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john 1:1 arkhe
Leave it to John 1:1 to jump-start a quiet e-list :-)
But I have a question about the first 2 words: en arkhEi. Obviously this
is closely following the Hebrew/Septuagint, but shouldn't it have an
article? En tEi arkhEi? Or is this a set adverbial phrase in Koine?
And if so, what does it mean?
I was also wondering if the heavy emphasis of this phrase, at the
beginning of the sentence, could also be due to it's figurative meaning.
Augustine's virtuoso exegesis suggested "beginning" referred to God the
Son (in the beginning God created ..., i.e., by means of the messiah),
but Revelation 21:6 would seem to suggest it could also refer to God the
Father ("I am the beginning" = hE arkhE; or at least, I interpret ho
kathEmenos epi to thronOi, the one sitting upon the throne, as God the
Father).
Greg Jordan
jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu