Re: OU DUNATAI hAMARTIAN in 1 John 3:9

From: dixonps@juno.com
Date: Wed Oct 20 1999 - 11:58:28 EDT


The force of the present tense in 1 Jn 3:9 is the same as it is
throughout the whole book and particularly 3:6-10.

In 3:6, PAS hO hAMARTANWN OUC hEWRAKEN AUTON OUDE
EGNWKEN AUTON.

In 3:8, hO POIWN THN hAMARTIAN EK TOU DIABOLOU ESTIN.

In v. 10 the children of God and the children of the Devil are
manifest by MH hAMARTANWN and hAMARTANWN respectively.

If the present tenses here can be taken in any other way than
as communicateing habitual/characteristic behavior, then I
would like to see it.

Paul Dixon

On Wed, 20 Oct 1999 9:0:2 "Jay Adkins" <JAdkins264@aol.com> writes:
> Dear B-Greekers,
>
> I would like to hear your thoughts about what I think is a present
> tense
> verb followed by a present tense complementary infinitive OU DUNATAI
>
> hAMARTIAN in 1 John 3:9. Does either the grammatical context or the
>
> present tense of either term require or at least suggest translating
> "not
> able to sin continuously?" From what I have been reading, both on
> the
> current thread on the present tense and in the grammars I have,
> there does
> not seem to be general agreement. I can see where ones' views on
> sanctification could influence their answer, but would hope that,
> rather or
> not we are successful, we would all want to try to avoid that
> particular
> pitfall. I believe, maybe naively, that we all want to know the
> truth.
> This is not the only passage that would be effected by ones'
> understanding.
> I am just now coming to grips with the idea that the aorist is not
> the
> "once for all" tense. Yet I am reading where some now see temporal
> issues
> as part of tense in the indicative (David Alan Black). I was taught
> 20
> years ago tense effected the kind of action, not time. The entire
> issue
> has become very confusing for me. Largely influenced by my own
> early
> training in how to handle the present tense I contribute the
> following
> initial translation of the entire verse. I do not expect agreement
> from
> all, but am wondering if there is even anyone who would agree and
> why or
> why not.
>
> 1Joh 3:9 (GNT) PAS hO GEGENNHMENOS EK TOU QEOU hAMARTIAN OU POIEI,
> hOTI
> SPERMA AUTOU EN AUTWi MENEI, KAI OU DUNATAI hAMARTIAN, hOTI EK TOU
> QEOU
> GEGENNHTAI.
>
> 1 John 3:9 All the ones having been born from God do not sin
> habitually,
> because His seed is abiding in him, and is not able to sin
> continuously,
> because he has been born from God.
>
> Sola Gratia,
> Jay
> Always Under Grace!
>
> PS: As soon as I can afford it I would like to purchase Porter's &
> Fanning's books on Verbal Aspect. I have Porter's Idioms of the
> Greek NT,
> Wallace's Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, Blacks, It's Still Greek
> to Me &
> Linguistics For Students of NT Greek, plus some older Grammars by
> Summers,
> Robertson & Davis, and Dana & Mantey. I am waiting for the new BAGD
> to
> come out like everyone else. Any other suggestions for someone on a
> very
> limited budget would be appreciated.
>
> ---
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