[B-Greek] question from the Apology of Justin
Dave Smith (REL110, 211,212)
rel21x at charter.net
Tue Jun 6 11:09:56 EDT 2006
Octavio,
In this passage, Justin is giving his defense against the charge that
Christians were atheists, because they would not offer sacrifice to the
imperial gods or idols. This was one of the big three accusations against
Christians by the Romans: atheism, immorality/incest, and cannibalism (=>
Eucharist). He admits, that as far as what are considered gods in the Greek
or Roman pantheon, Christians were atheists, but only in the same sense
that Socrates and some of the other poets were accused of such. Then Justin
lists what deity is worshiped by the Christians, and proceeds to give one of
the earliest summaries of the trinity: (ALL' OUCI) The Father, (TE KAI) the
Son, and (TE) the Prophetic Spirit. Now for your question, the word and its
cognates EXOMOIOUMENWN will play great havoc in the third century Arian
controversies. In this place, the participle references to AGGELWN. AGAQWN
being an adjectival modifier of AGGELWN: "the good angels", the whole
explanatory phrase is subordinate to and enclosed within TON...STRATON: The
army of other good angels which imitate (hEPOMENWN) and resemble
(EXOMOIOUMENWN) [Him/the Son].
A greater problem than you mention, is that it looks like Justin may be
suggesting the worship of angels, which St. Paul explicitly prohibits. This
has called for some to amend the text from STRATON to TOU TWN ALLWN ...
STRATOU ARCISTRATHGON, comparing this with the Dialogue with Trypho (61):
the Commander of the army....
Dave Smith
Hudson, NC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Octavio Rodriguez" <octaviors at gmail.com>
To: <B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 09:50
Subject: [B-Greek] question from the Apology of Justin
> In the first Apology of Justin chapter VI he have :
>
>
> Hence are we called atheists And we confess that we are atheists, so far
as
> gods of this sort are concerned, but not with respect to the most true
> God,the Fatherof righteousness and temperanceand the other virtues,
> who is free from all impurity. But both Him, and the Son who came forth
from
> Him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who
> follow and are made like to Him, and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and
> adore, (ALL EKEINON TE, KAI TON PAR AUTOU hUION ELQONTA KAI DIDAXANTA HMAS
> TAUTA, KAI TON TWN ALLWN EPOMENWN KAI EXOMOIOUMENWN AGAQWN AGGELWN
STRATON,
> PNEUMA TE TO PROFHTIKON SEBOMEQA KAI PROSKUNOUMEN)
>
> I have two questions:
>
> 1) what is the meaning of EXOMOIOUMENWN ? apparently the translator
related
> this with "made like Him".
>
> 2) is ALLWN related with AGAQOS or with AGGELOS?
>
> Best Regards
>
> Octavio Rodriguez
> ---
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