[B-Greek] EPI ERGOIS AGAQOIS

George F. Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Mon Jun 7 22:46:13 EDT 2004


Virgil,

EPI + Dat. according to BAGD is used, among other purposes, to show

1. The person or thing because of which something exists
2. O purpose, goal or result.

Take your pick.

gfsomsel
_________

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 20:11:26 -0600 "virgil newkirk"
<virgilsalvage1 at msn.com> writes:
> 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 
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
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> 
> 

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