[B-Greek] Gal 5:16 OU MH TELESHTE, 5:17 hINA MH hA EAN QELHTE TAUTA POIHTE

Jonathan Robie jonathan.robie at datadirect.com
Tue Mar 16 18:26:19 EST 2004


I have a question about Gal 5:16-5:17:

   LEGW DE PNEUMATI PERIPATEITE KAI EPIQUMIAN SARKOS OU MH TELESHTE. hH
   GAR SARX EPIQUMEI KATA TOU PNEUMATOS, TO DE PNEUMA KATA THS SARKOS;
   TAUTA GAR ALLHLOIS ANTIKEITAI, hINA MH hA EAN QELHTE TAUTA POIHTE.

In Gal 5:16, TELESHTE is subjunctive, and I assume that OU MH TELESHTE, 
in contrast to PERIPATEITE, makes this come out something like "if you 
walk in the Spirit then there ain't no way you're gonna fulfil the 
desires of the flesh." Strongly emphatic negative, stating that a 
possible future state, in the subjunctive, will not arise. Right?

But some translations say "walk in the Spirit, and do not satisfy the 
desires of the flesh." Can OU MH TELESHTE have the force of an 
imperative in this verse?

In Gal 5:17, the phrase TAUTA GAR ALLHLOIS ANTIKEITAI, hINA MH hA EAN 
QELHTE TAUTA POIHTE seems to have similar force.

Jonathan



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