http://www.atlantaapoligist.org/SHARPS.ZIP
Below is an excerpt for discussion:
Proper Names in Titus 2:13 or 2 Peter 1:1?
The situation is rather different, however, with Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter
1:1. Titus 2:13 speaks literally of “the great God and Savior of-us
Jesus Christ” and 2 Peter 1:1 of “our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Stafford argues that “the great God” was recognizable as a proper name
for the Father, while “our Savior Jesus Christ” functioned as a compound
name for the Son (on the analogy of “our Lord Jesus Christ”). He thus
seeks to demonstrate that neither text is actually covered by Sharp’s
rule. We shall consider both of these supposed proper names in turn.
Is “the Great God” a Proper Name?
To show that “the great God” functioned as a proper name for the Father,
Stafford cites expressions from the following Old Testament references
as they appear in the Septuagint. Since in some cases Stafford does
not give enough of the text to show the significance of the words he
quoted, we present the texts here:
“the Lord your God among you [is] a great and awesome God” (Deut. 7:21)
kurios ho theos sou en soi theos megas kai krataios
“the Lord . . . the great and strong and fearsome God” (Deut. 10:17)
ho kurios . . . ho theos ho megas kai ischuros kai ho phoberos
“our God is greater than all the gods” (2 Chron. 2:4)
megas ho theos hêmôn para pantas tous theous
“the Lord, the God of heaven, the strong, great, and fearsome” (Neh.
1:5)
ho theos tou ouranou ho ischuros ho megas kai ho phoberos
“the Lord, the great God” (Neh. 8:6)
kurion ton theon ton megan
“our God, the strong, great, awesome, and fearsome” (Neh. 9:32)
ho theos hêmôn ho ischuros ho megas ho krataios kai ho phoberos
“What god is as great as our God” (Ps. 76:14b LXX; cf. 77:13 Heb.)
tis theos megas hôs ho theos hûmôn
“For you are great . . . you alone are the great God” (Ps.85:10)
hoti megas ei su . . . su ei ho theos monos ho megas
“the great God” (Dan. 2:45)
ho theos ho megas
“the Lord, the great God” (Dan. 9:4)
kurios ho theos ho megas
There are severe deficiencies in Stafford’s argument for the expression
“the great God” in Titus as a proper name for the Father (or for
Yahweh).
1. This expression is actually rare even in the texts Stafford cites;
we should properly include only four texts (Neh. 8:6; Ps. 85:10; Dan.
2:45; 9:4). In other texts the word “great” is attached to “God” but as
part of a more elaborate description. Psalm 76:14 LXX should not be
included at all, since theos megas does not mean “great God” but is
rather asking rhetorically what “god” is great like our God!
2. In all of the texts cited by Stafford here, not one uses the
expression “the great God” as a proper name. That is, in each case we
are dealing with a description praising God in worship or commending
God’s greatness to others, not a designation serving as a proper name.
In many of these texts there is a noun functioning as a proper name, but
it is “Lord” (kurios), substituting for the Hebrew divine name Yahweh.
Even where the name “Lord” is not in the immediate context, not once
does “the great God” carry the force of a proper name. The only text
where such a usage is even arguable is Daniel 2:45. It is almost
certainly not used as a proper name even there, since in context Daniel
is speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan king who was not likely to have
regarded “the great God” as a proper name for Yahweh.
3. Examples of this “proper name” appearing in Paul’s writings, or even
the New Testament, are conspicuously absent from Stafford’s discussion.
There is a simple reason for this: Titus 2:13 is the only New Testament
text using the expression “great God.” Indeed, except for Titus 2:13
God is never called “great” (megas) in the New Testament, even though
the word appears in the New Testament nearly 200 times. It is therefore
extremely unlikely that anyone would construe “the great God” in the New
Testament as a proper name.
When these considerations are taken together with the presumption that
the noun “God” modified by an adjective such as “great” is likely being
used as a personal noun, the only reasonable conclusion is that “the
great God” in Titus 2:13 is not functioning as a proper name.