1 Cor 7:19 - "Circumcision" or "The Circumcision"?
Posted: July 2nd, 2011, 5:23 pm
ἡ περιτομὴ οὐδέν ἐστιν καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν θεοῦ.
H PERITOMH OUDEN ESTIN KAI H AKROBUSTIA OUDEN ESTIN, ALLA THRESIS ENTOLVN QEOU.
Looking at this verse today, I was wondering if there was anything in the Greek text that could help deduce whether this is, as what's been interpreted over the years as a reference to being circumcised or not being circumcised as a whole (as taken from the preceding verses), or whether this is a play on words with regards to ethnicity, with a possible meaning of "Being an ethnic Jew ('The Circumcision") is of no consequence and neither is being a Gentile ("The Uncircumcision") ; nevertheless what matters is whether you keep God's commandments (after you have been called)."
Is this a possible meaning of the Greek, or am I trying to grasp an extremely small straw?
Ste Walch
H PERITOMH OUDEN ESTIN KAI H AKROBUSTIA OUDEN ESTIN, ALLA THRESIS ENTOLVN QEOU.
Looking at this verse today, I was wondering if there was anything in the Greek text that could help deduce whether this is, as what's been interpreted over the years as a reference to being circumcised or not being circumcised as a whole (as taken from the preceding verses), or whether this is a play on words with regards to ethnicity, with a possible meaning of "Being an ethnic Jew ('The Circumcision") is of no consequence and neither is being a Gentile ("The Uncircumcision") ; nevertheless what matters is whether you keep God's commandments (after you have been called)."
Is this a possible meaning of the Greek, or am I trying to grasp an extremely small straw?
Ste Walch