[B-Greek] Hebrews 6:1-2

Charles Rempel CharlesR at mygalaxyexpress.com
Sun Feb 27 15:53:54 EST 2005


<CharlesR at mygalaxyexpress.com> writes:
> MH PALIN QEMELION KATABALLOMENOI METANOIAS APO NEKRWN ERGWN KAI PISTEWS
EPI
> QEON BAPTISMWN DIDAXHS EPIQESEWS TE XEIRWN ANASTASEWS TE NEKRWN KAI
KRIMATOS AINWNIO
> Two questions:
> How do you understand BAPTISMWN DIDAXHS?
> How are TE and KAI used in this sentence?

While there were ablutions in Judaism (check out info re: "mikvah"), I tend
to think that this is in regard to Christian practices.  I would understand
it to refer to catechetical instruction prior to baptism.  If I recall
correctly, the early church had a fairly extended time of instruction
(perhaps 2 yrs?) before full admittance to the fellowship of the eucharist.
It must be remembered that the church at this time consisted mostly of new
converts so that paedo-baptism was not so extensively practiced then.  The
catechumens were dismissed prior to the celebration of communion.  This,
however, is beyond the discussion of Greek and into church history so I'll
leave it at that.

george

Charles: How would your response tie in with the other uses of BAPTISMOS in
Colossians 2:12 (Spirit Baptism) and Mark 7:4 & Hebrews 9:10 (ritual
cleansings)?

Actually, I'm more interested in the relationship of the two genetives
relative to each other and then relative to the rest of the sentence. If it
were an accusative with the genetive it would be baptisms of teaching. With
the two geneitives, forgive me for making a simplistic translaton, of
baptisms of teaching?

(I have read, and appreciate, Dr. A. Dirkzwager comments but would like more
observations if they are out there.)

Charles




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