[B-Greek] 1 Corinthians 12:27

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Sun Mar 14 15:20:55 EDT 2010


27.ὑμεῖς δί ἐστε σῶμα χριστοῦ. ‘Now yeare Bodyof Christ’: no article. ‘Body of Christ’ is the quality of the whole which each of them individually helps to constitute. Comp. ὁ Θεὸς φῶς ἐστι(1 John 1:5), ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν(1 John 4:8), πνεῦμα ὁ Θεὸς(John 4:24), Θεός ἦν ὁ λόγος(John 1:1); 1 Cor. 3:9, 16. It does not mean, “Ye are theBody of Christ,’ although that translation is admissible, and indicates the truth that each Christian community is the Universal Church in miniature; nor, ‘Ye are Christ’s Body,’ which makes ‘Christ’s’ emphatic, whereas the emphasis is on σῶμαas the antithesis of μέλη. Least of all does it mean, ‘Ye are aBody of Christ,’ as if St Paul were insisting that the Corinthians were only aChurch and not theChurch, a meaning which is quite remote from the passage. Nowwhere in the Pauline Epistles is there the
 idea that the one Ecclesia is made of many Ecclesiae. “The members which make up the One Ecclesia are not communities but individual men. The One Ecclesia includes all members of partial Ecclesiae; but its relations to them all are direct, not mediate. … There is no indication that St Paul regarded the conditions of membership in the universal ecclesia as differing from the conditions of membership in the partial local Ecclesiae” (Hort, The Chr. Eccl. pp. 168–9). He means here that the nature of the whole of which the Corinthians are parts is that it is Body of Christ, not any other kind of whole. Consequently, whatever gift each one of them receives is not to be hidden away, or selfishly enjoyed, or exhibited for show, but to be used for the good of the whole community. The δέmarks a return to what was laid down in v. 12. 
 
Robertson, A., & Plummer, A. (1911). A critical and exegetical commentary on the First epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Series title also at head of t.-p. (277). New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
 
Or you might be interested in what Calvin had to say
 
27. But ye are the body of Christ. Hence what has been said respecting the nature and condition of the human body must be applied to us; for we are not a mere civil society, but, being ingrafted into Christ’s body, are truly members one of another. Whatever, therefore, any one of us has, let him know that it has been given him for the edification of his brethren in common; and let him, accordingly, bring it forward, and not keep it back—buried, as it were, within himself, or make use of it as his own. Let not the man, who is endowed with superior gifts, be puffed up with pride, and despise others; but let him consider that there is nothing so diminutive as to be of no use—as, in truth, even the least among the pious brings forth fruit, according to his slender capacity, so that there is no useless member in the Church. Let not those who are not endowed with so much honour, envy those above them, or refuse to do their duty to them, but let them
 maintain the station in which they have been placed. Let there be mutual affection, mutual fellow-feeling, (συμπάθεια,) mutual concern. Let us have a regard to the common advantage, in order that we may not destroy the Church by malignity, or envy, or pride, or any disagreement; but may, on the contrary, every one of us, strive to the utmost of his power to preserve it. Here is a large subject, and a magnificent one; but I content myself with having pointed out the way in which the above similitude must be applied to the Church.
Members severally. Chrysostom is of opinion, that this clause is added, because the Corinthians were not the universal Church; but this appears to me rather forced. I have sometimes thought that it was expressive of impropriety, as the Latins say—Quodammodo, (in a manner.) When, however, I view the whole matter more narrowly, I am rather disposed to refer it to that division of members of which he had made mention. They are then members severally, according as each one has had his portion and definite work assigned him. The context itself leads us to this meaning. In this way severally, and as a whole, will be opposite terms.
 
Calvin, J., & Pringle, J. (2010). Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (1:412-413). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Contact me offlist regarding BDAG.
 george
gfsomsel 


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________ 




________________________________
From: Peter Schrock <peter at glorifyinghim.com>
To: Mark Lightman <lightmanmark at yahoo.com>
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org; George F Somsel <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
Sent: Sun, March 14, 2010 4:19:46 AM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 1 Corinthians 12:27


Does anyone know where to get a good deal on "English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature 3rd."  I could see a ton of people selling the 2nd Ed for cheap, but I could find the third for under $120.  I noticed there are more pages in the 3rd ED than the 2nd what did they add?


George thanks for the tip with the adverbial thing.  That one slipped by me.  After you mentioned it, I found that most of my resources we pointing this out, I just wasn't looking in the right place.

I spent some time reading through the entry of MEROS in Kittle and there was a paragraph specifically on 1 Corinthians 12:27.  I don't see why other popular translators don't render it like it is in Kittle's: "and each is a member according to his portion."  This fits well into the context of the following verses.

Here is a different question from 1 Corinthians 12:27... Do you think that Paul is try to say the Corinthians are "a" body of Christ (body is anarthrous)?  I certainly don't think that is what he is trying to say, but is there any evidence that show that he is not trying communicate this from the Greek?  From my perspective "body of Christ" would probably be considered a monadic noun and that Paul is using it qualitatively rather than indefinitely.

What are your thoughts...

