Recently I studied the use of PNEUMATIKA by Paul.
This word is generally rendered as spiritual.
However, in most English translations of 1 Cor. 12:1,
14:1 and 14:37 it is rendered as "spiritual gifts"
Now, BAGD, Mounce and NIDNTT (ed. Brown) all give
"spiritual gifts" as a possible/probable rendering.
However, Louw and Nida (which in my opinion is the
best NT lexicon available) and Thayers give no such
rendering.
When comparing how PNEUMATIKA is used in these
verses with other uses in the NT, "spiritual gifts" seems
a very strange rendering.
PNEUMATIKA appears in 21 verses of Paul's letters:
3 in Romans, 12 in 1 Corinthians, 1 in Galations,
3 in Ephesians and 2 in Colossians.
These are the ones in question
1 Cor 12:1 PERI DE TWN PNEUMATIKWN ADELFOI OU QELW UMAS
AGNOEIN
1 Cor 14:1 DIWKETE THN AGAPHN ZHLOUTE DE TA PNEUMATIKA
MALLON DE INA PROFHTEUHTE
1 Cor 14:37 EI TIS DOKEI PROFHTHS EINAI H PNEUMATIKOS
EPIGINWSKETW A GRAFW UMIN OTI KURIOU ESTIN
ENTOLH
Again, the only places it is rendered "spiritual gifts" is
in 1 Cor 12:1, 14:1 and 14:37 and note that 1 Cor 12-14
is one large complete discourse.
Also note that in Romans 1:11 ... INA TI METADW XARISMA
UMIN PNEUMATIKON EIS TO STHRIXQHNAI UMAS
is rendered as "so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to
make you strong" BUT this contains the actual word for gift
XARISMA. Whenever Paul directly speaks of spritual gifts he uses
XARISMA - except for the verses in 1 Cor.
Now the question I have is WHY? And my answer at the moment
is that I don't believe Paul was talking directly about spiritual
gifts but about using gifts in a spiritual way with a spiritual attitude.
Looking at the complete discourse of 1 Cor 12-14 and Paul's
introduction to the topic: "Now, about spirituality (or spiritual
matters),
brothers I don't want you to be ignorant." It seems that the Corinthians
were a pretty sad bunch who weren't very spritiual but rather very
self-centered. They pushed themselves and their own gifts rather than
building up the church. The issue is the misuse of gifts or using your
gift with a wrong motive and wrong attitude. But the focus is on
acting in a spiritual way - a way that edifies the whole church and
not just the individual - this is the "more excellent way" in 1 Cor 13.
Therefore my translations of the Corinthian verses would be:
12:1 Now about spirituality, brothers I do not want you to be
ignorant.
14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spirituality -
and especially that you may prophesy.
14:37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him
acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's
command.
I'd appreciate anything you scholars have to say about the above.
XARIS KAI PHILOS
cheers,
Andrew
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Andrew S. Kulikovsky B.App.Sc(Hons) MACS
|
| Software Engineer
| British Aerospace Australia
| Technology Park, Adelaide
| ph: +618 343 8211
| email: akulikov@baea.com.au
|
| What's the point of gaining everything this world has
| to offer, when you lose your own life in the end?
|
| ...Look to Jesus Christ
|
| hO IESOUS KURIOS!
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