[B-Greek] Jn 1:1 - Alternate Reading?

Brian Abasciano bvabasciano at gmail.com
Thu Oct 5 13:10:20 EDT 2006


William,

I should not have used the terminolgy of "identification" given the 
grammatical discussion. We do most likely have a qualitative predicate 
nominative in John 1:1. But Mike's suggestion of taking QEOS  as an 
adjective is impossible. It may be able to be translated along those lines 
in the sennse of saying, "the word was divine", but not along the lines he 
is suggesting. The Greek construction does indicate that the Word has the 
attributes and qualities of God, whereas Mike's use of "godly" is far from 
this. This does happen to fit into the traditionally orthodox belief of the 
Word (i.e., Jesus unquestionably in context) as sharing the divinity of the 
Father but existing as a distinct person. The theological mileage Mike is 
trying to get out of the possibility (which again, grammatically is not 
really a possibility I think) of taking QEOS as an adjective does not seem 
justified in any degree.

God bless,

Brian Abasciano

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Ross" <woundedegomusic at gmail.com>
To: "Brian Abasciano" <bvabasciano at gmail.com>
Cc: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 12:32 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Jn 1:1 - Alternate Reading?


> Brian, the construction of the Greek sentence is not providing
> identity: "...the identity of the word is the god" but rather quality:
> "...the quality of the utterance is god-quality" - or as I prefer to
> render it:
>
> "the word was god-utterance."
>
> or perhaps:
>
> "the word was divine utterance."
>
> William Ross
> VGB, Argentina
>
>
>
> On 10/5/06, Brian Abasciano <bvabasciano at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear Mike,
>>
>> Your suggestion is simply impossible from a grammatical point of view for 
>> reasons given by others on this list. The text really identifies the Word 
>> as God in the text. However, it is then the task of interpretation to 
>> articulate what it means to say that the Word is God. That is where your 
>> view could then be argued, but I would think, not in the parameters of 
>> this list.
>>
>> God bless,
>>
>> Brian Abasciano
>>
>> Responding to:
>> <But each of  the  pre-Nikaian  local  statements  of  Christian
>> belief  included an expression of being baptized EIS TO ONOMA TOU
>> PATROS KAI TOU hUIOU KAI TOU hAGIOU PNEUMATOS -- a reflection not
>> only  of  the  Gospel  but  also  of  the  most  ancient rites of
>> Christian baptism, preserved to this day.
>>
>> The New Testament itself makes clear that this baptismal  formula
>> was  never recited at the time of baptism. Acts 2:38-41, 8:12-16,
>> 10:47-48.  Instead  converts  were  baptized  into  name  'Iesous
>> Khristos.
>>
>> Nobody can deny that God the Father, his Son  Jesus  Christ,  and
>> the  Holy  Spirit  are  essential  components  of  the  Christian
>> religion. I am alluding to ONLY  a  possibility,  that  in  Jesus
>> Christ dwells all of God, while they are two in person, Jesus was
>> the pre-existant Son prior to leaving heaven, the Word, the Light
>> created first in Genesis 1 and described in Revelation 3:14.
>>
>> Since he is the image of God and now is his  right  hand,  (Psalm
>> 110:1  the  most  quoted prophecy concerning him), all people who
>> violate the Law (even in spirit) must confess their sins to  him,
>> repent, and be baptized in water and Spirit.
>>
>> In short, Jesus isn't God, but he God's image or idol  --  not  a
>> dumb idol which can't see or hear or taste, but a living man, the
>> second Adam, raised from the dead into God's presence.
>>
>> Therefore, since the Son is charge of creation now 1 Co 15:27, it
>> is  right  to  worship  him  (Jn 9:37-39, Hb 1:6, Lk 24:51-53, Mk
>> 5:5-7, Mt 15:22-28, 20:19-21, 28:8-10,16-18) and even to pray  to
>> him (Jn 14:12-14, 1 Jn 5:13-15, Ac 7:59).
>>
>> In other words, the Son isn't WHO God is, it  is  WHERE  God  is.
>> Christ  means anointed and implies Spirit in a Body. That body is
>> permanent and exalted.
>>
>> That doesn't mean John thought of Jesus as being God, he was  the
>> figure  who was WITH God in the beginning (Jn 17:3) and came into
>> the world to save it. Therefore the reading of Jn 1:1 "..and  the
>> Word  was  godly,  the same was in the beginning was with God" is
>> not heretical but possibly orthodox.
>>
>> The good news is that it is still correct to worship and pray  to
>> the Son in any case.>
>> ---
>> B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
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>>
>
>
> -- 




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