1Co 14.14--"My mind is AKARPOS!"
clayton stirling bartholomew
c.s.bartholomew at worldnet.att.net
Tue Dec 15 15:45:51 EST 1998
Tom Belt wrote:
>
> In 1Co. 14.14 Paul says when he prays in a tongue his spirit prays, but his
> mind is AKARPOS. This is commonly understood in a passive sense to mean
> something like "receives no fruit/benefit." Some (Williams, Goodspeed,
> Moffatt, Conzelmann, Godet, Meyer) argue for taking it in its active sense
> to mean "my mind produces no fruit/benefit/result" for others. A quick
> search on all other NT uses of AKARP* (in its several forms) yielded six
> occurrences each of which is clearly active (e.g., "unfruitful" = not
> producing fruit) and left me wondering if the passive even existed or, if it
> did, how common a usage it was:
>
> Jude 1.12 "They are...autumn trees AKARPA (unfruitful) and uprooted..."
> Mat 13.22=Mk 4.1 "...the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of
> wealth choke it, making it AKARPOS (unfruitful)."
> Tit 3.14 "And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds...and
> not to be AKARPOI (unfruitful)."
> Eph 5.11 "Take no part in the AKARPOIS (unfruitful) works of darkness."
> 2Pet 1.8 "For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being
> ineffective or AKARPOUS (unfruitful) in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
> Christ."
>
> I'd be interested in arguments for understanding AKARPOS in 1Co. 14.14
> either actively or passively. Examples from extra-biblical Greek literature
> would help.
>
Tom,
You want this quick so I will not waste words.
Ceslas Spicq, 1:57 quotes Josephus (War 6:36) as quoting Titus saying
"noble deeds should not go unrewarded". Spicq does not give the greek
text. This looks like a passive use of the word AKARPOS. Spicq indicates
that Titus 3:14 could be read either way, active or passive. Spicq,
however gives numerous examples of the active use and he considers 1 Cor
14:14 one of these.
Here is a bare list of other athorities on AKARPOS in 1 Cor. 14:14:
Henry Alford: active
Plummer (ICC): active
Charles Hodge: active
EDNT (2:252): active
BAGD: active
On the textual question, G. Fee seems to be somewhat of a loan wolf. I
could find no indication that that anyone else considered GAR spurious.
But this is a question for Bart Ehrman or Michael Holmes.
--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062
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