Re: Rev 3:7

From: Richard Lindeman (richlind@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sun Feb 22 1998 - 16:35:06 EST


>Greetings to co-b-greekers & Rev-listers:
>I have a question about Rev 3.7, the description of Christ as hO ALHTHINOS
>in the message to Philadelphia. I have seen it interpreted as a modifier
of
>the preceding hO hAGIOS, Christ as "the truly holy one" (can an adjective
>function adverbially, in this way?), or as the bringer and bearer of
reality
>(in contrast to pre-messianic shadow), or as a reference to the moral
>integrity of Christ ("the authentic One")
>- -is it gramatically feasible that ALHTHINOS could modify hAGIOS (can the
>adjective have that adverbial force, or must it be nominalized just like hO
>hAGIOS?

Yes, an adjective can sometimes function adverbially. However, for it to
function adverbially in the
example you are referring to it would need to modify an implied or an
elipsed instance
of the verb EIMI rather than hO hAGIOUS. Then it would be translated "the
one who truly *is* the
holy one. However, in the instance you are citing I doubt that an
adverbial usage is called for.
I would probably rather take O ALHQINOS as being a substantive use of the
adjective in apposition to O AGIOS. "these things says the one who is holy,
the one who is true."

Blessings,

Rich Lindeman



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