[b-greek] Re: Phil. 4:9c

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Jan 11 2001 - 06:41:30 EST


Nice comments by Steven and I would only add a note that two of the OT
echoes in particular are Isaiah's phrase IMMANU-HL "God WITH US" as a name
for the Messiah, and the initial Burning-Bush epiphany of Yahweh to Moses
where the divine name is given to Moses, its first expression in verse 12
of Ex 3 takes the form of ESOMAI META SOU

EIPEN DE hO QEOS MWUSEI LEGWN hOTI ESOMAI META SOU KAI TOUTO SOI TO SHMEION ...

There's something, therefore, powerfully resonating in that future tense
and the META + genitive.

At 10:39 PM -0600 1/10/01, Steven R. Lo Vullo wrote:
>On 1/10/01 9:15 PM, Mark Wilson wrote:
>
>>
>> Phil. 4:9c
>>
>> KAI hO QEOS THS EIRHNHS ESTAI MEQ hUMWN
>>
>> I am really not seeking any mystical understanding of this expression,
>> but the cliche "God is with you" seems a bit hollow to me.
>
>The form of EI)MI/ here is not present, but future. And even though the
>clause is not grammatically a result clause or the apodosis of a conditional
>sentence, it seems that its fulfillment is predicated on the fulfillment of
>the imperative of the previous clause. So Paul is not just giving the
>Philippians a sort of cliched "pep talk" ("God is with you"). Rather,
>semantically he is saying "If you practice these things, the God of peace
>will be with you," or, "Practice these things, and the result will be that
>God of peace will be with you."
>
>> Is there any significance to the use of META in this expression? I am not
>> sure if another preposition would have been more intimate or personal, but
>> this phrase seems so vague as to almost be meaningless.
>
>META, as it often does with the genitive, here denotes
>association/accompaniment. Without (hopefully) getting too theological for
>the list, I have to gently disagree with you that such a thought is "so
>vague as to be almost meaningless." On the contrary, such a thought sums up
>the ultimate vision of both the OT and the NT: God dwelling with his people.
>(See META in Rev 21.3 and the many parallels in both the OT and NT. Rev 21.3
>certainly paints an "intimate" and "personal" picture.). Although the
>ultimate fulfillment of this vision awaits a future time, this relationship
>can to a very meaningful degree be enjoyed now (cf. the similar thought
>expressed in different terms in 2 Co 6.16).
>
>Steve Lo Vullo,
>Madison, WI
>
>
>
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--

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
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