[B-Greek] 1 Tim4:10

Yancy Smith yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Wed May 5 12:50:54 EDT 2010


I agree with Iver. There is no need to either insert some clunky, odd definition of MALISTA or to suggest that SWTHR may have two different meanings. As always, context is king, and I believe Towner, NIGCNT, ad loc has the best grasp of the relevant context that I have read. On the basis of his comments I would add that 1 Tim 4:10 should be read in the light of 2:4 ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. OS PANTAS ANQRWPOUS QELEI SWQHNAI KAI EIS EPIGNWSIN ALHQEIAS ELQEIN. "Whose desire is that all human beings be saved and come to a knowledge of truth." Both of these statements are strong, forthright and likely imply a strong counter argument against Jewish or Jewish Christian or hopeless Gentile detractors who were arguing that God's salvation was really only assured for God's elect, ethnic Israel. The designation of God as “Savior” is a basic theme in this letter (see 1:1; 2:3). God is thus the originator of God's salvation plan through Christ and the one who bestows this gift according to his will, and “especially those who believe,” sharpens or narrows from whole to part either the preceding genitive qualifier (“of all people”) or the overall statement, in some sense relevant to points Paul develops in the letter. But Paul's earlier statement in 2:1–7 was part of a counter argument against exclusivist, perhaps Jewish, claims made by Paul's opponents. They seem to have called into question the authority of his gospel as the true expression of God’s will and only source of “godliness.” His bold affirmation of God’s universal saving will was the antidote to that exclusivism (2:4). At the same time Paul affirms that "godliness" EUSEBEIA is the authentic life associated with his gospel in both 2:2 and 4:7–8. So, “God is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” is an almost perfect repetition the affirmation of 2:4: “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” In 2:4, Paul follows up his appeal to God’s universal will (salvation for all according to Paul’s gospel and in correction of exclusivism and laziness) by affirming that salvation is the result of a a response to the gospel (a rational decision — “coming to the knowledge of the truth”). So also in 4:10 Paul reaffirms universal access to God's gift of salvation in the “Savior” statement. However, the he follows up the Savoir statement with a variation on the earlier gospel provision (“particularly, those who believe”).

Yancy

-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Iver Larsen
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 10:32 AM
To: Rick Brannan; Tim Buley
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 1 Tim4:10

It seems to me that Vern is right and Skeat is wrong on this one.

MALISTA is a common enough word with a well-established meaning (especially, 
above all).

This meaning fits well in all the 12 instances in the NT, so there is no need to 
look for a different meaning.

In 2 Tim 4:13, Paul is asking Timothy to bring his books, when he comes, but if 
cannot carry all of them, he should make sure that he at least brings the 
parchments. Obviously the parchments are part of the general word "books", but 
it is not the same as the books. MALISTA indicates a part-whole relationship, 
where the part has a focus that the whole does not have.

In 1 Tim 4:10 I see no problem either:

ὅς ἐστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα πιστῶν
hOS ESTIN SWTHR PANTWN ANQRWPWN, MALISTA PISTWN

That God is the saviour of/for all people points to God having made salvation 
available through Jesus and only through him to everyone, but it is especially 
for the believers in the sense that for them the situation changes from 
potentiality to actuality.

Iver Larsen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Brannan" <textgeek+bgreek at gmail.com>
To: "Tim Buley" <buley52 at att.net>
Cc: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 5. maj 2010 06:43
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 1 Tim4:10


> Hi Tim.
>
> On this word (MALISTA), there are two important articles to check:
>
> First, T.C. Skeat, "Especially the Parchments: A Note on 2 Timothy
> 4.13" in Journal of Theological Studies NS, Vol 30. 1979, pp. 173-177.
>
> Skeat's article is the one that introduces and grounds the "that is" 
> suggestion:
>
> "My own suggestion is that MALISTA in this passage, instead of
> differentiating the BIBLIA from the MEMBRANAI, in fact equates them,
> at least to the extent of defining or particularizing the general term
> BIBLIA, and that an idiomatic English translation would be 'the books
> — I mean the parchment notebooks'."(Skeat, 174).
>
> He goes on to talk about other places MALISTA occurs in the Pastorals,
> and whether his suggestion applies to those passages.
>
> I have a citation of Skeat and some excerpts here: http://bit.ly/8XnJK6
>
> Skeat's suggestion has made its way into pretty much every techincal
> commentary on the Pastorals since (see particularly Knight's NIGTC
> contribution), and it has influenced how 1Ti 4.10 is handled.
>
> Second, a response to Skeat by Vern Poythress: Vern Poythress, "The
> Meaning of MALISTA in 2 Timothy 4.13 and Related Verses in Journal of
> Theological Studies, Vol 35, Pt. 2, October 2002, pp. 523-532.
>
> I have a citation of Poythress and some excerpts here: http://bit.ly/aFsRSY
>
> Poythress says, basically, "not so fast, TC" (gotta get the Magnum PI
> references out of my head now) and urges caution when essentially
> advocating new senses of a word to help one out of theological and
> doctrinal conundrums. He's right generally, but that doesn't mean he's
> right specifically about MALISTA in 1Ti 4.10.
>
> Anyway, if you're really working through 1Ti 4.10, the interaction
> between Skeat and Poythress is helpful to read. I think I'm still on
> Skeat's side of the issue (mostly) though Poythress' cautions are good
> reminders.
>
> Rick Brannan
> http://www.pastoralepistles.com
> http://www.supakoo.com/rick/ricoblog
> My Apostolic Fathers Interlinear: http://bit.ly/ApFthInt
>
> On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 1:40 PM, Tim Buley <buley52 at att.net> wrote:
>>
>> I was trying to find a link for any discussions on 1 Tim 4:10, if especially 
>> "malista" should be translated with "that is". If it has been discussed, 
>> thanks .

---
Yancy




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