Re: LOGIKON ADOLON GALA EPIPOQHSATE IIPeter2:2

From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Wed Aug 13 1997 - 12:10:34 EDT


On Tue 12 Aug 97 (21:50:18), jwrobie@mindspring.com wrote:
> In the passage in question, we are not being called to logical
> consistency, but to Jesus Christ, who alone can make us one spiritual
> temple. I don't really think that being "rational and logical" has that
> much to do with "feeding us up spiritually", and I think that this
> passage is about the latter. The scriptures are not there primarily to
> help us know about God, but to help us know him; they point the way to
> him without really trying to explain him.
>

 Thank you Jonathan for filling up that which was lacking in my brief comment
 "off the cuff". I was drawing attention to the metonymy of GALA for LOGON.

 The word LOGIKOS only occurs twice in the NT (Romans 12:1 and here), and
 not at all in the LXX. In Rom 12:1 LOGIKH LATREIA clearly means "Spiritual
 worship". However in 1 Peter 1:23 the "new birth" of ANAGEGENNHMENOI is
 connected with the abiding Word of life DIA LOGOU ZWNTOS QEOU KAI MENONTOS.
 "New birth" implies babyhood. New spiritual babies need new spiritual milk:
 hWS ARTIGENNHTA BREFH TO LOGIKON ADOLON GALA [=LOGON] EPIPOQHSATE.

 LOGIKOS was a favourite word with the Stoics in connection with the LOGOS
 (Epictetus; Philo). So I go along with the KJV "long for the pure milk of the
 word, that ye may grow by it". (cf NIV, crave pure spiritual milk).

 In Isaiah 55:1-2 we have the metaphor of eating and drinking wine and oil
 without money and without price: clearly in reference to the Word hOUTWS ESTAI
 TO hRHMA MOU, hO EAN EXELQH EK TOU STOMATOS MOU (verse 11). The spoken hRHMA
 through the Prophet has become the written LOGOS of the Prophecy; the
 everlasting (age-long) Covenant of the "sure mercies of David"; surely the
 New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31; KAI DIAQHSOMAI hUMIN DIAQHKHN AIWNION, TA
 hOSIA DAVID TA PISTA (verse 3).

 Paul uses the same metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 ... hWS NHPIOIS EN
 XRISTWi, GALA hUMAS EPOTISA, OU BRWMA, OUPW GAR EDUNASQH, ktl. Properly
 nourished on the Word, the Corinthian babies will grow up and be weaned onto
 more solid spiritual food. Compare Hebrews 5:11-14. "... CREIAN ECONTES
 GALAKTOS KAI OU STEREAS TROFHS. PAS GAR hO METECWN GALKTOS APEIROS LOGOU
 DIKAIOSUNHS, NHPIOS GAR ESTIN: ..." (vv 12-13).

 From this babe in Christ,

-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA Bristol, 1963 (hons in Theology)
 <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 


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