Rick Brannan
Most folks are very familiar with the first part of John 3.16, “For God so loved the world”. In the OpenText.org Clause Analysis, that phrase is a Primary Clause (PC), and the word translated “loved” (ἀγαπάω) is the Predicator (P) of the Primary Clause.
Now, if you wanted to find other situations where the underlying Greek word (ἀγαπάω) is used similarly, you could search the New Testament for all instances of ἀγαπάω. You’d find over 100 of them. Perhaps (as the below video assumes) you’re only interested in ἀγαπάω as it is used in the writings traditionally ascribed to John. You could search all of those out too; there are 72 of them (in 51 verses).
But if you did a syntax search and just looked for where a Primary Clause has ἀγαπάω as its predicator, you’d narrow your list down to 18 hits, and you’d know they’re used as the main verb in the primary clause.
Confused? That’s OK. I recorded a video showing all of this. It’s just under nine minutes long and is about 10.6 megs. Watch out, though, I’m getting over a cold so I’m a little congested.
Jason Stone
Brian Collins
Mark Barnes