First Corinthians

[John Reece]

This is a non-debate reading and grammatical analysis thread.

Please do not post any cabala in this thread.

Abbreviations:

BDAG: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature Third Edition Revised and Edited by Frederick William Danker (University of Chicago Press, 2000).

BG: Biblical Greek Illustrated by Examples, English Edition Adapted from the Fourth Latin Edition by Joseph Smith, S.J.. (Rome: Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici, 1963), by Maximilian Zerwick, S.J.

LXX: Septuaginta : Editio altera, Revised Edition (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2006), edited by Alfred Rahlfs.

NA27: Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (27th edition), edited by Barbara and Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger.

NETS: A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included Under That Title, Albert Pietersma and Benjamin G. Wright, Editors (Oxford, 2007).

Zerwick: An Analysis of the Greek New Testament, by Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981).

I do not know how much time and energy I may have to devote to this thread until after I conclude one or both of my other Greek threads; I may have to skip some days, and/or limit myself not to complete verses but rather to a simple clause per post.

However, I have been itching to get started in a study of the text of 1 Corinthians, even of I must limit myself to one clause per day.

I tend to fall asleep while working on computer threads, which alarms my wife, because such was the prelude to my last admission to the stroke unite at Wake Med Hospital in Raleigh... perhaps I should take a nap first...

[John Reece]

1 Corinthians 1:1

Text: (NA27):

Παῦλος κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ καὶ Σωσθένης ὁ ἀδελφὸς

Transliteration (Accordance):

Paulos klētos apostolos Christou Iēsou dia thelēmatos theou kai Sōsthenēs ho adelphos

Translation (NRSV):

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

κλητός : (< καλέω call) called.
ὁ ἀδελφός : our brother.

[John Reece]

First Corinthians 1:2

Text: (NA27):

τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ, ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, κλητοῖς ἁγίοις, σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν

Transliteration (Accordance):

tȩ̄ ekklēsia̧ tou theou tȩ̄ ousȩ̄ en Korinthō̧, hēgiasmenois en Christō̧ Iēsou, klētois hagiois, syn pasin tois epikaloumenois to onoma tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou en panti topō̧, autōn kai hēmōn

Translation (NRSV):

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

οὔσῃ : participle of εἰμί be.
ἡγιασμένοις : made and kept holy perfect passive participle of ἁγιάζω consecrate, plural according to the meaning ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, i.e. through union with him.
κλητοῖς ἁγίοις : called to be saints.
ἐπικαλουμένοις : participle of ἐπικαλέω call upon ; οἱ ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου representing a Hebrew expression often applied to Israel in relation to יְהוָ֤ה, here in relation to Jesus, the complete phrase meaning "with all those who worship our Lord Jesus Christ as God" [Nota Bene ―JR].
αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν : referring to τόπος or κύριος their (Lord) as well as ours.

[Elpis]

Text: (NA27):

τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ, ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, κλητοῖς ἁγίοις, σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν

Transliteration (Accordance):

tȩ̄ ekklēsia̧ tou theou tȩ̄ ousȩ̄ en Korinthō̧, hēgiasmenois en Christō̧ Iēsou, klētois hagiois, syn pasin tois epikaloumenois to onoma tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou en panti topō̧, autōn kai hēmōn

Translation (NRSV):

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

οὔσῃ : participle of εἰμί be.
ἡγιασμένοις : made and kept holy perfect passive participle of ἁγιάζω consecrate, plural according to the meaning ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, i.e. through union with him.
κλητοῖς ἁγίοις : called to be saints.
ἐπικαλουμένοις : participle of ἐπικαλέω call upon ; οἱ ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου representing a Hebrew expression often applied to Israel in relation to יְהוָ֤ה, here in relation to Jesus, the complete phrase meaning "with all those who worship our Lord Jesus Christ as God" [Nota Bene ―JR].
αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν : referring to τόπος or κύριος their (Lord) as well as ours.

I appreciate you do not want debate, but as a matter of accuracy the verb ἐπικαλέω does not mean "worship as God". It means "to call upon, invoke, appeal to" and is used in scripture of God, Jesus and human beings eg Paul calls upon Caesar/Augustus (Acts 25:11, 25; 26:32; 28:19).

In Hope,

Elpis.

[JonathanL]

I appreciate you do not want debate, but as a matter of accuracy the verb ἐπικαλέω does not mean "worship as God". It means "to call upon, invoke, appeal to" and is used in scripture of God, Jesus and human beings eg Paul calls upon Caesar/Augustus (Acts 25:11, 25; 26:32; 28:19).

In Hope,

Elpis.

And we should trust you over Zerwick/BDAG, because...?

[Elpis]

And we should trust you over Zerwick/BDAG, because...?

Because Paul did not worship Caesar Augustus as God by calling upon him. What Zerwick offers is an interpretation of the text, not a requirement of the grammar. This thread is in the Biblical Languages section.

In Hope,

Elpis.

[JonathanL]

Because Paul did not worship Caesar Augustus as God by calling upon him. What Zerwick offers is an interpretation of the text, not a requirement of the grammar. This thread is in the Biblical Languages section.

