[b-greek] Re: John 5:18b (revised)

From: Iver Larsen (iver_larsen@sil.org)
Date: Tue Jul 03 2001 - 04:35:56 EDT


> Dear b-greekers,
>
> On Fri, 29 Jun 2001 06:37:44 -0500 "Carl W. Conrad"
> <cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu> writes:
> > In the message I sent a few minutes ago, I now realize that I never
> > did
> > clearly answer the chief question: I DON'T think that readers should
> > assume
> > that what's cited in the hOTI clause is believed by the writer
> > himself to
> > be true; he's simply reporting or telling what he thinks the
> > reasoning
> > behind their action was.
>
> DIA TOUTO OUN MALLON EZHTOUN AUTON hOI IOUDAIOI APOKTEINAI, hOTI OU MONON
> ELUEN TO SABBATON, ALLA KAI PATERA IDION ELEGEN TON QEON ISON hEAUTON
> POIWN TWi QEWi. IWAN. E 18
>
> Carl,
>
> Of course the writer himself believed that the content of the hOTI clause
> was true! Thus he believed the following three statements to be true:
>
> 1) Jesus claimed to be the unique (IDION) Son of God.
>
> 2) Sonship implies equality with the Father.
>
> 3) Jesus broke the Sabbath.

I think Carl is exactly right. The hOTI indicates that John is describing the
thinking of the "Jews" in this verse and why that thinking led them to want to
kill Jesus. What John himself thought can only be deduced from others texts and
is irrelevant or at least of secondary importance in this verse. It would not be
correct from this verse alone to deduce anything about what John himself
considered to be true.

Iver Larsen


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