Re: Present tence copulative verbs

From: Presept (presept@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed Aug 26 1998 - 00:00:37 EDT


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<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Dear Mr. Stafford,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I stand corrected on the
distinction between a Perfective Present and a Present of Past Action still in
Progress.&nbsp; You are right.&nbsp; My mistake.&nbsp; I had in mind the Present
of Past Action still in Progress when I wrote my comments.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I don't think the picture I
tried to describe came across very well.&nbsp; Jesus didn't say &quot;Since
Abraham came into existence, I have been.&quot; He said &quot;Before Abraham
came into existence...&quot; <FONT color=#000000 size=2>Notice that in PPAs a
beginning is stated or implied.&nbsp; Jn 8:58 does not have this.&nbsp;
</FONT>What we have in Jn 8:58 is a case of Antecedent time. R.A. Young states
in his grammar on page 166, &quot;Antecedent time means that the action of the
main verb takes place before the action expressed by the infinitive.&nbsp; To
convey this idea, &quot;before&quot; is used at the beginning of the adverbial
clause.&quot;&nbsp; </FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Notice also in this
context that EGW EIMI is used two other times in verses 24 and 28 with the
meaning I Am.&nbsp; In all three uses of EGW EIMI in this context, A.T.Robertson
calls an absolute use of EIMI.&nbsp; This same idiom is used in Psalm 90:2:
&quot;PRO TOU ORH GENHQHNAI...SU EI.&quot;&nbsp; This would not be translated as
'You have been.'&nbsp; Also, in Jn 8:58 and Psalm 90:2, there is a contrast
between EIMI and GINOMAI.&nbsp; Please see Ron Henzel's post 8-14-96 entitled
'Jn 8:58 and the subordinating adverbial particle.'</FONT></DIV>
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-James Stewart&nbsp; </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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