In Hope,

Elpis.

I was asking for your credentials, not your crackpot analysis.

[John Reece]

1 Cor 1:2 Reposted to correct spelling error

Text: (NA27):

τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ, ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, κλητοῖς ἁγίοις, σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν

Transliteration (Accordance):

tȩ̄ ekklēsia̧ tou theou tȩ̄ ousȩ̄ en Korinthō̧, hēgiasmenois en Christō̧ Iēsou, klētois hagiois, syn pasin tois epikaloumenois to onoma tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou en panti topō̧, autōn kai hēmōn

Translation (NRSV):

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

οὔσῃ : participle of εἰμί be.
ἡγιασμένοις : made and kept holy perfect passive participle of ἁγιάζω consecrate, plural according to the meaning ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, i.e. through union with him.
κλητοῖς ἁγίοις : called to be saints.
ἐπικαλουμένοις : participle of ἐπικαλέω call upon ; οἱ ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου representing a Hebrew expression often applied to Israel in relation to יהוה, here in relation to Jesus, the complete phrase meaning "with all those who worship our Lord Jesus Christ as God" [Nota Bene ―JR].
αὐτῶν καὶ ἡμῶν : referring to τόπος or κύριος their (Lord) as well as ours.

[Elpis]

I was asking for your credentials, not your crackpot analysis.

I was not aware one had to audition before posting on this thread :)

I have a fair knowledge of NT Greek and Hebrew which I learned while studying theology at a UK University. I am a bit rusty (it was a while ago) but still remember the basics. I make to claims to superior knowledge. But "calling on the name of someone" does not mean that you worship them as God. The immediate context (v 1) shows that the writer sees the Lord Jesus Christ as someone to be distinguished from God.

In Hope,

Elpis.

[John Reece]

I appreciate you do not want debate, but as a matter of accuracy the verb ἐπικαλέω does not mean "worship as God". It means "to call upon, invoke, appeal to" and is used in scripture of God, Jesus and human beings eg Paul calls upon Caesar/Augustus (Acts 25:11, 25; 26:32; 28:19).

In Hope,

Elpis.

I appreciate your irenic spirit, and I acknowledge that the definition of ἐπικαλέω and its semantic range that you cite is accurate as far as it goes. I thank you for alerting me to the need to explain to you what you are not understanding.

Have you read Semantics of New Testament Greek by J.P. Louw, wherein he says (page 52) "with regard to exegesis it is clear that one has to start, not with the translation equivalent [which you, Elpis, are doing] but with the meaning based on what is implied by the context"?

Zerwick's primary frame of reference in terms of context is the usage in the OT of יהוה = the personal name of the God of Israel = Yahweh/LORD ― which in 1 Cor 1:2 is used in relation to Jesus.

Anthony C. Thiselton in his extensive New International Greek Testament Commentary captures the sense of the meaning of the word in its context. His orientation in the context is in harmony with the meaning as expressed by Maximillian Zerwick in A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, whence the quote that you have challenged.

This is from Anthony C. Thiselton in The Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Eerdmans, 2000) (45 footnotes omitted):

Addressees (1:2)

2.... The genitive in the phrase τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, of Godof Godto Godto God. The church is inner shrine (1 Cor 3:9, where θεοῦ, of God, stands three times in an emphatic word ordernot in God, but in their own belief in God and in particular leadersto God.of Godof Godקהל (qahal). Although Hatch-Redpath cite sixty-six examples, Schrage argues that the LXX background does not fully account for the NT uses of ἐκκλησία, and returns to the Greek origins of the word.Whatever the origin, the word stresses the call to assemble together as a congregation in presence.

Paul applies the cognate terms related to ἅγιος, holy, twice here: sanctified, called to be holy people, ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, κλητοῖς ίοις. The words translated sanctified and holy derive from the verbal and adjectival cognate forms: (1) ιάζειν, to dedicate, to set apart, to make holy, to consecrate (cf. ἡγιασμένοις, perfect passive); and (2) ἅγιος, holy person, one dedicated and set apart to God. The latter may signify both status or role and character. Hence saints are those set apart as own, and ideally holy in life, as a habituated pattern which has become reflected in a settled character.

The Greek again reflects an LXX translation, this time of the Hebrew קדוש (qadosh), which means separate or set apart in contrast to being in common use. The people of God and the things of God reflect their special status as serving God, who is awesomely Other, transcendent in majesty and purityto Godto GodGod in omni loco ipsorum et nostroall who call on the name of our Lordcalling on the name of our LordΚύριοςcall on the name of [the] Lordthe name of the Lord. The name of the Lord stands as the guarantee that the name of the Lordthe Divine Nameיהוה (YHWH, no vowels used) and אדון (ʾadon], lord or אדני (ʾadonai. Cullmann comments, Adonai was certainly the characteristic Jewish designation for God On the other hand, Paul regularly applies the word κύριος to Christ. Bultmann observes, Maranatha

[robrecht]

And we should trust you over Zerwick/BDAG, because...?

