Re: Present tence copulative verbs

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

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