Senior Paper Exegetical Quandary

[Bib Lit Major]

Howdy guys and gals,

I haven't been on in a while (primarily because of some summer courses I had to take) but I have a question that has arisen from my beginning to work on the exegesis that will form the basis of my Senior Paper on the role of the Spirit in the Petrine epistles. My first passage, 1 Peter 1:1-2, the salutation is fairly straightforward, except in one area. I'm still fairly new at the nuances of Greek grammar, so any help is much appreciated (even though the answer may be more simple than I am making it). Here's the passage in Greek:

PetroV apostoloV Ihsou Cristou eklektoiV parepidhmoiV diasporaV Pontou, GalatiaV, KappadokiaV, AsiaV kai BiquniaV, kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou, cariV umin kai eirhnh plhqunqeih.

We can narrow this down even further:

eklektoiV parepidhmoiV diasporaV Pontou, GalatiaV, KappadokiaV, AsiaV kai BiquniaV, kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou

My problem is twofold:

First, which verbal adjective does the preposition chain kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou refer to, eklektoiV or parepidhmoiV?

My own feeling is that it refers to eklektoiV since parepidhmoiV seems to be in apposition to it, thus making eklektoiV the more emphasized noun.

Second, while kata prognwsin qeou patroV clearly modifies whichever of the two adjectives is the answer to the first part, a further question is whether the following prepositional phrase, en agiasmw pneumatoV, modifies the same verbal adjective as the first prepositional phrase, or whether it can be said to modify the object of the first prepositional phrase itself, prognwsin. Compounding it still further is whether the third phrase, eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou, modifies either the original verbal adjective, prognwsin, or the object of the second prepositional phrase, agiasmw.

Such is my quandary. I hope that my post was intelligible. If you need clarification, let me know. As I said, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

Kevin

[Jaltus]

My problem is twofold:

First, which verbal adjective does the preposition chain kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou refer to, eklektoiV or parepidhmoiV?

My own feeling is that it refers to eklektoiV since parepidhmoiV seems to be in apposition to it, thus making eklektoiV the more emphasized noun.

Sorry, but you'll need to do a little more work on this one. I highly recommend J. Ramsey Michaels commentary in the Word Biblical series and the one by Peter H. Davids in the NICNT.

Following Michaels (pp. 6-7), the best answer is that it goes with both snce both words are adjectives holding implied substantival force. Thus, they are "the chosen who are also strangers..." Since the two words are in apposition, defining the same group, the resulting modifiers (with the exception of diaspora) should be understood as referring to both words since, as Michaels states, both came about from 1 thing: being saved.

Second, while kata prognwsin qeou patroV clearly modifies whichever of the two adjectives is the answer to the first part, a further question is whether the following prepositional phrase, en agiasmw pneumatoV, modifies the same verbal adjective as the first prepositional phrase, or whether it can be said to modify the object of the first prepositional phrase itself, prognwsin. Compounding it still further is whether the third phrase, eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou, modifies either the original verbal adjective, prognwsin, or the object of the second prepositional phrase, agiasmw.

Stickier yet. Prep phrase two goes with the opening and prep phrase three goes with the object of the second prep phrase.

Such is my quandary. I hope that my post was intelligible. If you need clarification, let me know. As I said, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

Kevin

Intelligible enough. As I said, grab some solid commentaries (I think Achtemeier did the Hermeneia one on I Peter as well, so that is good) and start doing the nitty-gritty work.

[Bib Lit Major]

Thanks Jaltus. I will being doing the nitty-gritty work in the future, but right now I'm trying to get my own take on the passage before going to the commentaries to see if I can get some fresh insights. I'm going to use GRAMCORD and look up the usage of those three prepositions in particular in 1 Peter, then I'm diving into my (freshly acquired) WBC 1 Peter commentary, and heading off to the library for the NICNT volume.

Thanks again!
Kevin

[Gerhardt]

Howdy guys and gals,

I haven't been on in a while (primarily because of some summer courses I had to take) but I have a question that has arisen from my beginning to work on the exegesis that will form the basis of my Senior Paper on the role of the Spirit in the Petrine epistles. My first passage, 1 Peter 1:1-2, the salutation is fairly straightforward, except in one area. I'm still fairly new at the nuances of Greek grammar, so any help is much appreciated (even though the answer may be more simple than I am making it). Here's the passage in Greek:

PetroV apostoloV Ihsou Cristou eklektoiV parepidhmoiV diasporaV Pontou, GalatiaV, KappadokiaV, AsiaV kai BiquniaV, kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou, cariV umin kai eirhnh plhqunqeih.

We can narrow this down even further:

eklektoiV parepidhmoiV diasporaV Pontou, GalatiaV, KappadokiaV, AsiaV kai BiquniaV, kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou

My problem is twofold:

First, which verbal adjective does the preposition chain kata prognwsin qeou patroV en agiasmw pneumatoV eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou refer to, eklektoiV or parepidhmoiV?

My own feeling is that it refers to eklektoiV since parepidhmoiV seems to be in apposition to it, thus making eklektoiV the more emphasized noun.

Second, while kata prognwsin qeou patroV clearly modifies whichever of the two adjectives is the answer to the first part, a further question is whether the following prepositional phrase, en agiasmw pneumatoV, modifies the same verbal adjective as the first prepositional phrase, or whether it can be said to modify the object of the first prepositional phrase itself, prognwsin. Compounding it still further is whether the third phrase, eiV upakohn kai rantismon aimatoV Ihsou Cristou, modifies either the original verbal adjective, prognwsin, or the object of the second prepositional phrase, agiasmw.

Such is my quandary. I hope that my post was intelligible. If you need clarification, let me know. As I said, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

Kevin

Kevin,

Here's a guess regarding your quandary (I'm going to transliterate because I'm not computer-savvy enough to type in Greek!):

It seems that eklektois is simply a verbal adjective describing parepidemois. As for the prepositional phrases, the heart of your question, I would take them all as modifying eklektois parepidemois, each phrase describing something "behind" or "in front of" the concepts in those words. What I'm thinking is:

- You are chosen strangers, in accord with the foreknowing of God the Father -- A comforting thought! These people (and we, too, by way of application) are strangers and wanderers, but at the same time loved and chosen by the Father, who knew them even before they knew him.

- You are chosen strangers, in the sphere of the sanctifying work of the Spirit -- They are strangers in the world, yet while they wander the Spirit is doing his work on them, in them, through them.

-You are chosen strangers, for the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ -- This perhaps hearkens back to Exodus 24:6,7, when the Old Covenant was put into effect with the sprinkling of blood and with promise of obedience. A key difference here: the blood is Iesou Crhistou, the blood of the new covenant, with its emphasis on grace and everything else it entails.

Something else to ponder: the three prep. phrases are almost a past-present-future storyline: foreknown in the past, enveloped in the Spirit's sanctifying work in the present, obedience of faith as blood-marked people in the future. Hmmm....

Anyway, those are some thoughts on your questions, not necessarily well thought out or well written. But, you can take them for what they're worth. Enjoy your work on 1st Peter!

[Jaltus]

In order to do the Greek, just do eklektoi[/greek ] without the spaces I left, and you will get [greek]eklektoi

[Bib Lit Major]

Thanks for the input, Gerhardt!