From: Steven Craig Miller (scmiller@www.plantnet.com)
Date: Wed Oct 20 1999 - 10:28:18 EDT
<x-flowed>To: Jay Adkins,
<< 1Joh 3:9 (GNT) PAS hO GEGENNHMENOS EK TOU QEOU hAMARTIAN OU POIEI,
hOTI SPERMA AUTOU EN AUTWi MENEI, KAI OU DUNATAI hAMARTIAN, hOTI EK TOU
QEOU GEGENNHTAI. 1 John 3:9 All the ones having been born from God do not
sin habitually, because His seed is abiding in him, and he is not able to
sin continuously, because he has been born from God. >>
It is true that the present tense sometimes refers to habitual actions, but
does that mean that a negative of a present tense can indicate that such
actions are not done habitually? For example, if someone says: "Steven
plays chess." What does "plays chess" mean? It doesn't mean that I play
chess continuously day and night, yes? Now if someone says: "Steven doesn't
play chess," what does that mean? Could it possibly mean that I only
occasionally play chess, but I don't do it on a regular bases? I think not.
(There is the possibility that the phrase "plays chess" could mean "plays
[tournament] chess" and so it is possible for one to occasionally play
chess and yet not "play chess" in this specialized sense.)
Now, let's look at the Greek text. If we had: hAMARTIAN POIEI ("he/she does
sin"), surely it is possible to understand this as referring to habitual
action. Now lets negate the sentence (as it appears in the Greek text):
hAMARTIAN OU POIEI ("he/she does not sin"). Now, are we to understand this
to mean that this person does indeed occasionally sin, but just doesn't do
it habitually? Personally, I find such reasoning to be a real stretch.
Let's take a look at another example: POLLAKIS GAR PIPTEI EIS TO PUR (Matt
17:15), would it be possible to take: OU PIPEI EIS TO PUR to mean that he
has fallen into the fire once or twice but he doesn't to it on a regular
bases? I don't think so.
Fanning [1990:215-216] writes:
<< ... the habitual interpretation of 1 John 3:4-10 is certainly
'possible,' based on NT usage. >>
I'm not so sure. Can anyone show me a clear example of a "habitual present"
with the negative particle "OU" where the resulting meaning clearly means
that one only occasionally does this thing, but one does not do it on a
habitual bases? I would like to see the NT usage which justifies this
interpretation.
-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller@www.plantnet.com
From Luther's Large Catechism: "Why, do you think, is the world now so
full of unfaithfulness, shame, misery, and murder? It is because everyone
wishes to be his or her own master, be free from all authority, care
nothing for anyone, and do whatever he or she pleases. So God punishes one
knave by means of another" (BoC 386.154).
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