Thank you Jonathan for filling up that which was lacking in my brief comment
"off the cuff". I was drawing attention to the metonymy of GALA for LOGON.
The word LOGIKOS only occurs twice in the NT (Romans 12:1 and here), and
not at all in the LXX. In Rom 12:1 LOGIKH LATREIA clearly means "Spiritual
worship". However in 1 Peter 1:23 the "new birth" of ANAGEGENNHMENOI is
connected with the abiding Word of life DIA LOGOU ZWNTOS QEOU KAI MENONTOS.
"New birth" implies babyhood. New spiritual babies need new spiritual milk:
hWS ARTIGENNHTA BREFH TO LOGIKON ADOLON GALA [=LOGON] EPIPOQHSATE.
LOGIKOS was a favourite word with the Stoics in connection with the LOGOS
(Epictetus; Philo). So I go along with the KJV "long for the pure milk of the
word, that ye may grow by it". (cf NIV, crave pure spiritual milk).
In Isaiah 55:1-2 we have the metaphor of eating and drinking wine and oil
without money and without price: clearly in reference to the Word hOUTWS ESTAI
TO hRHMA MOU, hO EAN EXELQH EK TOU STOMATOS MOU (verse 11). The spoken hRHMA
through the Prophet has become the written LOGOS of the Prophecy; the
everlasting (age-long) Covenant of the "sure mercies of David"; surely the
New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31; KAI DIAQHSOMAI hUMIN DIAQHKHN AIWNION, TA
hOSIA DAVID TA PISTA (verse 3).
Paul uses the same metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 ... hWS NHPIOIS EN
XRISTWi, GALA hUMAS EPOTISA, OU BRWMA, OUPW GAR EDUNASQH, ktl. Properly
nourished on the Word, the Corinthian babies will grow up and be weaned onto
more solid spiritual food. Compare Hebrews 5:11-14. "... CREIAN ECONTES
GALAKTOS KAI OU STEREAS TROFHS. PAS GAR hO METECWN GALKTOS APEIROS LOGOU
DIKAIOSUNHS, NHPIOS GAR ESTIN: ..." (vv 12-13).
From this babe in Christ,
-- Revd Ben Crick, BA Bristol, 1963 (hons in Theology) <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk> 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)