2 Pet 3:18 'en' as preposition

Timothy Duke tduke at westpac.com.au
Fri Jul 31 00:57:11 EDT 1998


In 2 Peter 3:18, does 'AUXANETE DE EN CARITI KAI GNWSEI TOU KURIOU 
hHMWN...' refer to growth that occurs in the environment of 
{grace-which-is-from-our-lord AND knowledge-which-is-from-our-Lord} 
implying that since we have knowledge & grace, we are now in the 
best/safest environment to learn;

OR: are grace & knowledge the objects of growth and are generated/given by 
'our Lord', who is the source of these things - ie it means 'increase in 
grace and also learn more from/about 'our Lord'.

The first possibility seems to leave open the question 'what specifically 
is growing' but accounts for the phrase 'in grace' rather well.

The second possibility tells me exactly what should grow, and where it 
comes from, but suffers from the vagueness of the phrase; 'growing in 
grace'.  I can study 'our Lord' but the other phrase baffles me!

SO does the preposition "en" help us decide?  And what about the genitive 
'tou kuriou' - does that help us at all?  Or is it the meaning of the word 
Cariti that is my problem: could it simply be a synonym for "virtue" or 
"love for others"

Tim
Sydney




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