From: David Moore (dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us)
Date: Thu Aug 24 1995 - 15:47:21 EDT
Ron Stephens <clcc@pacifier.com> wrote:
>I've been "lurking" here for while and have found your discussions fascinating.
>
>I'm hoping you will help me resolve a dilemma with 2nd Corinthians 5:19.
>While the question has to do with the English, I'm hoping that your
>knowledge of Greek will reveal the answer. I've been challenged concerning
>this verse, as to the intended meaning of the conjunction "in".
>
>2Cor. 5:19 KJV "...God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself..."
>2Cor. 5:19 NIV "...God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ..."
>
>Was God IN (i.e. within) Christ, as the KJV punctuation implies, or was God
>reconciling the world INn (by means of) Christ, as the NIV indicates.
>
>I HAVE a position on this issue, but am hard pressed to prove it gramatically.
>
>Thank you, in advance, for your comments.
It's pretty difficult to be dogmatic on this one, Ron. Both the
context and the grammar could lend themselves to either of the above
interpretations.
It may be that Paul is here quoting a hymn or well-known saying.
The Greek word hOTI sometimes indicates a formal quote. In such a case,
Paul would be saying, "As the saying goes...." But be this as it may, it
doesn't offer much in the way of hints on how the saying is to be
interpreted.
As the KJV has translated it is probably the more natural way of
understanding the Greek since the verb HN (was) is closest to EN CRISTW
(in Christ) and so these two would naturally be considered in apposition.
But Greek is not so strongly guided by word order as is English, so, as
mentioned above, it is difficult to be dogmatic.
Hope this may be some help,
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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