accumulating is not worldliness. But doing so for the love of it, with no love of God paramount, doing it so that thoughts of eternity and God are an intrusion and doing it so that one’s spirit is secularized in the process, is in fact worldliness. J. I. Packer once said that... Those who love the world serve and worship themselves every moment: it is their full-time job. THE ENTICING ENEMY The Plymouth Brethren writer F B Hole comments that Jas 4:4... brings in another consideration. We cannot very well be set on our own pleasures without becoming entangled with the world. The world is, so to speak, the arena wherein pleasures disport themselves, and where every lust that finds a place in man's heart may be gratified. Now for the believer alliance with the world is adultery in its spiritual form. The apostle James is exceedingly definite on this point. The world is in a state of open rebellion against God. It was ever thus since man fell, but its terrible enmity only came fully to light when Christ was manifested. Then it was that the world both saw and hated Him and His Father. Then it was that the breach was irrevocably fixed. We are speaking, of course, of the world-system. If it be a question of the people in the world, then we read, "God so loved the world." The world-system is the point here, and it is in a state of deadly hostility to God; so much so that friendship with the one entails enmity as regards the other. The language is very strong. Literally it would read, "Whoever therefore is minded to be the friend of the world is constituted enemy of God." It does not say that God is his enemy, but the breach is so complete on the world's side that friendship with it is only possible on the basis of enmity against God. Let us never forget that! And let us also never forget that we, as believers, are brought into such close and intimate relations with God that if we play Him false and enter into guilty alliance with the world the only sin amongst mankind with which it can be compared is the very terrible one of adultery. (James)