Galatians 2:16 EAN MH

Daniel L. Christiansen dlc at multnomah.edu
Mon Apr 1 18:31:49 EST 2002


Glenn Blank wrote [snipped]:

> BTW, Iver, I'm not sure what the difference is between <if not A then not B>
> and <only if A then B>.  Logically, they are equivalent.  But how are they
> different linguistically?

    There actually is a logical difference between the two propositions, as stated.
The first <if not A then not B> will not ever _necessarily_ result in the occurence
of B, since the inverse <if A then B> is not required.  That is, under the
strictures of this proposition, even when A is true, B may still be false.
    On the other hand, the second proposition <only if A then B> will _necessarily_
produce B, in any situation where A is true.  This second proposition <only if A
then B> includes within itself the first <if not A then not B>, but goes one step
beyond in its necessary implications.
    I suppose that one could be very picky, and say that the second proposition must
have another "if" included <if and only if A then B> to necessarily require the
production of B in A's fulfillment.  But, that is normally the sense of the "only
if" phrasing, as I understand it.

FWIW, Daniel
--
Daniel L. Christiansen
Professor, Bible & Theology, Biblical Languages
Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary
(503) 445-5295





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