[B-Greek] John 8:58 PPA???

MAKARIOIOIPRAEIS at aol.com MAKARIOIOIPRAEIS at aol.com
Sun Jan 30 15:09:26 EST 2005


There is a guy named Jason Beduhn currently debating with Rob Bowman on the 
issue of John 8:58 right now.  His view is that John 8:58 is a PPA. (present of 
Past Action still in progress).  He also argues that saying Before Abraham 
was I AM was bad english.But since this is a greek chat room, does anyone here 
think John 8:58 could be a PPA??
-Kelton Graham

I've heard it explained that the EGW EIMI here is a "predicate absolute" and 
therefore must always be translated in the present tense I AM, 

"The Witnesses may attempt to argue, using the footnote  to John 8:58 in the 
Kingdom Interlinear Translation (or Appendix 6F in the NWT with References) 
that because "before Abraham was" is an aorist infinitive clause (meaning that 
the "before" implies an indefinite action, i.e., does not specify that Christ 
has always existed), ego eimi should be translated "I have been."
This argument can be refuted by noting that eimi appears in this verse in 
what is called a predicate absolute  (a sentence structure in which the 
copulative verb is used without an object or complement ); this means that eimi must be 
translated in the present tense ("I AM") rather than simply referring to the 
present statement of a past action ("I have been").
The Watchman Expositor: Vol. 16, No. 3, 1999 


Richard Windisch



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