p.p.a. or historical present: 2 Cor 5.19

Joe A. Friberg JoeFriberg at email.msn.com
Fri Sep 24 01:03:01 EDT 1999


----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Logan <caltom at gate.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 3:00 PM


> 2 Cor 5:19
>
> HOS HOTI QEOS EN EN CHRISTO KOSMON KATALLASSON HEAUTW ME LOGIZOMENOS
AOTOIS
> TA PARAPTOMATA AUTON KAI THEMENOS EN HEMIN TON LOGON TES KATALLAGES

> the word reconciling which appears as a present active participle
>
> Is this an example of a p.p.a. and is this reconciling then in fact a
> past accomplished reconciling

Not sure what p.p.a. stands for.  Also, the term "historical present" is
normally reserved for present indicative forms that occur in the narrative
framework of a story.

Now, the short answer to your final question is that the 'reconciling' is
past tense because of the HN imperfect for the main verb in the clause; but
the *present* form of the participle indicates an extended action in some
sense.

The HN + pres.ptc. can be analyzed in one of two ways:
1. as a periphrastic construction, roughly equivalent to the imperfect
tense, or
2. as a central event QEOS HN EN XRISTWi, which is expeanded the the two
following pres.ptcs. with the function of accompanying actions: reconciling
and not reckoning.  If the independent verb was not HN, this would be only
option; the presence of EN XRISTWi also makes the HN clause complete, and
lends weight to this second option.

Note that the Aor.ptc. QEMENOS picks back up a chain of Aor.ptcs. from v18.
It is not a part of the hOTI HN clause of v19.

Reconciliation is in v19 viewed as a process that God modeled in the
ministry of Jesus, as brought out by the Pres.ptcs.  In v18, the use of Aor.
ptcs. views reconciliation, with respect to specific christians, as a past
singular event.  The time frame comes from the context, not the "tense" of
the participle; the "tense" of the ptc. contributes to the 'wave' vs.
'particle' perspective of the event referenced by the ptc.

Joe Friberg
Arlington, TX








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