From: Carlton Winbery (winberyc@speedgate.net)
Date: Wed Oct 20 1999 - 22:46:27 EDT
Stephen Pegler wrote;
>JAdkins264@aol.com writes:
>
><< 1Joh 3:9 (GNT) PAS hO GEGENNHMENOS EK TOU QEOU hAMARTIAN OU POIEI, hOTI
>SPERMA AUTOU EN AUTWi MENEI, KAI OU DUNATAI hAMARTANEIN, hOTI EK TOU QEOU
>GEGENNHTAI. >>
>
>If verbal aspect theory is a better explanation of the Greek verbal system
>than Aktionsart and time based models, then I would offer the following
>(over)translation--
>
>"everyone who is in the state of having been born of God does not continue to
>do sin because his seed is continuing to remain in him, and he is not
>continually able to be sinning, because he is in the state of having been
>born of God."
>
>The two perfects stress the state of the person, they have been born of God.
>The two presents indicate that the author, John, sees the action (or lack of
>it) as ongoing.
>
I really don't see a problem in this context with these presents being
interpreted as incomplete or linear action. It especially would be
appropriate in light of 1:8-10. While there are many times when the present
does not indicate duration, I look in those context for compelling
indicators of such. It seems that the only other possibility here in 3:9
would be gnomic, but this is not the normal kind of universal that I see as
gnomic.
I do not find any help in appeals to what's happening in the 20th century
or other such illustrations. These are usually simply beside the point. I
do not see in this context any strong indicators that would cause me to see
the presents here as anything but linear.
Dr. Carlton L. Winbery
Foggleman Professor of Religion
Louisiana College
winbery@andria.lacollege.edu
winbery@speedgate.net
Ph. 1 318 448 6103 hm
Ph. 1 318 487 7241 off
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