[B-Greek] Acts 15:11, proper rendering: present fact or future reality

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Mon Nov 21 14:40:46 EST 2005


On Nov 21, 2005, at 2:27 PM, mike karoules wrote:

> Hey all,
>
>   Acts 15:11 - ALLA DIA THS XARITOS TOU KURIOU IHSOU PISTEUOMEN  
> SWQHNAI KAQ ON TROPON KAKEINOI.
>
>   The kjv rendering of the term "are saved" or "to be saved" in the  
> future:  ". . .we shall be saved. . ."  But the NASB Renders this  
> phrase as present reality.
>
>   (1)  Why does the NASB take the aorist infinitive(future - if I  
> am correct) and render it as present fact/ or reality??

I guess you're asking why the NASB translators chose to represent the  
aorist infinitive with an English future; it seems to me that this is  
a matter of interpretation that goes beyond what the Greek text  
actually states. You'll have to put that question to the NASB  
translators.

>   (2) What should be the most accurate rendering here, in your  
> opinion??  The KJV, NASB or something else??
>
>   (3)  Can one take the tense and keep it in the present without  
> doing the greek grammer any harm??

Well, I'm not sure that you can do the grammar itself any harm! You  
must understand what the grammatical form does and does not indicate  
-- and in my opinion, the infinitive SWQHNAI doesn't tell anything at  
all about WHEN the saving occurs but rather only THAT the saving gets  
accomplished -- somehow, some time.

>   Any insight will be helpful to me.  As you can see, I have a long  
> way to go.  Please bear with me.

Let me just note that this list does not exist primarily for the  
purpose of proof-texting the adequacy of Biblical translations (B- 
Translation list specializes in that and other questions about  
translations); our focus is on understanding the Greek text AS a  
Greek text.

With regard to the aorist infinitive SWQHNAI it should be noted that  
in the infinitive and participle the aorist indicates ASPECT rather  
than chronological orientation of the event relative to past present  
or future. In this instance SWQHNAI does not refer specifically to a  
future or past or present event as something happening at a specific  
time; what it does indicate specifically is the perfective aspect. My  
own Englishing of it would be: "But through the grace of the Lord  
Jesus we believe THAT WE GET SAVED  in the (same) manner as they too  
(get saved).

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/




More information about the B-Greek mailing list