[B-Greek] John 1:18b question (and John 1:8)

Dmitriy Reznik reznik1 at juno.com
Tue Dec 23 20:47:23 EST 2003


On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 17:14:09 -0500 "Tony Costa" <tmcos at rogers.com>
writes:> 
> Dmitriy, I suspect that this subject is going to lead us all into a
> theological discussion that will vary among list members. 
I don't think it is inevitable. I speak only about the meaning of the
phrase "hO WN" itself, not the theological interpretation.
>I only wanted to
> add that the wording hW ON in Exod. 3:14 LXX  is the Greek 
> equivalent if the
> Hebrew EHYEH ASHER EHYEH (I Am that I Am) found in the MT. Hebrew 
> scholars
> agree that the Divine Name Yahweh is derived from these words. 
I agree that the Name is derived from the word "to be", but it doesn't
mean that anyone who "is" something is G-d. E.g. my name Dmitriy is
derived from Greek goddess' name, but it doesn't mean that I am a Greek
goddess.
>Thus 
> the
> statement that Yahweh is the one "who is" points to his person and
> character. 
I agree, but that is not deity. In fact, for G-d there was no need to
state His deity in Ex 3:14, what He did state was what kind of G-d He is.

>The EGW EIMI statements are also found in other parts of 
> the LXX
> (eg.Isa.43:10) 
"10 Be ye my witnesses, and I too am a witness, saith the Lord God, and
my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know, and believe, and
understand that I an he: before me there was no other God, and after me
there shall be none. 11 I am God; and beside me there is no Saviour."
In that passage, it is the context and not the words "EGO EIMI" (it's Me
or I am [he]) points to deity. "G-d" is implied in verse 10 and
explicitly stated in verse 11.
>One cannot escape the violent reaction of Jesus' 
> audience who
> heard him utter the words that before Abraham existed EGW EIMI (John 
> 8:58)
> and the following verse states that people picked up stones to kill 
> him.
> (John 8:59) EGW EIMI certainly didn't mean to them "It's me" because 
> there
> would be nothing blasphemous about that. 
Of course. They found blasphemous not the words "EGO EIMI" but His
stating that He had existed before Abraham.

>John 10:33 makes it clear 
> that
> Jesus' opponents took those words as a claim to him being Deity.
No, the verse doesn't say that they meant "EGO EIMI". They could easily
mean "I and my Father are one." in verse 30.

Sincerely,
Dmitriy Reznik


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