[B-Greek] NIKWN in Rev

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Wed Sep 10 17:47:41 EDT 2008


On Sep 10, 2008, at 12:44 AM, Beata Urbanek wrote:

> I'd like to know if the participle NIKWN used e.g. in the letters to  
> the seven churches in Rev is a typical word to call a winner?

Yes, but as George has noted the theology of the cross makes it  
countercultural both then and now. Which is why Paul called it  
foolishness to the Greeks. The use in the Apocalypse should be  
compared to the use in John's Gospel and Epistles  (John 16:33 1John  
2:13 1John 2:14 1John 4:4 1John 5:4 1John 5:5).

> . Was it used often outside the Bible?

It is very common in extra-biblical greek. The Johannine use of NIKAW  
is somewhat different in that the notion of prevailing against the  
KOSMOS found in John 16:33 has a sort of finality about it that isn't  
often found in pagan texts. Agamemnon returns from Troy a  
'victor' (Aesch. Ag. 854, 941-42) but the word certainly has a ring of  
irony about it in this context.

Elizabeth Kline







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