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>Ken - No, the other NT passage I had in mind, that might support a Nicene
>Christology, on a plain reading and without post-NT theological blinders,
>is John 20:28, from the mouth of doubting Thomas: "ho kurios
>mou kai ho theos mou," "my master and my g/God." There might be others,
>but this and John 1:1 are the only verses I know of.
I can think of several others in the book of John, but that is besides the
point.
Thanks for the clarification.
> John 1:18b is "monogenEs theos" in some manuscripts, but "monogenEs
>huios" and simply "huios" in other manuscripts. I don't have my Greek NT
>here or I'd check the variants. But I will say, with regard to literary
>criticism, that just "huios" seems the proper reading, since it fits
>snugly with what follows: "huios ho On eis ton kolpon tou patros" -
>father/son are here the images, without "g/God" or "only-born" intruding.
>The "monogenEs theos" reading is a mind-numbing paradox - how can God be
>only-born, and of what? (yes I know there are *theological* answers, but
>literarily it is gibberish), especially when John has just emphasized
>"theon oudeis heOraken pOpote." John *has* seen Jesus, but he knows he
>never saw *God*.
The variants read: o m. theos P75 Aleph1 33 pc | o m. uios A C3 Theta Psi
063 f1.13 M lat sy(e.h) | ei mE o m ui. Ws it | txt P66 Aleph* B C* L pc; Ir
Or Did [m. theou Burney cj]
If this makes any sense to you, doesn't this suggest excellent sources for
"monogenEs theos?" Papyrus 75 and 66 both have theos, and I quote on
page 49 from Nestle-Aland, "All of theses papyri (many are cited for each
of the gospels--my note) and uncials are cited in each instance for each
given variant when they are extant for the passage. Among them P75
is the most significant. P45 and P66 come close behind in value."
I love the way you express the literary gibberish as "a mind-numbing paradox."
I like to think that passages such as these "put literary criticism in its
place", or
at least showcase the limitations of literary criticism.
Such passages remind me of 1 Cor 1:19, where it is written, "I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise", and of Is 55:8-9, "My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than
your thoughts."
What is literary gibberish to one is pure divinity to another.
Ken
Ken Hall
Voice: 894-5559
Pager: 655-0362
e-mail: ken.hall@business.gatech.edu
Georgia Institute of Technology