From: Stewarts (presept@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed Jul 01 1998 - 15:14:25 EDT
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<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Dear Mr. Stafford,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2> Sorry it took so long for my
responce. The day after I sent my post, my computer had to be worked
on. I just received it back today. You said, "Of course
Jesus did not say, 'Since Abraham came into existence, I have been."
Maybe I should have said "Since before Abraham came into existence, I have
been." An adverbial expression denoting duration and referring to
past time implies a starting point. I don't think we have this in Jn
8:58. In all the PPAs listed in the grammars I checked, all the
adverbial phrases are finite in time even if they don't specify a specific
starting point. "All these years..." in Luke 15:29 is an obvious
finite period of time. "All these years.." is a finit
concept. "For a long time..." in Jn 14:9 is finite in
itself. I don't see how you could argue for eternal from it.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2> You said, "...that the
implied predicate is 'Messiah' or 'Christ." In Jn 4:26, the predicate
is in the immediate context (verse 25). In Jn 8:24, 28, and 58, there is
no predicate immplied in the context. I do plan on reading your book and
then I would like to discuss it off list</FONT><FONT color=#000000
size=2>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2> It would be interesting to
know If Charles Thompson meant just simple preexistence by his translation of SU
EI as "Thou existed" or if he meant "Thou hast always
existed." The NASB gave '"I have been" as an alternate
translation to I Am in Jn 8:58. When the translators were questioned about
it, they said that I have been = I have always been. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2> You said, "...I will
simply say that John 8:58 does not tell us anything but that Jesus existed
before Abraham." Since we can not discuss hermeneutics or theology, I
think we have reached an impasse on what we can discuss on b-greek. Thank
you for the exchange. I have learned much. I look forward to futher
dialogue with you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2>
In His Truth,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2>
James Stewart </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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