[B-Greek] John 1:18
Vasileios Tsialas
tsialas78 at hotmail.com
Fri Nov 6 09:23:02 EST 2009
> From: cwconrad2 at mac.com
> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:00:38 -0500
> To: leonardj at live.com
> CC: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] John 1:18
>
>
>
> I think all translations are awkward (I think Yancy's comment on what
> translators attempt to do and what the "more honest" ones do in
> footnotes is right on target). For John 1:18 I think the preferable
> strategy is to do what NET does; its version: "The only one, himself
> God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God
> known." Then NET has a very nice( IMHO) explanatory note. I also think
> that Eugene Peterson's "Message" version does pretty well with
> MONOGENHS understood in what I think is the better sense, but some
> don't think such paraphrase is appropriate: "This one-of-a-kind God-
> Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him
> plain as day." You'll note that Peterson ties up MONOGENHS QEOS with
> the LOGOS QEOS of verse 1, as Iver suggested in his message of
> November 5, 2009 1:15:08 AM EST.
> >
>
I agree that NET's rendering is a very good effort,
but on the other hand NET's comments have a specific theological orientation.
(The comments about the so-called "full divinity"
-the famous creedal expression that actually is synonym of the ontological immutability-
are altogether out of the biblical context and belong to patristic thought of the early 4rth century.
And the connection with EX 3:14 seems to me totally baseless as regards grammar.)
Furthermore, if John meant to say that Logos is "the only God" (as NET claims),
then his Father is what? And why did John used μονογενής MONOGENHS and not μόνος MONOS,
as he does in 17:3?
I believe tha context makes it claim that μονογενής MONOGENHS does not really refer to the uniqueness of Logos' divinity
but to the uniqueness of Logos' sonship to God, his unique, unparalleled filial status (1:14).
For God has many children (1:12, 13), but no one shares the filial status Logos has.
As regards the root γεν GEN, I would like to ask the list members
how would cases as γηγενής GHGENHS (earthborn), Διογενής DIOGENHS (child of Zeus)
γενέθλιος GENEQLIOS (belonging to one's birth), γονεύς GONEUS (begetter), γένεσις GENESIS (birth in Matt 1:18)
may be judged and if they can give us any clues for the meaning of MONOGENHS.
Vasileios Tsialas
Athens, Greece
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