[B-Greek] 1 Cor 2:7

Mont Cessna montc at earthlink.net
Wed Mar 9 23:28:11 EST 2005


Dear Carlton,

I appreciate you getting back to me. I understand it now. Through the
years I have heard so much about "the mystery" I wanted to make sure I
read the Greek correctly. 

Thanks again,

Mont Cessna, Sr.
Harrisburg, PA
montc at earthlink.net

> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-greek-
> bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Carlton Winbery
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 5:51 PM
> To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: RE: [B-Greek] 1 Cor 2:7
> 
> >Dear Carlton,
> >
> >Thanks for your reply.
> >
> >You said:
> >>  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
> >
> >So does, "by means of a mystery" mean that Paul is speaking this way
now
> >or that
> >the wisdom of God had been hidden by means of a mystery, or in a
> >mystery?
> 
> Of course what Paul conceives has been revealed is revealed by God
> but he understands and explains by referring to what is best
> understood as a mystery.
> 
> >You also said:
> >>  The preceding verse as well as the following verse present the
> >>  contrast between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God.
> >
> >I see that from 1:17 through chapter 3 this theme of God's wisdom and
> >being
> >wise appears numerous times in contrast to the wisdom of the world,
or
> >human
> >wisdom.
> >
> >You concluded:
> >>  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.
> >
> >Here is where it gets a little fuzzy for me. I understand the
modifiers
> >of wisdom, but your next sentence puzzles me. It seems that you
switch
> >from
> >talking about wisdom to the mystery. If mystery is taken as an
> >instrumental
> >dative, wouldn't that give us the means by which this wisdom was
> >originally
> >given, i.e., this wisdom was kept secret until it was revealed. And
in
> >this
> >context that which was kept secret was God's wisdom demonstrated in
the
> >cross.
> 
> I thought that's what I said. I did not keep a copy. The concept of
> mystery enables Paul to explain the developments that he certainly
> thinks that God has revealed.
> 
> >Then in other contexts we see other mysteries that God kept hidden
until
> >the
> >right time to reveal them.
> >
> >In Him,
> >
> >Mont Cessna, Sr.
> >Harrisburg, PA
> >montc at earthlink.net
> >
> >
> >
> >>  ---
> >>  B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
> >>  B-Greek mailing list
> >>  B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> >>  http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-> greek
> >>
> 
> 
> --
> Carlton L. Winbery
> Fogleman Professor of Religion
> Louisiana College
> 318-448-6103
> winberycl at earthlink.net
> winbery at lacollege.edu
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek




More information about the B-Greek mailing list