From: Mike Sangrey (mike@sojurn.lns.pa.us)
Date: Mon Jul 12 1999 - 21:09:43 EDT
Edgar Foster said:
> Dear Carl, Carlton, and Jim,
> Thanks for your help with the "peace of God" phrase in Phil. 4:7. I
> have one more question related to this passage. Could EN XRISTWi IHSOU
> denote the means by which God gives His peace? Is it possible to
> understand this clause as "by Christ Jesus" or "by means of Christ
> Jesus"?
Could the dative be taken as pure dative? To quote Robertson,
"Whenever the dative is used, the root idea is that of advantage or
disadvantage." (Short grammar) If we then take EN to intensify the case
relationship, the meaning of EN XRISTWi becomes something like "in (or to)
the benefit of Christ." A translation similar to "the peace of God...will
guard our hearts and our thoughts to the benefit of Christ" would follow.
Edgar Foster cited Matt. 12:24 and 2 Cor. 5:19 as possible examples of EN
with the instrumental case. If we take those datives to be as I've said
above, then we have the Pharisees accusing Jesus of casting out demons to
the benefit of Beelzebub--that seems to fit. And, in the other verse,
we have God reconciling the world to Himself for the benefit of Christ.
I like that, too. Especially since Paul goes on to say hUPER XRISTOU in
the very next verse, which readily has a similar meaning--"on behalf of".
In my rather unknowledable opinion, hUPER XRISTOU follows very
logically after QEOS HN EN XRISTWi KOSMON KATALLASSWN.
One last example, since I'm currently studying I John. Verse 1:10
-- EAN EIPWMEN hOTI OUX hHMARTHKAMEN,...hO LOGOS OUK ESTIN EN hHMIN.
hO LOGOS possibly referring back to what John is talking about in 1:1-2.
In short, if we refuse to acknowledge our sinfulness, the message of eternal
life will not benefit us. Now here is rather basic Christianity.
Some EN XRISTOU phrases would be EN with the Locative Dative; but, I
wonder (as I wander through Greek), how many should be taken as pure
dative?
EN XRISTOU,
-- Mike Sangrey mike@sojurn.lns.pa.us--- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu
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