[B-Greek] Spirit or spirit

Eric Weiss eweiss at gte.net
Thu Feb 27 09:33:03 EST 2003


An interesting thing about the phrase TO FRONHMA TOU PNEUMATOS in Romans 
8:27 is, as pointed out, its occurrence in Romans 8:6. While 8:27 is 
usually translated as meaning "the mind/thoughts that the Spirit has," 
the same phrase in 8:6 is usually translated as "the mind set on the 
Spirit" (i.e., the human mind set to follow the Spirit, rather than the 
flesh). But since in Romans 7 Paul has almost personified SARX as having 
a will and life of its own, or rather a life controlled by indwelling 
hAMARTIA, it is not unreasonable to translate Romans 8:6 as "the mindset 
the flesh has" and "the mindset the Spirit has," viewing the SARX and 
the PNEUMA as two "beings" or "entities" at war with one another (see 
Galatians 5:17), each having its own thought process (FRONHMA). However, 
I have found few translations that treat the phrase in 8:6 as they treat 
it in 8:27, and literal translations ("the mindset of the flesh" "the 
mindset of the Spirit") do not sufficiently make clear how the 
translator's view the genitive phrase. I also have not read in 
commentaries this possible translation of the phrase in 8:6 -- yet I 
think my thoughts are valid grammatical ones, even if not apparently 
held or expressed by many.

-- 
Eric S. Weiss
http://home1.gte.net/vzn05pnm/index.htm
S.D.G.




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