Think Wink.

I had to link to this article at Marvel.com because I am such a fan of Bucky as Captain America. It has some preview art for Captain America #36 as well as an interesting article for comic fans like myself. For all of you geeks who know that the Invaders are going to show up in the Post-Civil War universe and also know that the Skrulls are invading, the preview of Captain America #39 poses some interesting questions. Is that the Steve Rogers from WWII or is it a Skrull? And don’t worry, if you like Bucky, this isn’t Marvel’s attempt to fix the death of Steve Rogers. Bucky is Captain America, plain and simple. Here is the article, Captain America: One Year Later.

It Ends Here!

Captain America vs. Captain America???

Cap #38 Interview

Honzo asked a question about translating the particple πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων in John 3:16 (”whosoever believes” in most English translations). I did some reading up on this text and three things I think need to be said of the Greek phrase in question. The following is my reply.

1.) ὁ πιστεύων is an independent substantive participle. As such, it functions as the subject of the ἵνα clause and its verbs ἀπόληται and ἔχῃ. It should not be construed as being attributive to πᾶς.

2.) πᾶς is a pronomial adjective and as such it does not normal rules governing the position of adjectives. πᾶς is in the first predicative position, being outside the article-noun grouping. However, πᾶς does not relate to ὁ πιστεύων as a predicative (”the believing one is all”) but rather in a more attributive fashion. In short it modifies ὁ πιστεύων, not the other way around (i.e. ὁ πιστεύων is attributive to πᾶς). Thus πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων should not be construed as a relative clause.

3.) This point is more of a question. Are you arguing that ὁ πιστεύων is a gnomic or a continuous present? A gnomic present is a timeless present, and as such it speaks of a general, timeless fact, a maxim. A continuous present is repeated, continuous action. The post does not really distinguish the two. It sounds like Honzo in the post is arguing for a continuous present tense the emphasizes believing until the end. This fits more of how John uses πιστεύω in his Gospel (cf. John 20:31) (here is everywhere πιστεύων is used in John).

On the note of a gnomic present, John 3:16 fits the formula of πᾶς ὁ + present participle, and is thus a gnomic present. However, as stated above, John uses πιστεύω in a continuous sense, thus John 3:16 should not be taken in a gnomic sense. In fact, Dan Wallace argues on page 522 of his grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament,

This could also be taken as a gnomic present, but if so it is not a proverbial staement, not is it simply a general maxim. In this Gospel, there seems to be a qualitative distinction between the ongoing act of believing and the simple fact of believing.

This is true of John 4:13 where the formula for the gnomic present, πᾶς ὁ + present participle, is used without the gnomic force. Here, πᾶς ὁ πίνων has more of a customary present or iterative present.

He continues on page 523 n.26,

We have listed John 3:16 as belonging under “Customary Present” because of the stress in John on continual belief.

Again, this force of πιστεύω is clearly seen in John 20:31 where John uses πιστεύοντες as a continuous present to emphasize the fact that one must continually believe in order to have eternal life.

No related posts

Isaiah 44:22 ESV says,

I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

During the last few weeks, I have decided to write two texts down from the book of Isaiah on the print outs on the back of my four trucks every morning I come to work; each text is in Hebrew and Greek. For one reason, it helps me study both Greek and Hebrew. Another reason is that it helps me compare LXX with the BHS to see how the theology changed from the days of Malachi to the days of Alexander the Great and beyond. A third reason is that it makes people ask questions about what I am doing. So when I explain to them what I am doing, it gives me a brief moment to speak of Jesus through the prophet Isaiah. One example is that found above, Isaiah 44:22. What I want to do is compare one key word in the Hebrew and Greek and discuss some of its implications.

The Greek term is λυτρώσομαί and the Hebrew term is ga’al. The Hebrew root of ga’al speaks of a “kinsman redeemer.” The verb is a second gutteral, qal perfect verb in the perfect tense. The idea behind this verb tense is completed action. Thus the action of the kinsman redeemer is complete. So what God is saying is that he has performed the action of the redeemer. He became like Boaz to Ruth and Naomi. Boaz purchased Ruth and her inheritance that came to her by paying for the land and marrying Ruth.

The Greek term will be familiar to students of the Greek New Testament. It the verb form of the noun λύτρον from Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” It has with it the lexical idea of being the price paid to purchase back something. In the first century world, it usually meant slaves. Take this situation for example: John accumulates a debt so large that he cannot pay it back; thus he sells himself into slavery in order to pay his debts. His cousin in the neighboring village hears of the enslavement and wishes to free him. John’s cousin pays the local temple the price of the slave and a percentage and the slave belongs to the pagan god. The percentage goes to the temple while the price of the slave goes to the slave owner. By belonging to that pagan god, John is “free” in that the gods don’t really care what he does. Mark 10:45 says that Jesus is that price paid to God to free his people from their enslavement to sin as well as the price paid t God to absorb God’s wrath against sin.

So what Yahweh is saying to Israel in Isaiah 44:22 is that he has purchased Israel. He has taken possession of them. They belong to him. It is on that basis that Yahweh asks them to return to him. He has done what was necessary to take them to be his. Therefore they can come back to him. They can abandon their idolatrous ways and come to Yahweh without fear of being rejected.

