[B-Greek] EDOXASEN in Romans 8:30
HigashiNobuo
higa_nob at d3.dion.ne.jp
Thu Sep 4 00:49:30 EDT 2003
Subject:EDOXASEN in Romans 8:30
(concerned with Mr.Glen L. Naftaniel's comment at Thu. Mar. 8.15, 2001)
Mr.Glen L. Naftaniel wants to know the true meaning concerning the subject
above. But I think, no answer has been given. He says;
>... I am trying to correctly understand the word Glorified (EDOXASEN),
particularly as it applies to Romans 8:30. The verb is indicative, aorist,
active, third person, singular. (AnalyticalGreek N.T.--Friberg.) I guess
they interpret it as past tense because it is aorist. I'm not sure of the
implications of it being indicative. I
know that it means that the action is certain. Does that mean that it is
presently taking place? (I don't think so but I'm not sure)
I have a friend who interprets glorified in Romans 8:30 as referring to
both (1)our present exaltation, i.e. our becoming sons of God. And (2)
our final glorification i.e. heaven. Is that grammatically sound? It
doesn't seem so to me for two reasons:
1) I think that when people speak they don't have two ideas in their
mind at the same time. .....
2) It doesn't seem that if glorification was past tense that it could be
BOTH past and present at the same time. Is that correct?
Any help that could be offered would be of great help. Thanks, Glen--
-----------------------
In Rom. 8:30, God called(EKALESEN) us whom He predestinated. And then He
justified(EDIKAIWSEN), and more He glorified(EDOXASEN) us.
The verbs are all of aorist tense. We understand the aorist tense of
"called"(EKALESEN) and "justified"(EDIKAIWSEN) no problem because we were
already called and justified. But how about the "glorified"EDOXASEN? We are
not glorified yet but Paul says "glorified"(EDOXASEN) in aorist(past) tense.
What does it mean?
Not only Glen but also we ,may be, all the believers have been troubled and
complicated and even many interpreters seem troubled by the aorist tense for
"glorified" EDOXASEN.
Glen says referring to A.T. Robertson
A.T. Robertson (Word Pictures) remarked--Glorified (EDOXASEN). All first
aorist active indicatives of common verbs (KALEO, DIKAIOO, DOXAZO). But
the glorification is stated as already consummated (constative aorists,
all of them), though still in the future in the fullest sense. "The step
implied in EDOXASEN is both complete and certain in the Divine counsels"
Some other ones say also about the aorist.....
"It means the guarantee of the future glorification because the
glorification in the future is too sure"(K.Utimura, R.Oyama).
"An anticipation, to take glorification in advance"(E.Kaesemann, Lietzmann
etc.translated by me from Jap.edition ).
"Though not complete in its historical working out, the step implied in
EDOXASEN is both complete and certain in the Divine counsels. To God there
is neither 'before nor after'. "(Sanday and Headlam, Romans).
"The aorist here used may express the idea of frequency. Whom He calls, He
is wont to justify; and whom He is wont to justify, is he accustomed to
glorify. So that the meaning is the same as though the present tense had
been used, 'Whom he calls he justifies,' &c.; ... Or, as this use of aorist
is doubtful, or at least unusual, that tense is employed, because Paul is
speaking of that God, who sees the end from the beginning, and in whose
decree and the purpose all future events are comprehended and fixed; so that
predestinating us, he at the same time, in effect, called, justified, and
glorified us, as all these were included in his purpose..." (C.Hodge.
Romans).
As you know from these small quotations, the commentators seem troubled
about this aorist tense. Their understanding may be summarized as
A.T.Robertson says: "The step implied in EDOXASEN is both complete and
certain in the Divine counsels"
Now, please look another verses of Ephesians 2:5-6
[NKJV] Ephesians
2:5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive
together(SUNEZWOPOIHSEN) with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
2:6 and raised us up together(SUNHGEIREN), and made us sit
together(SUNEKAQISEN) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
This is the same case as in Rom.8:30.
SUNEZWOPOIHSEN, SUNHGEIREN and SUNEKAQISEN
These are all of aorist tense.
EDOXASEN in Rom.8:30 will be considered the glorification at the same time
when God made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together and
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This EDOXASEN
is not for the future matter as the interpreters consider.
Other aorist tense of the verbs in Rom.8:30, EKALESEN, EDIKAIWSEN too are
these at the time of His resurrection.
Mixing these verses, we can say that after our crucifixion together with
Christ(Rom.6:6, Gal.2:20) , God called(EKALESEN)(Rom.8:30) us,
justified(EDIKAIWSEN)(Rom.8:30) us, made us alive(SUNEZWOPOIHSEN)(Eph.2:5)
together with Christ, and raised us up together(SUNHGEIREN)(Eph.2:5), and He
glorified(EDOXASEN)(Rom.8:30) us (,may be, together with Him) and made us
sit together(SUNEKAQISEN)(Eph.2:5) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
EKALESEN, EDIKAIWSEN, are not the matters occurred when we believed into
Him, nor EDOXASEN is the matter in the future. But all are the matters in
His resurrection and ascension two thousand years ago.
So, the aorist tense is applied to these verbs. The only one event occurred
in the past.
According to the facts, we were called, justified, made alive(given life)
when we believed into Him and in the future we will be glorified and be made
sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
And I must say that another "we" actually existed together with Christ Jesus
two thousand years ago, because Paul uses the prefix "SUN" with verbs
SUNEZWOPOIHSEN, SUNHGEIREN and SUNEKAQISEN. Otherwise, he is a liar. This
another "we", I call the "objective we". The existence of this corporate
being the "objective we" is proved biblically.
Thanks
Higashi Nobuo(fam.n., fst.n.)
Fukuoka city Japan
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