Hebrews 12:2, "our" faith
Bill Ross
wross at farmerstel.com
Sun Jun 4 16:39:55 EDT 2000
<Carl>
...One could paraphrase the sense adequately, however: "the one who sets our faith into action and brings it to fulfillment." ...
<Bill>
I have been out of town and have not had a chance to get back to this, so I hope it has not got too "cold".
My previous post was hasty, contained an error, and led to some confusion. My intended points were these:
#1: the oft-quoted KJV mistranslates (I was not appealing to it as the proof of anything, only attempting to show that it was inaccurate, hence misleading):
* there is a definite article present
* there is no personal pronoun
Hence, the notion that Jesus is the one who "authors" our individual
"faiths" is not in view.
#2:
* ARCHGON KAI TELEIWTHN designate Jesus as an example of a faith man
Here is the text in Koine:
Hebrews 12 2 AFORWNTES EIS TON **THS PISTEWS** ARCHGON KAI TELEIWTHN IHSOUN hOS ANTI THS PROKEIMENHS AUTW CARAS UPEMEINEN STAURON AISCUNHS KATAFRONHSAS EN DEXIAi TE TOU QRONOU TOU QEOU KEKAQIKEN
Now, does this verse support the notion that Jesus is being set forth as an example? Let's see...
"...hOS ANTI THS PROKEIMENHS AUTW CARAS UPEMEINEN STAURON AISCUNHS KATAFRONHSAS EN DEXIA TE TOU QRONOU TOU QEOU KEKAQIKEN"
The phrase immediately after the phrase in question begins with "hOS". The phrase immediately before begins with "AFORWNTES EIS TON...". The wider context - the section caps the many examples/heros of faith of Hebrews 11, and opens with:
Hebrews 12:1 TOIGAROUN KAI HMEIS TOSOUTON ECONTES PERIKEIMENON HMIN NEFOS MARTURWN...
So, which is more compelling? The coincidence of a sense of beginning and ending? Or the context?
Further, the word translated "author" (ARCHGOS) occurs four times in the NT, in precicely the same form:
Acts 3:15, Acts 5:31, Heb 2:10, Heb 12:2
I call attention to the other Hebrews usage and how it is translated by the "major" translations:
Heb 2:10
NIV In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the **author** of their salvation perfect through suffering. &&
RSV For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in
bringing many sons to glory, should make the **pioneer** of their salvation perfect through suffering.
KJV For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the **captain** of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
DBY For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make perfect the **leader** of their salvation through sufferings.
YLT
For it was becoming to Him, because of whom [are] the all things, and through whom [are] the all things, many sons to glory bringing, the **author** of their salvation through sufferings to make perfect,
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list