Is God "happy" or "blessed"?
Edgar Krentz
ekrentz at lstc.edu
Fri Sep 11 04:38:20 EDT 1998
>Dear B-Greekers,
>
>I will succinctly state my question. How do you understand TOU
>MAKARIOU QEOU in 1 Tim. 1:11? According to this text, is God happy,
>blessed, or both?
>
>Edgar Foster
>
>Lenoir-Rhyne College
I take this to be the application of a typical hellenistic descriptor of
the gods to the God of Israel. Epicurus in his KURIAI DOXAI defined the
gods as blessed [MAKARIOS] and therefore noet aware of humans. If you check
out LSJ, I suspect you will find other references. [Written without ancient
texts of LSJ at hand.]
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Edgar Krentz
Acting Dean, Fall Quarter 1998
Professor of New Testament Emeritus
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615 USA
773-256-0752
e-mail: ekrentz at lstc.edu (Office)
emkrentz at mcs.net (Home)
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