Eph 5:18, EN PNEUMATI

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Jul 21 09:22:25 EDT 2000


At 7:04 AM -0700 7/21/00, dixonps at juno.com wrote:
>On Fri, 21 Jul 2000 04:16:22 GMT "B.J. Williamson"
><hellen_ic at hotmail.com> writes:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Eph 5:18, EN  PNEUMATI
>>
>> >Am re-thinking whether the anarthrous construction here, coupled
>> with
>> >the contextual PERIPATEITE EN AGAPNi (5:2), hWS TEKNA QWTOS
>> >PERIPATEITE (5:8) and PERIPATEITE ... hWS SOFOI (5:15), shouldn't
>> >be taken as an exhortation to be continually filled with spiritual
>> >matters,
>> >such as love, holiness, and wisdom.
>> >
>> >Thoughts?
>> >
>> >Paul Dixon
>>
>>
>> Paul:
>>
>> I think the use of PLHROUSQE would preclude such an understanding.
>> We are
>> admonished to "demonstrate" these qualities, but they are produced
>> by the
>> Spirit.
>>
>> For example, in Romans 5:5, the love of God is poured out DIA
>> PNEUMATOS
>> hAGIOU.
>>
>> I think one could argue for a contrast (or parallel) within this
>> verse:
>>
>> KAI MH MEQUSKESQE OINWi EN hWi ESTIN ASWTIA,
>> ALLA PLHROUSQE EN PNEUMATI
>>
>> Being filled with (controlled by) OINOS produces ASWTIA
>> Being filled with (controlled by) the PNEUMA produces love,
>> holines...
>
>But, surely the anarthrous OINOS does not identify a
>particular wine.  If not, then what is the argument for
>taking the anarthrous PNEUMATI as the Holy Spirit?

Seems to me that PNEUMA appears occasionally without the article, perhaps
with an adjective (hAGION) to refer to Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, I suppose that as one may get pretty tipsy on any truly
alcoholic wine, one can get pretty "high" by sniffing the air coming out of
a pneumatic tire. But I hardly think that sniffing the air from a pneumatic
tire is likely to lead to love, holiness, wisdom, or the like.

When Paul speaks of TA PNEUMATIKA in 1 Cor 12-14, do you suppose he is
talking about the fruits of sniffing gas?

1 Cor 12:1 PERI DE TWN PNEUMATIKWN, ADELFOI, OU QELW hUMAS AGNOEIN.

1 Cor 14:1 DIWKETE THN AGAPHN, ZHLOUTE DE TA PNEUMATIKA, MALLON DE hINA
PROFHTEUHTE.
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
Summer: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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