Jerusalem Project (hUPOSTASIS)

Mark Wilson emory2oo2 at hotmail.com
Wed Sep 6 15:06:58 EDT 2000



2 Cor. 9:4

MH PWS EAN ELQWSIN SUN EMOI MAKEDONES KAI hEURWSIN hUMAS APARASKEUASTOUS
KATAISCUNQWMEN hHMEIS hINA MH LEGW hUMEIS EN THi hUPOSTASEI TAUTHi

Translated by the NET Bible as:

"For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not 
ready to give, we would be humiliated (not to mention you) by this 
confidence [we had in you]."

In preparation for my question, here is a direct quote from Dr. David E. 
Garland (Baylor University) on this passage:

"The NIV, along with most English translations, renders the last word in the 
verse (hUPOSTASIS) as "confidence" or "assurance." But no other examples of 
the usage of the word with this meaning exist. (See BAGD, 847) The word 
means "project" or "plan." The end of this verse is therefore better 
translated, "we would be put to shame – not to say anything about you – in 
this project (undertaking).""

He goes on to indicate that the Corinthians’ potential abandonment of the 
Jerusalem Project (the collection of funds for the poor in Jerusalem), to 
which they had previously committed, would seriously jeopardize the project 
(hUPOSTASIS) as a whole.


Also, who can forget Dr. Wuest’s famous "Title Deed" to answered prayer, 
where he translated Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the title deed (not substance) 
of things hoped for..." And of course Dr. Wuest provided documents to 
substantiate his claim, showing that it clearly meant, in a legal sense, 
"title deed."

With this slightly lengthy introduction, my question concerns hUPOSTASIS.

Can someone help me understand Dr. Garland’s claim? The NET Bible translates 
it "confidence." Yet Dr. Garland indicates that there is no attestation for 
such a usage.


I assume, based on Dr. Wuest’s substantiated claim, that hUPOSTASIS must 
contain its "technical" sense in Heb. 11. Or, can we translate Heb. 11:1, 
"Faith is the undertaking" of things hoped for? If so, what does 
"undertaking" mean in this passage? Even though Dr. Garland indicates that 
"confidence" is not an option, it seems to fit in Hebrew 11.

How would one translate hUPOSTASIS in Hebrews 11?

Do you concur with Dr. Garland of his translation "project (undertaking)" in 
2 Cor. 9:4?

Thank you,

BTW (You may notice a slight change in my email address. I change every so 
often in an attempt to out run all the Junk Mailers in cyber space. I was 
getting way too many junk emails.)


Mark Wilson









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