[B-Greek] Romans 1:17 EK PISTEWS EIS PISTIN

Harold R. Holmyard III hholmyard at ont.com
Mon Apr 26 17:36:54 EDT 2004


Dear Arie,

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket (be discouraging) but rather to 
check a possible over-readiness to jump on the bandwagon (accept the 
proposal).

>I frequently noticed that EUAGGELION in the NT does not have the meaning
>"gospel", but "preaching of the gospel to those who do not believe". In
>verse 16 that meaning is quite possible, if we compare verse 15.
>Preaching the gospel is indeed a DUNAMIS ... *EIS* SWTHRIAN, if a person
>comes to believe (PANTI TWi PISTEUONTI).

HH: However, EUAGGELION QEOU in Rom 1:1 probably is not "the 
preaching of God" but the "the good news that belongs to God." And 
the definite article with EUAGGELION in verse 16 might refer back to 
the earlier use of the noun  (cf. also v. 9: "the gospel of His 
Son"). The verb EUAGGELIZW does occur in v. 15.

>EN AUTWi in verse 17 means EN TWi EUAGGELIWi, in the preaching of the
>gospel. And indeed in the *preaching* there is APOKALUPSIS of God's
>DIKAIOSUNH. In the preaching of the gospel the source is the PISTIS of the
>person who is preaching (EK PISTEWS) and the goal is the PISTIS of the
>person who is listening (EIS PISTIN).

HH: This is a really interesting suggestion. For even if EUAGGELION 
just meant "good news," could not this still be true? However, isn't 
a good alternative interpretation for EK PISTEWS EIS PISTIV the idea 
of ever increasing degrees of faith? Anyway, yours is an attractive 
suggestion.

				Yours,
				Harold Holmyard




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