Acts 13:48 multiple choice question
Richard
r.vandenhengel at hetnet.nl
Sat Dec 14 11:14:36 EST 2002
Acts 13:48 runs as follows: AKOUONTA DE TA EQNH EXAIRON KAI EDOCAZON TON
LOGON TOU QEOU KAI EPISTEUSAN hOSOI HSAN TETAGMENOI EIS ZWHN AIWNION.
How would you translate this verse?
A. 'And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the
word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed' (RSV).
B. 'The Gentiles were glad when they heard (this) and praised the Lord and
all who were aimed at eternal life believed' (Theodor Zahn: Kommentar zum
Neuen Testament). In German: 'Die Heiden freuten sich, da sie (dies)
hörten und priesen Gott und es wurden gläubig alle, die auf ewiges Leben
gerichtet waren'.
C. 'When the gentiles heard this they were glad and praised the word of
God and as many as were (present) believed, having been placed in position
towards (or: 'having been directed towards') eternal life' (My own
translation).
D.
. (Your alternative translation)
Arguments:
Translation A:
1. The words HSAN and TETAGMENOI form the verbal phrase, like HSAN and
similar participles do in other places (see Matthew 9:36, Luke 8:2, 9:32,
Acts 12:12). HSAN is an auxiliary verb and has no meaning of itself.
2. The best translation of TASSW is "to ordain", for most English
translations choose for this meaning of TASSW.
Translation B:
1. The idea of predestination to eternal life does not follow from Acts
13:48, for if Luke would have had this intention, the addition hUPO (TOU)
QEOU to HSAN TETAGMENOI would have been indispensable (see Romans 13:1:
hAI DE OUSAI hUPO QEOU TETAGMENAI EISIN).
2. Luke didn't intend to say "ordained themselves", for in that case he
would have used the appropriate mode as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 16:15:
KAI EIS DIAKONIAN TOIS hAGIOIS ETACAN hEAUTOUS.
3. Luke didn't intend to mention who caused the action, just as we do not
wonder who dressed the president when we say: "the president was dressed".
Luke only talks about Gentiles who were unhappy in their thinking and
striving with their religion and who were aimed at/looking for eternal
life. They wanted to know more about eternal life. Therefore they had
invited Paul and Barnabas to speak to them (verses 42 and 44). With the
words KAI EPISTEUSAN hOSOI HSAN TETAGMENOI EIS ZWHN AIWNION Luke simply
means that those who were aimed at/looking for eternal life, believed.
Translation C:
1. The phrase hOSOI HSAN should be translated as "as many as were
(present)". The phrase hOSOI HSAN occurs only twice in the NT: in Acts
13:48 and in Acts 4:6. The ASV and the AV translate Acts 4:6 (KAI hOSOI
HSAN EK GENOUS ARXIERATIKOU) as "and as many as were of the kindred of the
high priest". In both phrases hOSOI HSAN the word HSAN has its own
meaning. It is not used as an auxiliary verb. In Acts 4:6 the word HSAN
indicates presence (EK GENOUS ARXIERATIKOU indicates descent) and in Acts
13:46 HSAN also indicates presence.
2. Verbs should only be translated as auxiliary verbs if it is clear that
they cannot have any meaning at all, for degrading verbs to auxiliary
verbs, robs these words of their meaning.
3. The translation "and as many as were there believed" corresponds with
the fact that the gentiles EXAIRON KAI EDOCAZON TON LOGON TOU QEOU. To
them the gospel was really a joyful message, for they heard that the Lord
had commanded Paul and Barnabas: I have set you to be a light for the
Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the
earth'. Just like in Joppa all who were present believed (Acts 10:19-48).
In both cases none of the believers were Jews, in accordance with the
composition of the book of Acts. The overwhelming acceptance of the Gospel
by the Gentiles is in accordance with the triumph of the Gospel expressed
by the following verse: DIEFERETO DE hO LOGOS TOU KURIOU DI hOLHS THS
XWRAS.
4. Luke does not describe coming to faith as a one-sided act of God, as if
belief is the irresistible result of an eternal decree. The words KAI
EPISTEUSAN simply mean that belief is a human act. Moreover, Luke
contrasts the praising of the word of God by the gentiles (EXAIRON KAI
EDOCAZON TON LOGON TOU QEOU: verse 48) with the rejection of the word of
God by the Jews (verse 46) and he also contrasts the joyful belief of the
gentiles in eternal life (ZWHN AIWNION: verse 48) with the bitter
rejection of eternal life by the Jews (verse 46) to illustrate that belief
and unbelief are two sides of the same coin: human freedom and
responsibility. According to Luke God has a good purpose with everyone,
nevertheless some reject His good purpose (Luke 7:30: hOI DE FARISAIOI KAI
hOI NOMIKOI THN BOULHN TOU QEOU HQETHSAN EIS hEAUTOUS).
5. Translating the participle TETAGMENOI with "were ordained" is rather
arbitrary, for this translation associates the participle with a specific
theological concept, whereas TASSW is never used with such a meaning in
the NT (see TASSW in Matthew 28:16, Luke 7:8, Acts 13:48, 15:2, 22:10,
28:23, Romans 13:1 and 1 Corinthians 16:15). Moreover, if Luke had really
intended to communicate such a theological concept, more explanation would
have been necessary to be understood.
However, my translation 'to placed in position' is mentioned in most
lexicons as the main meaning of TASSW (see: A Greek-English Lexicon of the
New Testament, Walter Bauer, TASSW, 1, Thayers Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament, Joseph H. Thayer, TASSW, 1 and 1a, Greek English
Lexicon, Liddell-Scott, TASSW, I.1., Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New
Testament, Timothy and Barbara Friberg, TASSW (1)). The gentiles were put
in position towards eternal life, like soldiers who are placed in position
to move towards the enemy (see for this military origin of TASSW: Greek
English Lexicon, Liddell-Scott, TASSW, I.1. and Luke 7:8), or like pieces
on a chessboard which are placed in position to move towards the other
side.
The perfect time of the participle TETAGMENOI indicates that Paul first
revealed that salvation and eternal life were also meant for the gentiles
(verse 47) - placing them in position towards (or: directing them towards)
eternal life - and after hearing this revelation the gentiles believed.
The verb TASSW in combination with the preposition EIS is used in this
sense of 'to direct to' in Matthew 28:16: EIS TO OROS OU ETACATO AUTOIS hO
IHSOUS (RSV: to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them). See also
KAI EIS DIAKONIAN TOIS AGIOIS ETACAN hEAUTOUS in 1 Corinthians 16:15.
Taking in consideration the above mentioned arguments I think the
translation "to be placed in position towards" or "to be directed towards"
is to be preferred above the translation "to be ordained".
Which translation do you prefer and why? Maybe you even have an
alternative translation. I am interested in your views.
Kind regards
Richard van den Hengel
The Netherlands
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