From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Sat Apr 04 1998 - 21:49:17 EST
On Fri 3 Apr 98 (23:44:13), dalmatia@eburg.com wrote:
>ÊhAI XEIRES hHMWN EYALAFHSAN 'the hands of us feel' Because of the
>Êenvisioning, the bringing of that 'seeing' into the building of
>ÊChrist's church, involving a certain kind of action. Was there a
>Êphysical 'Laying on of hands?', or should this be taken as a 'groping
>Êin the dark' [without the Light of Christ in the flesh] metaphor, or is
>Êit something else? At any rate, it is a life-long venture following
>Êthe new 'seeing'.
Hullo again George,
For me EYALAFHSAN in 1 John 1:1 is the writer recalling the scene in the
Upper Room after the Resurrection, when the risen Christ invited those
present IDETE TAS CEIRAS MOU KAI TOUS PODAS MOU hOTI EGW EIMI AUTOS:
*YHLAFHSATE ME* KAI IDETE, hOTI PNEUMA SARKA KAI OSTEA OUK ECEI KAQWS EME
QEWREITE ECONTA (Luke 24:39).
John (it was surely he) is saying "I was there!". Thomas (who was not there
that first occasion) said "EAN MH... KAI *BALW TON DAKTULON MOU* EIS TON
TUPON TWN hHLWN KAI BALW MOU THN CEIRA EIS THN PLEURAN AUTOU, OU MH PISTEUSW
(John 20:25). He got his wish 8 days later.
Eye gate and ear gate testified to the reality of the Resurrection; now
the sense of touch, tactile-gate, is added. They also watched him eat, and
then smelt his breath! (John 20:22).
Yes, says John, I am an eye-, ear- and touch witness. This was no formalised
Laying On of Hands; no metaphorical Groping in the Dark. "That eternal life"
(verse 2) was what they saw and handled: the proof of the Resurrection to
eternal life; the very Resurrection Body!
Or am I just stating the obvious?
Ben
-- Revd Ben Crick, BA CF <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk> 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK) http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
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