[B-Greek] EPI ERGOIS AGAQOIS

virgil newkirk virgilsalvage1 at msn.com
Mon Jun 7 22:11:26 EDT 2004


Dear B-Greekers,

What first comes to mind when you are confronted by the phrase or term--Good 
Works ? Be honest and remember what the first impression was that came to 
mind. You will need it later in the matter I would like to present. Was it 
not something we might perform ? I know that is the first thing that I think 
of..



What follows is something that I never had considered until a few weeks ago 
after having looked closely at the Greek of Ephesians 2:10


   Recently, in a small group setting we were asked to memorize some verses. 
Among them was Ephesians 2:10. Here are what a few translations offer for 
Eph 2:10b:

KJV: created in Christ Jesus "unto" good works
NIV: created in Christ Jesus "to do" good works
NLT: created in Christ Jesus "so that we can do" the good things"
NASB: created in Christ Jesus "for" good works


Ephesians 2:10 reads:

AUTOU GAR ESMEN POIHMA KTISQENTES EN CRISTWi IHSOU EPI ERGOIS AGAQOIS OIS 
PROHTOIMASEN hO QEOS hINA EN AUTOIS PERIPATHSWMEN

When I looked at this verse in the Greek I was surprised and taken back by 
the use of EPI preceeding ERGOIS AGAQOIS. Virtually all English translations 
represent this phrase as unto or for or even (NIV) as an infinitive.."to do" 
good works. Quite frankly, I said to myself...what's EPI doing there and how 
could anyone translate the preposition EPI as "to do"..or even "unto" ? One 
of which is verbal...the other inferring direction towards.


This contemplation led to the following conclusion on my part and that that 
conclusion is demanded by the Greek. Am I mistaken and if you think so 
..why ?

  ERGOIS AGAQOIS here, is not related to good works that we may or may not 
perform, but, in fact, to the good works accomplished in and by Christ and 
that these good works and their results are the "basis" of our KTISQENTES EN 
CHRISWi IHSOU; EPI ERGOIS AGAQOIS ! I believe this impression is required by 
the Greek because:

EPI+Dative according to BDAG is a marker of presence or occurrence near an 
object or area, at, near--b. with Dative, of immediate proximity at, near, 
or by. 6./ Marker of basis for a state of being, action, or result, on. With 
Dative.


Now, this would require a rendering such as:

" We are ones having been established (founded) in Christ Jesus.."on" "on 
the basis of" good works "

Everything that is anything that is founded, that is, established; is 
founded or established first "on" or "on the basis of" something. Is it not 
? The same is being described here by the Greek, I believe. Our, that is, 
we--have been KTISQENTES EN CHRISTWi IHSOU...on what basis ? On....what ? 
EPI ERGOIS AGAQOIS.

It would be easy to come up with a list of these "good works" that have been 
done and that in fact, the rest of verse 10 states that it is God who before 
prepared them that we should walk in them.

Just a few.. In cooperation and working (producing)ERGAZOMENOS with His 
Father he has brought about the Lamb of God. The Vine. The Bread of Life. 
The Cleansing Blood. Which issues into the Saving Life. The Church. The 
Revelation. All of which meet the qualifications of having been before 
prepared by God beforehand and naturally containing the requirement that we 
walk in them. After all, without Him; we can do "nothing".

Among the many things that show that Paul is in these verses describing our 
position and condition in Christ is verse 11 which is part of the immediate 
context and is a further description of what we were and what we are now. 
Drawing attention to what it is that we "must" realize concerning our being 
in Christ. Not necessarily (at this point) to be concerned with what we must 
be "doing"--which I would like to suggest again; is not being said in the 
Greek of Ephesians 2:10b.

Are there any arguments from a different perspective that can cancel out 
this conclusion of mine ? If there are and they are so...I would hope I 
would want to know and believe that very thing.


One other matter that is key in this verse and that everything turns 
on....GAR. Whatever follows is an extension and expansion of what is 
contained in verse 9 at least. Yes ?


Virgil Newkirk
Salt Lake City, Utah 



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