Phillipians 3:3 Is πνεύματι a dative of direct object here?
Posted: June 26th, 2023, 5:29 pm
Phillipians 3:3 ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες,
Hello all. It has been suggested to me that at Phillipians 3:3 that πνεύματι should be read as a dative of direct object and so mean "We are the ones worshipping the spirit of God" rather than take it as instrumental and so read "We are the ones worshipping by the spirit of God".
Why can't it be taken as a dative of direct object here?
I note that πνεύμα takes its direct object in the dative and that Greek participles can be transitive and so take a direct object.
Also BDAG under the λατρεύω glosses it as "those who worship by the Spirit of God."
λατρεύω fut. λατρεύσω; 1 aor. ἐλάτρευσα (trag. et al. in var. senses, ‘work for pay, be in servitude, render cultic service’; ins, LXX; ApcMos 13; En, Philo, SibOr 4, 104; Just.) serve, in our lit. only of the carrying out of religious duties, esp. of a cultic nature, by human beings: λ. θεῷ (Eur., Ion 152; Plut., Mor. 405c; 407e; Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 300 ὅλῃ τ. ψυχῇ; cp. En 10:21; Orig., C. Cels. 5, 11, 39 [w. προσκυνέω]) Mt 4:10; Lk 4:8 (both Dt 6:13); 1:74; Ac 7:7 (cp. Ex 3:12); 24:14; 27:23; Hb 9:14; Rv 7:15; 22:3; Pol 2:1. τῷ ὀνόματι (θεοῦ) 1 Cl 45:7; τῷ διαβόλῳ λ. serve the devil (in reality) ISm 9:1. Of the Jews λ. ἀγγέλοις PtK 2 p. 14, 26. Of image-worship (Ex 20:5; 23:24; Ezk 20:32; En 99:7; Just., A I, 53, 6; Theoph. Ant. 2, 34 p. 184, 26; 3, 9 p. 222, 23) Ac 7:42; Ro 1:25; εἰδώλοις AcPl Ha 2, 32.—W. indication of the manner in which the service (τῷ θεῷ) is performed (cp. τὴν ἀληθῆ λαθρείαν λ. τῷ θεῷ Orig., C. Cels. 2, 2, 42) (τῷ θεῷ) ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει serve (God) w. a clear conscience 2 Ti 1:3. (διὰ χάριτος) λ. εὐαρέστως τῷ θεῷ μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ δέους (in thankfulness) serve God acceptably with reverence and awe Hb 12:28. (τῷ θεῷ) λ. ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ I serve (God) with my spirit in the gospel Ro 1:9 (cp. Phil 3:3 v.l.).—Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7. νηστείαις κ. δεήσεσιν λ. νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν serve (God) night and day w. fasting and prayer Lk 2:37.
οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες those who worship by the Spirit of God Phil 3:3
(HKoester, NTS 8, ’62, 320f: work as a missionary in the Spirit of God). ὁ λατρεύων the worshiper (who is concerned w. the rituals prescribed by Mosaic ordinance) Hb 9:9; 10:2.—Hb also adds to λ. in the dat. the holy objects by means of which the priest renders service 8:5; 13:10.—WBrandt, Dienst u. Dienen im NT ’31; CCranfield, Interpretation 12, ’58, 387–98; BReicke, NT Studies: TManson memorial vol., ’59, 194–209.—DELG s.v. λάτρον. M-M. EDNT. TW.
Hello all. It has been suggested to me that at Phillipians 3:3 that πνεύματι should be read as a dative of direct object and so mean "We are the ones worshipping the spirit of God" rather than take it as instrumental and so read "We are the ones worshipping by the spirit of God".
Why can't it be taken as a dative of direct object here?
I note that πνεύμα takes its direct object in the dative and that Greek participles can be transitive and so take a direct object.
Also BDAG under the λατρεύω glosses it as "those who worship by the Spirit of God."
λατρεύω fut. λατρεύσω; 1 aor. ἐλάτρευσα (trag. et al. in var. senses, ‘work for pay, be in servitude, render cultic service’; ins, LXX; ApcMos 13; En, Philo, SibOr 4, 104; Just.) serve, in our lit. only of the carrying out of religious duties, esp. of a cultic nature, by human beings: λ. θεῷ (Eur., Ion 152; Plut., Mor. 405c; 407e; Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 300 ὅλῃ τ. ψυχῇ; cp. En 10:21; Orig., C. Cels. 5, 11, 39 [w. προσκυνέω]) Mt 4:10; Lk 4:8 (both Dt 6:13); 1:74; Ac 7:7 (cp. Ex 3:12); 24:14; 27:23; Hb 9:14; Rv 7:15; 22:3; Pol 2:1. τῷ ὀνόματι (θεοῦ) 1 Cl 45:7; τῷ διαβόλῳ λ. serve the devil (in reality) ISm 9:1. Of the Jews λ. ἀγγέλοις PtK 2 p. 14, 26. Of image-worship (Ex 20:5; 23:24; Ezk 20:32; En 99:7; Just., A I, 53, 6; Theoph. Ant. 2, 34 p. 184, 26; 3, 9 p. 222, 23) Ac 7:42; Ro 1:25; εἰδώλοις AcPl Ha 2, 32.—W. indication of the manner in which the service (τῷ θεῷ) is performed (cp. τὴν ἀληθῆ λαθρείαν λ. τῷ θεῷ Orig., C. Cels. 2, 2, 42) (τῷ θεῷ) ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει serve (God) w. a clear conscience 2 Ti 1:3. (διὰ χάριτος) λ. εὐαρέστως τῷ θεῷ μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ δέους (in thankfulness) serve God acceptably with reverence and awe Hb 12:28. (τῷ θεῷ) λ. ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ I serve (God) with my spirit in the gospel Ro 1:9 (cp. Phil 3:3 v.l.).—Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7. νηστείαις κ. δεήσεσιν λ. νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν serve (God) night and day w. fasting and prayer Lk 2:37.
οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες those who worship by the Spirit of God Phil 3:3
(HKoester, NTS 8, ’62, 320f: work as a missionary in the Spirit of God). ὁ λατρεύων the worshiper (who is concerned w. the rituals prescribed by Mosaic ordinance) Hb 9:9; 10:2.—Hb also adds to λ. in the dat. the holy objects by means of which the priest renders service 8:5; 13:10.—WBrandt, Dienst u. Dienen im NT ’31; CCranfield, Interpretation 12, ’58, 387–98; BReicke, NT Studies: TManson memorial vol., ’59, 194–209.—DELG s.v. λάτρον. M-M. EDNT. TW.