From: Peter Eyland (epe@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au)
Date: Tue Feb 16 1999 - 23:34:31 EST
This is a plea from a UNIX based user that list members do NOT send
HTML tagged documents via email. I offer this recent example without
prejudice (some ^p ^p left out to conserve bandwidth).
Cheers
Peter
(Uh - oh, I hope you see it as I see it without auto-conversion)
Quoting from a document of my study:</color>
<color><param>FF00,0000,0000</param>(1 Cor 13:8 KJV) Charity
never faileth: but whether there be
prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
</color><FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param> 1.
prophecy will be done away
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>profhtei=ai
katarghqh/sontai
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param> 2. tongues
will cease
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>glw=ssai
pau/sontai
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param> 3.
knowledge will be done away
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>gnw=sij
katarghqh/setai<FontFamily><param>Times New
Roman</param>
It should be clear from these three phrases that prophecy, tongues and
knowledge are temporary gifts; however, we are not told when these
three gifts will cease to function, and we are not told why they will
cease
to function.
Now let's examine the grammatical construction of the verbs used to
indicate the temporary nature of these three gifts.
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param> <FontFamily><param>Times
New Roman</param>(prophecy)
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>katarghqh/sontai
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>3rd person
plural, future
passive indicative<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>(tongues)
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>pau/sontai
3<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>rd person
plural, future <bold>middle</bold>
indicative<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>
<FontFamily><param>Times New
Roman</param>(knowledge)
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>katarghqh/setai
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>3rd person
singular, future
passive indicative<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>There are two
major and significant differences in the three verbs used to
indicate the temporary nature of these three spiritual gifts:
<paraindent><param>out</param>1. The root verb used with the
temporary gift of tongues is
different from the root verb used with the other two temporary
gifts.</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> </paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param>2. The verb used with tongues is
in the "middle voice" while the
verb used with both prophecy and knowledge is in the "passive
voice."</paraindent>
What is the significance of the middle voice as opposed to the passive
voice?
<paraindent><param>out</param>1. The middle voice, used with
tongues, indicates that the gift of
tongues would work against itself to bring about its own
termination.</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> </paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param>2. The passive voice, used with
prophecy and knowledge, means
that the subject receives the action of the main verb.</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> </paraindent>
<color><param>FF00,0000,0000</param><FontFamily><param>Ari
al</param>My question concerning the aforementioned: Is the
aforementioned
exegesis proper and correct ?</color><FontFamily><param>Times
New Roman</param>
Secondly from the same document:
<bold><underline>Should Tongues Really be Coveted?: 1
Corinthians 12:31
<paraindent><param>left</param><flushboth></underline>1
Corinthians 12:31 But covet earnestly the best
gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
(KJV)</paraindent></flushboth>
</bold>This verse presents a problem for anyone who is translating
from the
original Greek language. The very first word in the Greek sentence is
the
word
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>zhlou=te,<FontFamily><para
m>Times New Roman</param> and herein lies the problem. This
word can be correctly
translated in three different
ways.<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>zhlou=te<FontFamily>
<param>Times New Roman</param> second person plural, present
active imperative
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>zhlou=te
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>second person
plural, present active
subjunctive<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>
zhlou=te <FontFamily><param>Times New
Roman</param>second person plural, present active indicative
Each of these grammatical constructions has its own translation. For
example:
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>zhlou=te<FontFamily>
<param>Times New Roman</param> second person plural, present
active imperative
<paraindent><param>out</param> The imperative mood is a
command, and this translation would
demand the force of a command. Unfortunately, this word is
translated as a command in the English King James Version, the
English New American Standard Version and the English New
International Version and Living Letters. Each reads as
follows:</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> King James:
"covet earnestly"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> New American Standard:
"earnestly desire"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> New international Version:
"eagerly desire"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> Living Letters:
"try your best to get"</paraindent>
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>zhlou=te
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>second person
plural, present active
subjunctive<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param>
<paraindent><param>out</param><FontFamily><param>Times
New Roman</param> The subjunctive mood recognizes the free
will of the individual
and then points them in a desired direction. Unfortunately, this
word is translated in this manner in the New English Bible. It
reads as follows:</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> New English Bible:
"you should aim at"</paraindent>
<FontFamily><param>Sgreek</param> zhlou=te
<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>second person
plural, present active indicative
<paraindent><param>out</param> No English version of the
Bible translates this verb to reflect the
indicative mood. To reflect the indicative mood, this verb
would be translated in the following manner:</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> King James:
"you are coveting earnestly"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> New American Standard:
"you are earnestly desiring"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> New International Version:
"you are eagerly desiring"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> Living Letters:
"you are trying your best to get"</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> Only the indicative mood
properly reflects the polemic nature of 1
Corinthians 12 and 14. The polemic nature, then, demands that 1
Corinthians 12:31 be understood as Paul exposing a problem in the
church at Corinth, namely, the abuse of the gift of tongues. He was
not commanding them to seek after a specific gift, namely,
tongues.</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> It is interesting that a footnote
on 1 Corinthians 12:31 in the New
International Version is the only reference in any modern English
version wherein an appropriate translation is rendered. This
footnote reads as follows:</paraindent>
<paraindent><param>out</param> New International
Version: "But you are eagerly desiring"</paraindent>
<bold><underline>Conclusion:</underline></bold> 1 Corinthians
12:31 does not command present day
believers to seek the gift of tongues. In fact, when properly translated,
this verse accuses the Corinthian believers of wrongfully seeking the
tongues gift.
<color><param>7F00,0000,0000</param>Same questions as above.
If you have websites or expositions on this subject.. I would appreciate
the input to my personal e mail addy. That way we can stick to the
greek
in reference to the two verses and the propsed exegesis of them.
thanks</color>
<nofill>
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