From: David Moore (dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us)
Date: Thu Aug 17 1995 - 00:55:27 EDT
The interpretation of John 10:10 has been puzzling me for some
time, and I'd like to present my thoughts relating to it on this forum,
hopefully to get some informed feedback.
Practically universally, KAI PERISSON EXWSIN has been translated
"and that they may have it more abundantly." This takes the adjective
PERISSON in an adverbial sense, which is possible. Nevertheless, there is
no pronoun to make clear that it should be taken so (e.g. if it were to
say KAI PERISSON EXWSIN AUTHN).
Taking into account the lack of a referent pronoun, and when one
considers the context, IMO, the absolute of PERISSON (i.e. "and that they
may have abundance") recommends itself more than the adverbial sense. In
this passage, Jesus is contrasting himself and his ministry with that of
Messianic pretenders (?) that have previously come on the scene. He
categorizes them as thieves and robbers. He goes on to say that the thief
does not come except to steal and kill and destroy to which he contrasts
Himself saying that He has come that the sheep may have life and that
they may have abundance - "life" contrasting with "kill," and "that they
may have abundance" being a concept that contrasts with "steal" and
"destroy."
This meaning for PERISSON is supported by Liddell & Scott who note
Xenophon's use of the word with substantival or absolute meaning. Moulton
and Milligan also note a similar meaning (s.v.) with the phrase PERITON
[_sic_] GEGRAPTAI meaning "more than enough has been written." Proverbs
14:23 in the LXX also appears to support the possiblility of an absolute
sense for PERISSON.
Since I have said that PERISSON in Jhn. 10:10 may mean abundance,
let me make clear that I don't hold either the idea that being poor is a
curse or the idea that anyone who is right with God must be rich. The
theology of the Scripture - and especially o f the New Testament - is
against such a view (Lu. 6:20; Rev. 2:9; etc.). Both history and our
current times also provide many examples which illustrate that where
Christians live under regimes unfriendly to the Gospel, the latter often
persecute them through the use of economic pressures. But according to
Christ, that's not a sign of curse, but of blessing (Mat. 5:10).
The meaning of Jhn. 10:10, as I see it, is the contrast between
those who have come to steal, to kill and to destroy and Christ who has
come to give His life. The abundance that Christ gives is through the
sacrifice of Himself. Such abundance does not come from the others,
because their actions are essentially selfish, seeking their own ends, and
being willing to steal and kill and destroy to achieve them. Christ
provides abundance by giving all that He has and all that He is, even to
(and supremely in) the giving of His own life.
References that agree with this interpretation of Jhn. 10:10 are
sparse. Hermann Hanse points out that "In [Mt. 13:12 and 25:29]
PERISSEUEIN has much the same sense as PERISSON EXEIN (Jn. 10:10)"
(_TDNT_, s.v. EXW, II:827, n. 62). But beyond this quote , I've been
unable to find commentaries that support my point of view.
There is, however, an undocumented v.l. that suggests an
interpretation similar to that presented above. The Aleph MS (uncial 01)
reads, in Jhn. 10:10 b EGW HLQON hINA ZWHN AIWNION EXWSIN KAI PERISSON
EXWSIN. The addition of AIWNION after ZWHN already shows the "life" to be
unending, so it seems unlikely that PERISSON would be further defining the
extent of "life." In that we find this v.l. in Aleph, (and because of
Aleph's supposed relationship to P75) it is especially interesting that
P75, supported by one other papyrus and several lesser MSS, contains a
different v.l. at this point which supports the "and have it more
abundantly" interpretation (i.e. PERISSOTERON in place of PERISSON).
Neither of these variants has sufficient MS support to be accepted
as the textual reading. Nevertheless, they may show that, at a very early
date, there were differing interpretations of this passage with textual
variants which supported them respectively. Since, however, the
interpretation that takes PERISSON in its absolute sense is the most
difficult theologically (at least at first impression), we should probably
give it more serious consideration, which is what I have tried to do in
this post.
David L. Moore Southeastern Spanish District
Miami, Florida of the Assemblies of God
dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us Department of Education
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