[B-Greek] EPI + the genitive (related to a person/event)
rhutchin at aol.com
rhutchin at aol.com
Sat Feb 23 14:44:09 EST 2008
There are several places in the NT where EPI appears before the name of a person or significant event.
Here are some I found--
Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers EPI they were carried away to Babylon. (Matthew 1:11)
"But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 'how he went into the house of God EPI Abiathar the high priest,...'" (Mark 2:25-26)
"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea,...Annas and Caiaphas EPI the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. (Luke 3:2) (literally, "in the time of the high priests, Annas and Caiaphas," I have read)
"And many lepers were in Israel EPI Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." (Luke 4:27)
"And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass EPI Claudius Caesar." (Acts 11:28)
"I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who EPI Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;..." (1 Timothy 6:13)
I each case, the context suggests to me that the author has chosen to identify the action he is describing with a notable event/person in order to help the reader get a sense of the time in which the action occurred. In each verse, it seems that we might understand EPI to mean "about the time of X." Not my main question, but is that a reasonable way to understand EPI in these verses?
My specific question concerns 1 Timothy 6:13. The translations all seem to agree that Paul is speaking of that particular moment in time when Jesus stood before Pilate and was questioned by Pilate. However, is it possible that Paul was speaking of the entire 3+ years of Jesus' ministry and telling us that it occurred about the time of Pilate.
Roger Hutchinson
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