Re: Romans 5:12

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Sep 30 1999 - 06:32:47 EDT


At 10:02 PM -0700 9/29/99, Alan Simons wrote:
>Dear List,
>
>This is my first post to the list, even though I have
>been a member for some time. I want to express my
>gratitude for the information on it. I work in
>industry and have to treat this list as a digest.
>
>My question is about the time factor of the aorist
>sinned in Romans 5:12 from the view point of aspect. I
>was discussing this verse with a friend. We both were
>taught that the aorist was a past action at a point in
>time which is probably not held to now.
>
>Also, I would like to know the methodology one uses to
>determine the time factors in this passage from the
>aspect position.

These aorists are indicative; I think that MOST interpreters would
understand them as referring to past time. I suppose that some might argue
that in the last clause, EF' hWi PANTES hHMARTON, hHMARTON might be gnomic
("they have sinned, they always do sin"), my own sense is that what is
underscored is the factuality of universal guilt as a state achieved--so
that this aorist might be seen as 'resultative' and even be translated as a
perfect tense.

Offhand I don't know if we've discussed this particular passage before, but
I might just check the archives for it and come back. It will be
interesting to see other views on this one.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

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