[B-Greek] 1 Cor 2:7

Carlton Winbery winberycl.earthlink.net at lists.ibiblio.org
Mon Mar 7 09:15:22 EST 2005


>Dear List,
>
>I am trying to understand how EN MUSTHRIWi is used in 1 Cor 2:7. the
>verse reads as: ALLA LALOUMEN QEOU SOFIAN EN MUSTHRIWi THN
>APOKEKRUMMENHN hHN PROWRISEV hO QEOS PRO TWN AIWNWN EIS DOZA hHMWN.
>
>Since MUSTHRIWi is in the dative case, how would it be understood from a
>grammatical perspective? The English translations vary in how they
>handle it.
>
>NASB: but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which
>God predestined before the ages to our glory;
>     I understand this to mean God's wisdom was spoken in the form of a
>mystery.
>
>NRSV: But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed
>before the ages for our glory.
>     Here the God's wisdom was secret and hidden but now it is not. Could
>this be a doublet?
>
>NET: Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God
>determined before the ages for out glory.
>     Same meaning as NRSV.
>
>NIV:  No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden
>and that God destined for our glory before time began.
>     Same meaning as NRSV.
>
>
>So without going in to the theological implications, how is the best way
>to understand the Greek in this verse?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mont Cessna, Sr.

Mont,

EN with the dative can be locative of instrumental. Here I would say 
that it is instrumental, "by means of a mystery." Paul finds this 
device useful to explain the unexpected turns in the experiences of 
the church.
The preceding verse as well as the following verse present the 
contrast between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God.

ALLA LALOUMEN QEOU SOFIAN EN MUSTHRIWi THN APOKEKRUMMENHN, hHN 
PROWRISEN hO QEOS PRO TWN AIWNWN EIS DOXAN hHMWN, 8 hHN OUDEIS TWN 
ARCONTWN TOU AIWNOS TOUTOU EGNWKEN: EI GAR EGNWSAN, OUK AN TON KURION 
THS DOXHS ESTAURWSAN.

Note the modifiers of "wisdom." 1) which has been hidden, 2)which was 
foreordained, 3) which no one of the rulers of this age knows. This 
is Paul's use of the concept of the mystery of God, that which cannot 
be understood apart from knowledge of God in faith. In other places 
it refers to God's plan to redeem the Gentiles, Paul's life work.

grace,

Carlton Winbery

-- 
Carlton L. Winbery
Fogleman Professor of Religion
Louisiana College
318-448-6103
winberycl at earthlink.net
winbery at lacollege.edu



More information about the B-Greek mailing list