[B-Greek] Aorist Future - Jn 13:31-32

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Oct 4 02:56:33 EDT 2008


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth Kline" <kline_dekooning at earthlink.net>
To: "greek B-Greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 2. oktober 2008 02:37
Subject: [B-Greek] Aorist Future - Jn 13:31-32


> Over the last week or so I have been looking at "futuristic aorists",
> including the treatment in all the standard grammars and the notes in
> commentaries on the texts cited in the grammars. To narrow the focus I
> decided to eliminate some catagories of examples including aorists
> used in the apodosis of a conditional statement and so called
> prophectic aorists.  Jn 13:31-32 is one of the remaining examples
> after the elimination ....
>
> JOHN 13:31 hOTE OUN EXHLQEN, LEGEI IHSOUS: NUN EDOXASQH hO hUIOS TOU
> ANQRWPOU KAI hO QEOS EDOXASQH EN AUTWi:  32 EI hO QEOS EDOXASQH EN
> AUTWi, KAI hO QEOS DOXASEI AUTON EN AUTWi, KAI EUQUS DOXASEI AUTON.

I would be interested in other examples of "futuristic aorists", but I don't think this is anything
but an ordinary past-time-completed-aspect aorists.

In my view the confusion stems from questionable assumptions about the reference intended for
EDOXASQH, as if the reference was future.
This misunderstanding as found in most commentaries is made explicit in translations like NLT.
DOXAZW means to "bring honour to" or to "elevate into a high position of honour". It refers to the
various steps in God's plan of salvation and how the fulfillment of these steps bring honour, high
status and praiseworthiness to both Jesus and God the Father.

The word is not restricted in reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus, although that is a
common reference in John.
The Son of God has already been glorified through his many miracles as stated in John 11:4. The
resurrection of Lazarus was the greatest of these miracles that "glorified" the Son - and the
Father.
The combination of past and future verbs have already been noted in John 12:28. The past refers to
the miracles God did through Jesus and in this way both God and Jesus have already been
glorified/given honour. Jesus says in 17:4 that by doing the work the Father sent him to do, he has
"glorified" the Father. This work included the miracles, but of even greater importance, it included
Gethsemane and the cross.
So, when both past and future verbs are used, the past ones refer to the past steps and the future
to the future steps.
One major step was Jesus' spiritual battle in Gethsemane, and when Judas left for the purpose of
getting Jesus arrested, another important and crucial step in the glorification process - God's plan
of salvation - had been completed. That, in my view, is the import of the aorist in verse 31. It is
like John is ticking off a list of steps. One more step completed, but others remain.

Iver Larsen




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