[B-Greek] abide in Jn 15:9-11

Colin Thompson colin at cthompson.org.uk
Mon May 26 16:47:54 EDT 2003


 
Hi Richard,
I am only just leaning Greek (modern, spoken, 9 months) and rely heavily on
the Oxford classical greek dictionary. However, in reading the Nestle text
the language flows as naturally as any modern language, and the verb MENW
with various appended - enlarged forms is used in the same contexts as in
modern Greek. As you would expect, such a common word/meaning is used
everwhere, and with various connotations, just as in English.
I started reading the Interlinear Nestle text in 1983 with the help of JB
Smith's Greek - English Concordance, ISBN 0 86065 003 0, Kingsway
Publications Ltd.

I can't help thinking that to try to arrive at a definitive sense of
particular words in a text without having an overall appreciation of the
subject of the text must be prone to misconception, guesswork, subjectivity
and eventually error.
I find it helps to bear in mind that the text of the New Testament is
concerning 'that which we have seen and handled';  'the things most
certainly known.'
When you abide, remain, lodge, in Christ, then to read it means something
that you identify with.
For those who don't have the experience, there may never be a convincing
explanation.
All the best 
Colin Thompson, Gateshead, England.
http://www.cthompson.org.uk/colin.html
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Rbsads at aol.com
Date: Sunday, May 25, 2003 00:52:44
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [B-Greek] abide in Jn 15:9-11
 
This is a hard question for me to express, and so patience is requested.
 
When a word such as MENW is understood as meaning "abide" rather than simply
as "stay" or "remain," is that word being understood in one of its Koine
Greek
nuances, is it receiving a special nuance by the early Christian writers, or
is it receiving a special nuance by later Christian hermeneutics influencing
translation?
 
This is of course a huge question. I suppose I am asking first for comments
on the use of MENW in John 15. Second, and perhaps, more importantly are
there
resources for a beginning GNT reader to discern how any particular word has
changed from standard Koine usage for the purposes of the early Christian
writers.
 
Thanks,
 
Richard Smith
Chattanooga, TN
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