[B-Greek] use of the aorist tense
Mark Wilson
emory2oo2 at hotmail.com
Sat Apr 12 21:10:13 EDT 2003
Bert:
I know of no Present Tense used to describe the Past IN A TEMPORAL
STATEMENT.
I think what you mean is there is a Present Tense used to describe an event
that is PAST from the standpoint of writing but PRESENT from the standpoint
of the Deictic Center.
The same is true of Aorists. There is no Aorist that is used to describe a
future event from the standpoint of the Deictic Center. If no Deictic Center
is present, then the proposition is NOT a temporal statement.
I would expect to find some exceptions to this rule, like in any language,
but I'm not sure there is one in the GNT.
You cite this:
------
I am thinking of EDOXASQH in John 15:8; EN TOUTWi EDOXASQH hO PATHR MOU,
hINA KARPON POLUN FERHTE KAI GENHSESQE EMOI MAQHTAI
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Note EN TOUTWI; translated by the NET Bible thus:
----
15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want,
and it will be done for you. 15:8 My Father is honored by this,
------
The Father is honerED by what has just taken place "in the past." (Notice
the past conditions that must obtain... remain in me...his words remain in
you...)
Generally, the Aorist that is used to support your claim (Present or Future
referring Aorists) is the verse on "The grass withers..." This is an Aorist,
but as I indicated above, there is NO temporal statement being made here.
And if no temporal statement is made, there is no Deictic Center to test its
temporal relation.
My thoughts,
Mark Wilson
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