Pros

Donald L. Shaffer dshaf45917 at aol.com
Mon May 31 15:23:56 EDT 1999


On 05/24/99, ""Wes Williams" <WesWilliams at usa.net>" wrote:

> Matt 13:55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary,
> and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And his sisters,
> are they not all with (PROS) us?

It seems that translators are challenged by the word "pros."  Sometimes it 
is translated as "with" as in Matt. 13:55, but more often "unto," "to," 
"towards," etc.  Even "in those things which pertain to."  After looking at 
the context of various verses using "pros," I would like to suggest that it 
means "with" but with an implied oneness.  Jesus' sisters were with them 
(even though perhaps not in the immediate company of) but there seems to be 
an implied oneness.  The sisters were each one of them.  So the Jews 
reasoned that Jesus couldn't have been who He seemed to be.  They reasoned 
that He was but a carpenter's son.  They knew that His brothers were normal 
people.  Even His sisters were of them.  If Matthew meant "with" then he 
would have probably used "meta," which is much more often translated as 
"with."  Mark also chose to use "pros" at 6:3.

And if "pros" means "with" with an implied oneness, then John 1:1,2 has a 
clearer meaning.  In the begining was the Word (God was in the begining).  
The Word was one with God.  The Word was God.  Matt. 1:23 in contrast is 
saying that God was with ("meta") us.



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