[my poorly-phrased question and Carl's analysis of it *mercifully* cut]
>I think that the problem, Jim, may lie in the construction of hAGIASMWi
>PNEUMATOS.
Hi Carl,
That's one problem. I'm still struggling with the relation of
EKLEKTOIS and the prepositional phrase beginning with KATA. It
just seems pretty awkward to me to connect the preposition KATA
with the dative EKLEKTOIS. I can't see connecting it with
APOSTOLOS, so I guess there is no other choice. But, but, but...
It also seems strange to me that all the substantives in these
two verses are anarthrous. That lends the passage an airy feel,
as if there is nothing definite or solid to hang on to. Odd!
>(1) I think it would be best to understand this with the verbal notions in
>hUPAKOHN and hRANTISMON. That is: the addresses have been chosen in
>accordance with the foreknowledge of God the father for the purpose of
>(EIS) obedience (hUPAKOHN) and purification (hRANTISMON) by means of (EN
>with instrumental force) the sanctification of the Spirit. That is to say:
>I'd take KATA PROGNWSIN with EKLEKTOIS, but I'd take EN hAGIASMWi with EIS
>hUPAKOHN KAI hRANTISMON. That's one alternative.
I'm sure you mean 'addressees'. I tried to make sense of 'addresses'
for a while until it dawned on me that it just didn't make sense. I
must be really tired! I think I'm working way too hard these days...
I like this alternative the best; it seems the most natural to me.
Still, it seems clumsy. What is the connection of EN to the preceding?
It seems to hang out in the middle of nowhere, waiting for a purpose
clause to begin so that its instrumental force can have something to
apply to. This, too, seems awkward to me.
>(2) A second alternative would be to understand hAGIASMOS PNEUMATOS as a
>periphrasis for hAGION PNEUMA; if that should be the case, then there's no
>problem seeing the phrase EN hAGIASMWi PNEUMATOS as instrumental with
>EKLEKTOIS. I don't really like this as well as the first alternative,
>however.
Is there any reason to think that the author might have employed
periphrasis?
And I still don't understand how that might alleviate the problem
of construing EN hAGIASMWi PNEUMATOS with EKLEKTOIS. Are you
suggesting that this might be interepreted such that the Holy Spirit
is the agent who elects according to the foreknowledge of the Father?
Hmmmmm...
>(3) A third alternative would be to take EN hAGIASMWi PNEUMATOS with the
>main clause of this salutation, CARIS hUMIN KAI EIRHNH PLHQUNQEIH. Although
>the arrangement of elements in vss. 1-2 is already somewhat awkward, this
>construction seems to me extremely unlikely.
I agree with your conclusion wholeheartedly. Truthfully, the
possibility hadn't even occurred to me.
Thanks!
Off to bed... :-)
Cheers,
Jim
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The worth and excellence of a soul is to
be measured by the object of its love.
~ Henry Scougal
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