Re: Santa Clause and the perfect tense . . .
Don Wilkins (don.wilkins@ucr.edu)
Mon, 18 Nov 1996 12:24:42 -0800
At 11:26 PM 11/17/96, Tom Launder wrote:
>Hello all,
>
...
>I once took comfort in my knowledge of verbal tenses, but now I see this
>Santa up close and smell his foul, alcohol-laiden breath. Having been
>on this list for some time and having purchased the best resources, I
>see that my understanding of present, aorist, and perfect need some
>serious help.
>
>So. . . all this to ask for some help in understanding the significance
>of the perfect tense in passages like John 5:24.
>
>"Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him
>who sent me has eternal life, and shall not come into judgement, but HAS
>PASSED from death to life."
>
>"ALLA METABEBHKEN EK TOU QANATOU EIS THN ZWHN"
>
>I have become hesitant to emphasize the perfect tense, but doesn't this
>passage ooze exegetical honey? How do I approach this in preaching?
>Can I really emphasize the siginificance of the perfect tense, or should
>I be cautious and mention it as an aside?
>
>I think you can see the dilemma of finding Santa Clauses. There is a
>proverb that says, "Once burned, twice shy." I feel kinda caught here
>and I want to honor God in the preaching of His Word.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Tom
Tom, I hope that the fire which burned you wasn't the aspect debate; the
indicative has temporal meaning, probably about the same as you learned it.
As to the perfect tense, it's a little tricky in John, but the perfect is
normally an exceptional usage so I would say "go for it".
Don Wilkins
UC Riverside