[B-Greek] sons of God - teknia, huios
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Apr 30 01:28:19 EDT 2003
>
> On Tuesday, April 29, 2003, at 01:22 PM, Iver Larsen wrote:
>
> > TEKNA appears to used in a context where the focus is on the
> > relationship
> > between the parents and the children and that focus is often connected
> > with (mutual) love and being part of one family.
> >
> > hUIOI is used more in contexts where the focus is on likeness between
> > father and son. A son is to follow in his father's footstep and be like
> > him in character and behaviour.
>
> But isn't one of the main thrusts of the passage in 1 John 3, the
> children's likeness to that of the Father?
> 3:1) ...the world does not know us... did not know him
> 3:2) ... we shall be like him
> 3:3) ...purified himself, as he is pure
> 3:7) ...is righteous, as he is righteous
The pertinent context for TEKNA in 3:1-2 is the whole of those two verses,
here quoted from the RSV:
"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did
not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear
what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is."
The most important context for "called children of God" is the preceding
clause containing the great love of the Father. As I said, TEKNA is commonly
used when the focus is on father-child relationship and the love between
them. The next part of the verse focuses again on that loving relationship
which the "world" has not experienced. It is only when one joins the family
that one experiences that relationship, not just with the father, but with
the other "brothers and sisters".
Again in v. 2 the text starts with "beloved", just before "God's TEKNA". The
idea of us one day being like him is an additional thought, not contained in
the use of TEKNA, but indicated by the explicit words about being like him.
The reason for being "like him" acc. to the context is not that we are his
TEKNA, but that "we shall see him as he is."
It is interesting to compare with Mat 5:9 since we have the verb "called"
together with "sons/children of God" in both places:
MAKARIOI hOI EIRHNOPOIOI hOTI AUTOI hUIOI QEOU KLHQHSONTAI
"sons" is used here because the people who are peacemakers, are "sons of
God". God himself is THE peacemaker, and by being peacemakers, people
qualify to be called "sons of God", because then they are like him.
In 1 John 3:1 there is no description of "us", but of the Father's great
love. So, the focus is not on our performance here, but our position.
>
> therefore, while the use of TEKNA in the context of mutual love is
> perfectly acceptable according to 3:1a, the likeness implied by hUIOI
> permeates the entire pericope. Could it be that, at least in this
> passage (maybe throughout Johannine lit.) TEKNA and hUIOI are
> interchangeable? ... not sure yet.
It is clear that John has a preference for TEKNA over hUIOI, but I would not
go as far as saying that they are interchangeable.
I tried to compare all instances of any form of TEKNON with any form of
hUIOS in the NT, but this did not yield much benefit, because the singular
hUIOS is used so many times in genealogies. It was more interesting to
compare the plural forms only.
John rarely uses the plural of hUIOS (2 times in John's gospel, 4:12 - his
literal sons, 12:36 - sons of light. 3 times in Revelation in the fixed
phrase "sons of Israel"). But he uses the plural of TEKNON 13 times (in
John, 1,2,3 John and Rev), plus the 8 times he uses the plural of TEKNION
(and only John uses TEKNIA). One would need to look at each instance in
context to get the exact sense in each case.
A few of these are literally children, but most are extended "children", and
my suggestion is that John's love for TEKNA and TEKNIA is related to his
overall focus on "love", not so much in the Gospel as in 1 John.
Iver Larsen
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