[B-Greek] Galatians 1:6-7

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Wed Jun 10 02:23:47 EDT 2009


6Θαυμάζω ὅτι οὕτως ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς ἐν χάριτι [Χριστοῦ]εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον, 7ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλο, εἰ μή τινές εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες ὑμᾶς καὶ θέλοντες μεταστρέψαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ.  
 
QAUMAZW hOTI hOUTWS TAXEWS METATIQESQE APO TOU KALESANTOS hUMAS EN XARITI [XRISTOU] EIS hETERON EUAGGELION.  7 hO OUK ESTIN ALLO, EI MH TINES EISIN hOI TARASSONTES hUMAS KAI QELONTES METASTREYAI TO EUAGGELION TOU XRISTOU. 

I have a slightly different take on this from the normal. It is usual to supply the subject here as being [in the AV tradition] God.  Therefore καλέσαντος KALESANTOS is generally construed as a aor masc gen sg part, but it could also be a aor neuter gen sg part.  In that case, what would be the subject?  The neut noun εὐαγγέλιον EUAGGELION !  Although one must also understand τοῦ εὐαγγελίου TOU EUAGGELIOU in the gen abs as one must understand τοῦ θεοῦ TOU QEOU in the usual understanding of the passage, the word is already right there to be brought to mind.  Also, εἰ μή might be understood after the manner of the English "unless" which is really very similar to "except."   The sense would then be that he is surprised that they are forsaking the GOSPEL WHICH CALLED them into Christ's favor for another gospel.  He is surprised UNLESS some persons are disturbing them by trying to
 alter the gospel itself.  

I've attempted to avoid coming out and giving an actual translation though I realize that it is very close to being one. Hopefully this will make some sense.
 george
gfsomsel 


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________ 




________________________________
From: Charles Johnson <cpj5117 at gmail.com>
To: B Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 3:22:10 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] Galatians 1:6-7

I have a question about how certain clauses are connected in Galatians
1:6-7. I'm looking particularly at the clause in v.7 beginning with ει μη.
Many versions seem to render it as a subordinate clause under ο ουκ εστιν
αλλο. Leedy's NT diagrams in Bibleworks agree. I see that several versions
indicate that relationship and some others appear to be more ambiguous. So,
understanding that I'm probably wrong, I thought I would propose an
alternate solution.

I cannot make good logical sense out of "which is not another [gospel],
except there are some who trouble you...." I further struggle with the idea
of placing a subordinate clause under what appears to be a parenthetical
statement. Rather, would it be possible to connect the ει μη back to θαυμαζω
in v. 6? The distinctive force of ει μη as "except" makes good sense in this
arrangement. The paraphrase would be as follows:

"I [would be] amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by
the grace of Christ for a different gospel (not that there is another),
except [I know] there are some who trouble you...."

The words in brackets are my amplifications. In other words, Paul is saying
he would be amazed except that he knows about this dangerous threat. Using
the naked indicative in the main clause highlights his amazement. Is my idea
a possibility?
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