Fw: Revelation 3:14 hH ARCH- the Beginning or the Origin,th...

GregStffrd at aol.com GregStffrd at aol.com
Tue May 15 23:54:56 EDT 2001


In a message dated 05/15/2001 2:40:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
Clwinbery at aol.com writes:

<< I find that Louw and Nida is very helpful. Domain 89.16 reads;
 
 ARCHS, HS f: one who or that which constitutes an initial cause — ‘first 
 cause, origin.’ hH ARCH THS KTISEWS TOU QEOU ‘the origin of what God has 
 created’ Re 3:14. It is also possible to understand ARCH in Re 3:14 as 
 meaning ‘ruler’ (see 37.56).
 
 Carlton Winbery  >>


Dear Carl:

I am not sure how helpful this citation is in answering the question 
regarding Rev. 3:14. The lexicon cites the text in question and gives a 
meaning that it believes is legitimate. Citing a text to support a meaning 
for the very text you cite is not good reasoning, as I am sure you would 
agree. 

So we are left wondering on what grammatical and/or semantic grounds these 
conclusions are based? Any? I am not aware of any parallel uses to ARCH in 
Revelation 3:14 in NT or other Greek literature that support "source" or 
"origin" (that is, apart "source" or "origin" in the way that one who is the 
beginning [hence, "beginner"] can be considered the source [i.e., starting 
point] of that which is in view). I am also not aware of any compelling 
reason to adopt "ruler" over "beginning" in light of 1) the NT preference for 
using ARCWN for "ruler" (as in Rev. 1:5) and 2) the fact that in the NT where 
we do find ARCH with the meaning "ruler" it is always accompanied by terms 
denoting power (DYNAMIS) or authority (EXOUSIA). (See Lu 12:11; 20:20; Ro 
8:38; 1Co 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10; 2:15; Tit 3:1.) 

Frankly, I think the Louw Nida lexicon showed a lack of concern for its 
readers in only offering these two meanings for this verse, and not even 
granting the possibility of the most well-founded (grammatically and 
semantically) meaning. Of course, no reference work is free of criticism. It 
is still a very helpful tool. 

Best regards,

Greg Stafford  



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