[B-Greek] 1 Cor 7:15a - The Conditional Statement
Bill Barton
phos at windstream.net
Tue Mar 18 22:33:17 EDT 2008
On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 3:16 PM, Howard B. Justice wrote:
> My question deals with the tense/mood (i.e., present indicative) of
> 1 Cor 7:15a:
>
> "If the unbeliever departs, (then) let him depart."
>
> Would it be correct to understand this passage to say:
>
> "If the unbeliever is departing, (then) let him be departing."?
>
> What I am asking is this. Is this use of the present indicative to be
> viewed here as the progressive present? Does this statement, being
> a first class conditional, somehow interfere with the understanding
> of how the progressive present is normally and predominantly view-
> ed?
>
> Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Wallace (Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, p. 514) notes the following about
the present tense:
The present tense's portrayal of an event "focuses on its development
or progress and sees the occurrence in regard to its internal make-up,
without beginning or end in view." It is sometime called progressive:
It "basically represents an activity as in process (or in progress)."
The Expositor's Greek Testament (p. 826) apparently views the "leaving" in 1
Cor 7:15 as a progression (rather than punctual). It composes the situation
as follows:
The Christian wife or husband is not to seek divorce from
the non-Christian (12-14); but if the latter insists on separation,
it is not to be refused.
Regards,
Bill Barton
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