Re: Pros

From: George Blaisdell (maqhth@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Jun 03 1999 - 11:51:48 EDT


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>From: "Donald L. Shaffer"

>It now seems clear to me that I need only research
>that combination of EIMI and PROS.

Carl's original posting on PROS is the one that was most helpful to me on
this issue, where he referenced Aristotle's category of "relation[ship]" as
having the formula TO PROS TI. This IS 'relation[ship', you see... In ALL
its occurrences. And by the time of the writing of the GNT, it would have
to have been pretty well imbedded in Greek language, as it probably was long
before him.

Now EIMI plus PROS plus accusative would seem to fit this formulation with
great precision, indeed in such a way as to define it as virtually
relationship itself [to Platonize Aristotle a tad!]. So when John 1:1 has
hO LOGOS HN PROS TON QEON, we can assume on this approach that it clearly
means relationship, where hO LOGOS is TO in the formulation, and TON QEON is
TI, and the HN is the very implied stative verb of existence in TO PROS TI.

'Towards' as a gloss fails because there are relationships, clearly, that
avoid, or are away from, what is being related.

Hence hO LOGOS, on this approach, IS relationship with TON QEON. And it is
only later in the text that we discover the nature of that relationship, of
which one thing that can be pointed to [in 17] is the relationship of unity,
which is perhaps the ultimate 'relationship', yes? [via marriage?] There is
obviously much more ~ The whole of this gospel is about relationship to God,
yes?

Now with ARCH and HN as concurrent components of 1:1-2, this approach sees
it as saying that hO LOGOS is God's ORIGINAL relationship, and that in the
very technical meaning of original, meaning of the origin, and implying
origination, which is spelled out clearly in 1:3.

[As an exegetical aside here, is not this what was lost by Adam in the
Garden of Eden? Relationship with God? And now we have that (lost)
relationship itself incarnating to restore itself in us?]

So I wish you well in your research, Don, and I hope that this helps out
some...

George Blaisdell
Roslyn, WA

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