Peter Schrock

-- Site Administrator 
__________________________
www.GodlyChristianMinistries.com



On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 9:20 AM, Mark Lightman <lightmanmark at yahoo.com> wrote:

George wrote:
>
><Here is a particular instance of such a situation where EK
> is not indicating a source or a partitive but rather gives the word
> MEROS an adverbial sense.>
>
>Hi, George,
>
>Would not "MEROS [in] an adverbial sense" be by definition
>partitive?  I'm not sure about the issue of source, but I thought it was
>an interesting thought from Peter.
>
>Warm Regards,  
>
>
>
>Mark L
>
>
>FWSFOROS MARKOS
>
>
>"Yeah we're going to a Party party..."
>
>
>
>--- On Sat, 3/13/10, George F Somsel <gfsomsel at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>>From: George F Somsel <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
>>Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 1 Corinthians 12:27
>>To: "Peter Schrock" <peter at glorifyinghim.com>, b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
>>Date: Saturday, March 13, 2010, 8:00 AM 
>>
>>
>>
>>Ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους.
>>hUMEIS DE ESTE SWMA XRISTOU KAI MELH EK MEROUS.
>> 
>> 
>>ⓒused w. prepositions: 
>> Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. s.v. μέρος. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
>> 
>>Sometimes prepositions don't quite mean what one might think.  Here is a particular instance of such a situation where EK is not indicating a source or a partitive but rather gives the word MEROS an adverbial sense.  I would strongly recommend that you obtain this lexicon if you are truly interested in the study of the NT in Greek.  There really is no substitute.  
>> ἀνὰ μέροςone after the other, in succession (s. ἀνά2) 1 Cor 14:27.—ἀπὸ μέρουςin part (Dio Chrys. 28 [45], 3; Ael. Aristid. 32, 4 K.=12 p. 135 D.; Ptolem., Apotel. 2, 10, 2; Epict. 1, 27, 17 διʼ ὅλων ἢ ἀ. μ.; PRyl 133, 17; BGU 1201, 15 [2 a.d.]; PTebt 402, 2; POxy 1681, 9; Just., A II, 10, 8 Χριστῷ …τῷ …ἄ. μ. γνωσθέντι) πώρωσις ἀ. μ. a partial hardening Ro 11:25. τολμηρότερον …ἀ. μ. very boldly on some points 15:15. καθὼς ἐπέγνωτε ἡμᾶς ἀ. μ. as you have understood us in part 2 Cor 1:14. Also for a while: ἀ. μ. ἐμπλησθῆναί τινοςenjoy someone’s company for a while Ro 15:24; cp. 2 Cor 2:5 in some degree.—ἐκ μέρουςin part, individually (Ael. Aristid. 54 p. 695 D.; 698; SIG 852, 30 … ὅλη, ἐκ μέρους δέ… ; PLond III, 1166, 14 p. 105 [42 a.d.]; BGU 538, 33; PRyl 233, 6; Philo, Mos. 2, 1 al.)
>>individually 1 Cor 12:27. ἐκ μ. γινώσκεινknow in part 13:9a, 12; cp. vs. 9b. τὸ ἐκ μ. what is ‘in part’ = imperfect vs. 10.george
>>gfsomsel 
>>
>>
>>… search for truth, hear truth, 
>>learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
>>defend the truth till death.
>>
>>
>>- Jan Hus
>>_________ 
>>
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----
>>From: Peter Schrock <peter at glorifyinghim.com>
>>To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
>>Sent: Sat, March 13, 2010 1:22:40 AM
>>Subject: [B-Greek] 1 Corinthians 12:27
>>
>>I am kind of new to this list...
>>
>>I have been looking at 1 Corinthians 12:27 for a while and I wanted to get
>>some people look at what I am thinking.  I am especially  looking for those
>>who are teaching Greek or who are professionally translating (but I would
>>like to hear from everyone too).  I myself have studied Greek for about 6
>>years now on my own using a variety of textbooks and resources, but I want
>>to hear from those who know more than me.  When you respond could you please
>>also note your knowledge level of Greek briefly for me.
>>
>>After Paul writes,"you (believers in Corinth) are the body of Christ" he
>>continues with a peculiar phrase.  It literally reads from the Greek, "and
>>members out of a part" or "members from a portion" (καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους).
>>(KAI MELH EK MEROUS)  It follows then in my understanding that Paul was
>>telling those in Corinth that they should view themselves as members out of
>>a portion of Christ's body.  This also follows with the following verses in
>>that not every church has Apostles or every other gift he lists there.  In
>>addition, it also follows with the context of the chapter when this section
>>begins with: "we (not just those at Corinth) were all baptized into one
>>body."  Nevertheless, most translations render the second half of 1
>>Corinthians 12:27 as a paraphrase.  Am I missing the meaning of this verse
>>by rendering it literally or is it some kind of idiom?  It just seems to me
>>that "MEROS" is denoting that those in Corinth are only a part of the body
>>of Christ and not the whole thing in and of themselves.
>>
>>Peter Schrock
>>
>>-- Site Administrator
>>__________________________
>>www.GodlyChristianMinistries.com
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>>      
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