Because Paul did not worship Caesar Augustus as God by calling upon him. What Zerwick offers is an interpretation of the text, not a requirement of the grammar. This thread is in the Biblical Languages section.

In Hope,

Elpis.

I was asking for your credentials, not your crackpot analysis.

John does not want this to be a debate thread, and I suspect he wants pointless bickering or name calling even less. John's original post already included the fact that ἐπικαλέω literally means 'to call upon'. I suggest another thread, either here in Biblical Languages or in a theology forum, would be a more appropriate place to carry on the wider debate about the potential christological and trinitarian implications of Paul's use of this verb here.

[John Reece]

John does not want this to be a debate thread, and I suspect he wants pointless bickering or name calling even less. John's original post already included the fact that ἐπικαλέω literally means 'to call upon'. I suggest another thread, either here in Biblical Languages or in a theology forum, would be a more appropriate place to carry on the wider debate about the potential christological and trinitarian implications of Paul's use of this verb here.

Thanks, robrecht, but this has already gone too far to switch to another thread ― I have just spent an entire morning responding to Elpis; see the last post of page one, and critique it, of you see any error in it.

To all readers: please follow robrecht's helpful counsel above in the future, and let this be a one-off exception for educational purposes.

Thanks again, robrecht!

[robrecht]

Thanks, robrecht, but this has already gone too far to switch to another thread ― I have just spent an entire morning responding to Elpis; see the last post of page one, and critique it, of you see any error in it.

To all readers: please follow robrecht's helpful counsel above in the future, and let this be a one-off exception for educational purposes.

Thanks again, robrecht!

I just saw your response after I posted. Thanks again for all of your patient dedication to the original languages of our holy scriptures!

[John Reece]

I just saw your response after I posted. Thanks again for all of your patient dedication to the original languages of our holy scriptures!

My great pleasure!

[Elpis]

I appreciate your irenic spirit, and I acknowledge that the definition of ἐπικαλέω and its semantic range that you cite is accurate as far as it goes. I thank you for alerting me to the need to explain to you what you are not understanding.

Have you read Semantics of New Testament Greek by J.P. Louw, wherein he says (page 52) "with regard to exegesis it is clear that one has to start, not with the translation equivalent [which you, Elpis, are doing] but with the meaning based on what is implied by the context"?

Zerwick's primary frame of reference in terms of context is the usage in the OT of יהוה = the personal name of the God of Israel = Yahweh/LORD ― which in 1 Cor 1:2 is used in relation to Jesus.

Anthony C. Thiselton in his extensive New International Greek Testament Commentary captures the sense of the meaning of the word in its context. His orientation in the context is in harmony with the meaning as expressed by Maximillian Zerwick in A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, whence the quote that you have challenged.

This is from Anthony C. Thiselton in The Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Eerdmans, 2000) (45 footnotes omitted):

Addressees (1:2)

2.... The genitive in the phrase τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, of Godof Godto Godto God. The church is inner shrine (1 Cor 3:9, where θεοῦ, of God, stands three times in an emphatic word ordernot in God, but in their own belief in God and in particular leadersto God.of Godof Godקהל (qahal). Although Hatch-Redpath cite sixty-six examples, Schrage argues that the LXX background does not fully account for the NT uses of ἐκκλησία, and returns to the Greek origins of the word.Whatever the origin, the word stresses the call to assemble together as a congregation in presence.

Paul applies the cognate terms related to ἅγιος, holy, twice here: sanctified, called to be holy people, ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, κλητοῖς ίοις. The words translated sanctified and holy derive from the verbal and adjectival cognate forms: (1) ιάζειν, to dedicate, to set apart, to make holy, to consecrate (cf. ἡγιασμένοις, perfect passive); and (2) ἅγιος, holy person, one dedicated and set apart to God. The latter may signify both status or role and character. Hence saints are those set apart as own, and ideally holy in life, as a habituated pattern which has become reflected in a settled character.

The Greek again reflects an LXX translation, this time of the Hebrew קדוש (qadosh), which means separate or set apart in contrast to being in common use. The people of God and the things of God reflect their special status as serving God, who is awesomely Other, transcendent in majesty and purityto Godto GodGod in omni loco ipsorum et nostroall who call on the name of our Lordcalling on the name of our LordΚύριοςcall on the name of [the] Lordthe name of the Lord. The name of the Lord stands as the guarantee that the name of the Lordthe Divine Nameיהוה (YHWH, no vowels used) and אדון (ʾadon], lord or אדני (ʾadonai. Cullmann comments, Adonai was certainly the characteristic Jewish designation for God On the other hand, Paul regularly applies the word κύριος to Christ. Bultmann observes, Maranatha

as YHWH.

This is problematical because all the NT writers make a distinction between God and Christ (not just between the Father and Christ) - on just about every page.

However, not only does scripture distinguish between God and Christ, it also distinguishes between YHWH and Christ (Messiah). Not least is the fact that it is YHWHGod (not just the right hand of the Father) (Acts 2:22.33).

In Hope,

Elpis.