[B-Greek] 1 Timothy 4:4-5 -- syntax

rhutchin at aol.com rhutchin at aol.com
Thu Oct 14 11:02:37 EDT 2010


 I think we need to go back to v3 and before, to capture the sense of the passage and the basis for the conditional.

Beginning with v1 we read:

...EN hUSTEROIS KAIROIS APOSTHSONTAI TIVES THS PISTEWS...APEXESQAI BRWMATWN hA hO QEOS EKTISEN EIS METALHMFIN META EUXARISTIAS...

then in v4

hOTI PAN KTISMA QEOU KALON...

As God has created all foods to be received with thanksgiving (v3) we know that all foods can be eaten. The issue in v4 seems to be whether the emphasis is (1) that which is created by God is good and not to be refused on the condition that it be received with thanksgiving or (2) that which is created by God is good and not to be refused regardless; it is to be received with thanksgiving.

The argument derives from those who would forbid the eating of certain foods. Paul's response (v3) is that everything created by God is to be received (eaten) with thanksgiving.  He does not argue initially that it is good (which may not be significant).

V4-5 now seem to expand on, and strengthen, that which we read in v3.  Every food created by God is good and your translation explains the significance of being good.  The ESV translators seem to be saying that, as God created all foods to be received with thanksgiving (v3) then all foods must be received with thanksgiving (v4).  So, we have two lines of thought and both are true.

However, we then read that it is in the giving of thanks that the food is sanctified (which even your translation says).  So, while it is true that all food is good and should be received with gratitude it is also true that food can only be made holy by the giving of thanks making the giving of thanks a necessity and this appears to be what supports the conditional. 

Roger Hutchinson

 
------------------------
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:57:35 -0600
From: "Doug Knighton" <douglas.knighton at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [B-Greek] 1 Timothy 4:4-5 -- syntax
Message-ID: <99F3B6792D1942BBA9556B4FCD79559C at DougKnighton> 

I am struggling with the syntax of 1 Timothy 4:4-5. The text reads: PAN
KTISMA QIOU KALON KAI [OUDEN APOBLHTON META EUXARISTIAS LAMBANOMENON]
hAGIAZETAI GAR DIA LOGOU ktl; in particular the portion in brackets.
 
Most English renderings treat PAN ... KALON as a clause and OUDEN ...
LAMBANOMENON as a separate (conditional) clause, followed by another clause
in verse 5. E.g. the ESV: "Everything created by God is good, and nothing is
to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by
the word of God and prayer."
 
I don't understand how an imperatival construct is justified between OUDEN &
APOBLHTON, nor do I understand how the present participle of LAMBANW
suggests a condition. Maybe this is just a hermeneutical issue, but I could
use some expertise on understanding the syntax of the sentence.
 
For what it's worth, it seems more natural to me to hold both KALON and
OUDEN APOBLHTON as predicate adjectives modifying KTISMA. This would mean
that the participle (construed directly with the GAR clause) would also
modify the head noun. So I would render the idea this way: Every creation of
God is perfectly conceived & executed (= KALON), and nothing is thrown away;
[each to be] received with gratitude, for it is made holy by means of the
word of God and prayer. 
 
Doug Knighton






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