I Tim 6:16 & others

Larry Kruper (dddj@smartnet.net)
Fri, 31 May 1996 09:17:10 -0600

There is a debate on another list about this verse. The phrase. who alone
has immortality. The question is does the phrase apply to Jesus or to God
the Father. Since neither is the subject of this sentence it is difficult
for me to determine who the subject of this phrase is. If I get any
responces I will post them on this other forum, unless told otherwise by
the poster.

Basically this is a debate among Arians so this might be interesting.

<< While I do not think that Peter and certainly
not Paul would have thought that anything that human hands can do can save
a person, what one confesses about what God has done in Christ is
determinative in one's relationship to God. >>

This is I think critical in understanding a text. We moderns want
exactness, in a world that is not exact. I doubt that Peter is here trying
to say what he seems to be saying. I also doubt that Paul when speaking on
the other "side" actually is saying what many say he is.

Question. Would any on this list doubt the sincerity of a person who
refused Baptism?

<<Is the translatior required to
determine the proper gender in the receptor language? Or does the masculine
here indicate that the Spirit of truth should be He in any language?>>

In a language where all nouns have gender this is a difficult issue. If the
fact that John uses he means that the Holy Spirit is a person to John,
doesn't it mean that the fact that Paul uses it mean that it isn't? Talk
about a pronoun with a duotful antecedent! I do not think so. Both
arguements are flawed

<<I believe it is also a mistake to translate a single Greek word into a
variety of English words based upon context. This removes all cues
that we are dealing with an alien (to our culture), i.e. untranslatable,
concept>>

There is no alternative to this. Usually doing so benefits the translation.
There are times it does not like Paul in Cor 14 use of the term building
over and over with slightly different meaning at each time (one of which I
think is satire)

Poaitive Dennis has returned

THIS IS A TEST I now return control of your computer to you