col 1:15 greek help

Ed Gorham aekalm at a-znet.com
Fri Nov 6 19:54:22 EST 1998


Tom,
Wow. There's a mouthful.
I don't have time right now to digest both questions, but here's a pointer 
that might help. Much of this turns on the meaning, not of the genetive, 
but of PROTOTOKOS. In Louw and Nida's Greeek-English Lexicon Based On 
Semantic Domains, three senses of PROTOTOKOS are given: the standard sense, 
pertaining to a first-born child; pertaining to existence prior to 
something else, "existing first, existing before"; and finally, "superior 
in status". It is likely that one of the last two senses are used here; L&N 
put the passage in with the second sense.  Jehovah's Witnesses come with 
the a priori assumption that Christ was a created being, so naturally they 
will only accept the first sense of the word.

See what the other Greekers have to add (much, I'm sure).  I've spent some 
time with Jehovah's Witnesses...nice, sincere folks, but spoon-fed.  When 
you have your answers, make sure your friend sticks to the passage you're 
discussing, and perhaps he will begin to see some truth.

-Ed Gorham
aekalm at a-znet.com



More information about the B-Greek mailing list