[B-Greek] Conditionals in 1 Cor 13:8?
Jody Barnard
jbnard at yahoo.co.uk
Mon Jan 19 16:53:26 EST 2004
Hello Tim,
It is certainly correct to question the cessationist
interpretation of this verse. The interpretation of
the verbs KATARGEW (cease; pass away; render
inoperative) and PAUSONTAI (stop; cease; rest) must be
determined by the context. Paul's words in vv 9-12
suggest an eschatological cessation, that is,
prophecy, tongues and knowledge will cease when "we
see face to face ... know fully."
It may also be significant that Paul's previous and
subsequent use of the verb KATAGEW also has an
eschatological context (6:13; 13:10; 15:24-26).
The only conditionals in chapter 13 occur in vv 1-3,
there are none in v.8. Verse 8 uses the conjunction
EITE, which serves as a contrasting particle and is
probably what's behind those English translations
you've checked.
Jody Barnard
--- Tim Crews <tim-junk at crews-family.org> wrote: >
Hello:
>
> I have been raised a cessationist (i.e., believing
> that the charismatic
> spiritual gifts such as tongues, healing, etc. have
> ceased). However, it
> does not seem to me that the Scriptures themselves
> give any hint that this
> cessation was to occur. I have seen only one verse
> used to justify the
> assertion that the authors of Scripture knew that
> these gifts would cease:
>
> 1 Cor 13:8
>
> H AGAPH OUDEPOTE PIPTEI. EITE DE PROYHTEIAI,
> KATARGHQHSONTAI EITE GLWSSAI,
> PAUSONTAI EITE GNWSIS, KATARGHQESETAI.
>
> (That was my first attempt at a b-greek
> transliteration. Please point out
> any errors.)
>
> Although settling the Scriptural issue would not
> necessarily be decisive or
> conclusive (since it is possible that information
> pertaining to cessation
> was simply not revealed to the authors of
> Scripture), I would like to
> discuss this verse anyway.
>
> I am a first-semester Koine Greek student. I have
> not yet reached a point
> in my studies where I can recognize anything other
> than "H", "AGAPE",
> "GLWSSAI", and "GNWSIS" in the above text. It
> seems to me, based on some
> English translations, that conditionals of some sort
> might be present in the
> original language, but I doubt that the subtleties
> of the original meaning
> are present in the English translations. I would
> like to see a discussion
> of the degree of conditionality that is present in
> the original language in
> this verse. Based only on what I see in the English
> translation, it seems
> to me that the context points to a hypothetical
> situation being proposed, to
> make a rhetorical point as to the supremacy of AGAPE
> over all of those other
> things. It does not necessarily indicate the belief
> that tongues and
> prophecy would actually cease.
>
>
> Thank you for your insight,
>
> Tim Crews
> Chandler, Arizona
>
> ---
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