The LXX translates this verse like this, “For see, I have blotted out your acts of lawlessness like a cloud and your sins like darkness; return to me, and I will redeem you” (ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπήλειψα ὡς νεφέλην τὰς ἀνομίας σου καὶ ὡς γνόφον τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐπιστράφητι πρός με καὶ λυτρώσομαί σε; Isaiah 44:22 LXX) The idea of the LXX and the Hebrew is the same: God has forgiven them their sins and commands them to return to him. However there is a change in terminology here that I want to highlight. Where as the Hebrew communicates a completed action, the Greek highlights an action to be completed in the future.

Let me put the two ways of reading the crucial phrase side by side and you might see what I am getting at.

The relationship between the return and the redemption reverses by changing the verb ga’al in the Hebrew Perfect to λυτρόω in the Greek future. The idea of the Hebrew is that Israel returns on the basis of them being redeemed by God. Because God has redeemed them, then can come to God. The LXX says they will be redeemed by God if they return to him.

While on the surface, this may not seem that big of a deal, but in reality this is huge. The Hebrew text of Isaiah really demonstrates God’s free grace and mercy. God has already blotted out sins and transgressions. God has already redeemed idolatrous Israel. They can and now need to return. The LXX says God has forgiven Israel of the lawlessnesses and sins. Now they need to return so that God will redeem her. The Hebrew says all has been done so come. The Greek says that some has been done, so come in order that the rest may be finished.

Now, let us take this understanding of redemption in Isaiah 44:22 and apply it to Christ and his church. Mark 10:45 clearly states that Jesus is the ransom, the price paid to redeem for God a people (cf. Revelation 5:9). Now if we are to follow the LXX understanding of redemption, then this is how we are to apply it to Christ. Come to God so that Christ might be your ransom. If we follow the Hebrew, the application would be like this: come to God because Christ is your ransom. The Greek line of thought would say that Christ is not the ground upon which one approaches God where as the Hebrew understanding would. The LXX understanding would undercut our right and ability to approach God. The Hebrew understanding makes Christ the very ground by which the Christian draws near to God.

Just some food for thought.

Some Thoughts From Isaiah 40-55

The Nature of Prophecy

A Key Term

The ESV Blog posted on Duncan Forbes’ new way of doing devotions: he uses his Greek New Testament. He is currently blogging about this idea and I must admit, I am very much drawn to it. I think When I come to a break in my devotion plan, I am going to do this. If I was more familiar with Hebrew, I would do this for the OT as well. But I think I will just stay with my GNT (NA27). Here are Duncan’s posts so far.

Part 1: Introduction/Encouragement

Part 2: The Slowdown Factor

Part 3: Seeing the Perfect Tense (seeing all the tenses I would say).

Part 4: Spotting Word Plays

Part 5: Spotting Jesus’ Nuances

This Time Next Year…

Never In A Million Years…

Fixing the BCS?

For anyone who was a fan of the X-Men trilogy that was wrapped up in 2006 would be happy to know that Wolverine is getting his own movie starring none other than Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. What excites me is who is going to be on screen with Wolvie. Marvel.com has released the names of other characters in this movie. Two of the six names released are Gambit (Taylor Kitsch, “Friday Night Lights”) and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, “Waiting”). Click here for the full article.

Churches and the Super Bowl

“My name is Wade Wilson…”

Christian Bale on “The Dark Knight”

Enjoy these two trailers for Marvel’s new X-Men cartoon called “Wolverine & the X-Men” and the new Spider-man cartoon.

Wolverine and the X-Men

The ESPN Broadcasters at the MU vs Illinois Border War

An Arminian Quiz

A Great Honor

We come to final question that I posed my youth two Sunday’s ago: How does “the gospel of the glory of Christ” apply to my personal sanctification? If I am to be a gospel-centered Christian, and the gospel is where God displays his glory and it is by seeing God’s glory in the gospel that I am drawn to Christ as my savior and delight, then how does this play out in my personal life and battles against sin and to become like Christ? To answer this, let us jump up in the context of 2 Corinthians 4 and look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 where Paul writes,

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The verbs here are most helpful in answering our question of how the gospel of the glory of Christ applies to personal sanctification. There are two participles and one present tense indicative verb: “unveiled,” “beholding,” and “being transformed.” Let us take them one at a time.
Read more

No Doctrine But Love?

Three Requests

Doxa-Logos: A Glorious Word

The third question in my sermon from two Sunday’s ago, my question for application, is the next question in my series on 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. The question is: how does this gospel impact the way I do ministry? Let us get the text in front of us again. Paul writes,

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Read more

No Doctrine But Love?

Three Requests

Doxa-Logos: A Glorious Word

Ecclesiophilist speaks of another piece of 1 Corinthians. It’s a good read.

(H/T: Pure Church)

A Nice Short Piece

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ pt 3

Iron Man Review (Spoilers Abound) Part 1

…before season 7 of “24″ will air because of the writer’s strike that just ended. The Chicago Tribune reports,

Fans of the Fox drama “24″ will have to wait until next January to see Jack Bauer again, this season’s most prominent casualty of the writers strike.

I’m saddened by this deeply. However, this had better mean that season 7 will blow the last six years out of the water! I don’t think I can take another season six. Click here for full article.

Star Trek 2009

An Informative Review

Alex Ross Rocks!