[B-Greek] EI in Col 1:23/
George F Somsel
gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Tue Mar 27 18:52:06 EDT 2007
22 NUNI DE APOKATHLLACEN EN TWi SWMATI THS SARKOS AUTOU DIA TOU QANTOU PARASTHSAI hUMAS hAGIOUS KAI AMWMOUS KAI ANEGKLHTOUS KATENWPION AUTOU
23 EI GE EPIMENETE THi PISTEI
Note that here the apodosis (APOKATHLLACEN) precedes the protasis (EI EPIMENETE). This is what has been called a First Class Condition in which the condition is ASSUMED to be true for the arguement's sake.
1. First Class Condition (Assumed True for Argument’s Sake)
a. Definition
The first class condition indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument. The normal idea, then, is if—and let us assume that this is true for the sake of argument—then… . This class uses the particle εἰ with the indicative (in any tense) in the protasis. In the apodosis, any mood and any tense can occur. This is a frequent conditional clause, occurring about 300 times in the NT.
Daniel B. Wallace. (1999; 2002). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (690). Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software.
george
gfsomsel
_________
----- Original Message ----
From: Anthony Buzzard <anthonybuzzard at mindspring.com>
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 6:35:13 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] EI in Col 1:23/
Ladies and Gentlemen,
>May I please ask for your expert opinion. In Col 1:23 we have an EI
>(if) with an indicative.
Is it true that when IE is followed by an indicative the condition is
not really a condition? In other words does the Greek mean "If, as is
absolutely certain to be the case, you continue...."
Or is the sense truly conditional, ie "If and only if you
continue.... otherwise...."
Can one say that the indicative after EI cancels the idea that
anything but certainty is implied?.
Certainly in English one hears in Col 1:23 "On condition that you persist...."
And the further statement "not shifting...." seems strongly to imply
that such a shifting is a real possibility.
Anthony Buzzard.
Anthony Buzzard
www.restorationfellowship.org
---
B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list