Rom 9:3

Mike Sangrey mike at sojurn.lns.pa.us
Thu Jul 6 16:00:06 EDT 2000



Mike Wine <mikewine at juno.com> said:
> "HUCOMHN GAR ANAQEMA EINAI AUTOS EGW APO TOU CRISTOU"

>  Most translations say something like "For I could wish" for HUCOMHN.
> And so the phrase refers to a current wish of a Christian Paul.  But
> some, like Young's render the verb in such a way (more literally?)
> that this phrase refers to Saul's pre-Christian thinking: For I was
> wishing (i.e., when I was not a Christian). 

Along with Jim West's comment I'd like to add that 'AUTOS EGW' carries, in 
this context, a tone of considerable emotion.  That is, coupled with Paul's 
strong statement in verse 2, this man is hurting.  A pre-Damascus road Paul 
had NO intentions of being an ANAQEMA APO TOU CRISTOU.  The language of his 
tears was translated into Greek here.

Having said that, the imperfect does portray the action with certain 
remoteness, not necessarily temporal, which a present would have brought right 
to the fore and an aorist would have pushed too far back.

It appears to be very well worded Greek--presenting both the intensity of how 
Paul feels along with the reality he so frustratingly understands.

-- 
Mike Sangrey
mike at sojurn.lns.pa.us
Landisburg, Pa.
       Every Christian library should have a plaque which states:
            "There is one book which explains all of these."





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