From: dalmatia@eburg.com
Date: Tue Jul 07 1998 - 12:25:40 EDT
At 12:53 AM 7/7/98 EDT, AgapeLove9@aol.com wrote:
> The literal translation is "In a beginning" at John 1:1.
The closest I have been able to come with a 'literal' translation of
this phrase is "In origin...", which feels weak compared to the
grandeur and power of "In the beginning..."
The problem with "a beginning" in English is that it implies that
there are more than one of them. And the problem with "the beginning"
in English is that it implies ostensive historical reference.
The Greek grammatically allows both, but I do not think that John's
gospel means either one. Its OT reference is clear enough, yet it is
a time denotive word, and I have taken it to mean the origin of time
with some success in understanding John's extensive use of the present
tense throughout this gospel.
On this approach, the origin of time is omnitemporal, without itself
being temporal at all, and events that originate from it are always,
of necessity, ongoing in the present.
The reason for the absence of an article, on this view, is that ARCH
very literally has no dimension at all, neither geometric nor
temporal, yet is the source of both, DI'AUTOU [Logos] in 1:3. The
fact that ARCH is a feminine noun is not lost on this approach as
well.
Human memory and anticipation are 'outside' the ARCH, and on this
view, prevent us from 'following' Christ. ["Where I am going you are
not being able to follow."] The gospel of John is here understood to
be very much about the origin of time, and that origin is seen as
'within' [EN], wherein abides [MEMEW] the Logos.
I hope this helps...
George
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George Blaisdell dalmatia@eburg.com
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