Re: <Phi 3.3> Serve by or the Spirit of God

From: Paul S. Dixon (dixonps@juno.com)
Date: Thu Jan 22 1998 - 01:29:02 EST


On Wed, 21 Jan 1998 16:57:14 -0700 Francisco Orozco <fran4@rtn.uson.mx>
writes:
>Hello,
> In Phi 3.3, how should we translate OI PVEUMATI QEOU
>LATREUOUVTES:
>
>(1) Those who serve the Spirit of God? or
>(2) Those who serve by the Spirit of God?
>
>I checked all the times LATREW appears in the NT, and apparently it
>takes its object in the dative (Brooks & Winbery's Dative of Root Idea
or
>Dative of Direct Object, Syntax, p.37).
>
>Should the other 2 participles inform our translation of this phrase?
>(closely connected by the KAI's)
>
>KAUKWMEVOI EV XRISTW IHSOU
>(rejoice in Christ Jesus)
>
>OUK EV SARKI PEPOIQOTES
>(have no confidence in the flesh)
>
>Thanks!
>Francisco Orozco
>fran4@rtn.uson.mx

Francisco:

Greetings. It seems like ages since we last communicated (2 years?).

Anyhow, have you considered the reading QEWi, instead of QEOU? It is
supported by D, P, Y, 075, 365, 1175, as well as aleph corrected. QEOU
does have good external support, and it is argued that QEWi was probably
added by a scribe mistakenly thinking an object was necessary. But, a
pretty good case can be presented for the QEWi reading.

First, LATREUEIN is used by Paul in Rom 1:9 and 2 Tim 1:3. In both of
these occurrences Paul refers to God whom LATREUW (2 Tim 1:3 - QEWi hWi
LATREUW; Rom 1:9 - hO QEOS hWi LATREUW). The parallels are striking.
Rom 1:9, for example, has: MARTUS GAR MOU ESTIN hO QEOS, hWi LATREUW EN
TWi MOU.

If Rom 1:9 is a parallel to Phil 3:3, then the QEWi reading makes
excellent sense. Furthermore, the anarthrous PNUEMATI would then better
be taken, not as referring to the Holy Spirit, but to man's spirit, or as
"in spirit" in contrast to the following EN SARKI. The translation might
then be: who worship God in spirit ...

If, however, the reading is QEOU, then I'd opt for: "who worship by the
Spirit of God ..."

I don't think scripture any where else views the saints as worshipping
the Spirit of God. We pray in the Spirit, and by the Spirit, but do not
explicitly worship the Spirit, though most of us would have little
theological problem with this (Acts 5:3-5).

Sincerely,

Paul S. Dixon



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