[b-greek] Re: 1 Thess 5:10

From: boyd@huxcomm.net
Date: Thu Jan 31 2002 - 11:08:05 EST


<<<<Now I have another query. These are relevant for the translation I
am

working on.


1 Thess 5:10 says

hINA EITE GRHGORWMEN EITE KAQEUDWMEN hAMA SUN
AUTWi ZHSWMEN.


My question is about the sense of the two verbs. Let me suggest

alternatives:

Does GRHGOREW here mean

1) be literally awake

2) be watchful, alert, spiritually awake

3) be physically alive


Does KAQEUDW here mean

1) be literally asleep

2) be dull, spiritually asleep

3) be physically dead


I could look the words up in the dictionary, which I have. But I have

reasons to be suspicious of the dictionaries for this particular

instance,

because they suggest a sense for these two words in this particular

context

that is different from the senses attested in all other occurrences of

the

same words in the GNT. It is implied in the context of 1 Thess 5:10
that

the

two verbs refers to the time/event of the parousia.>>


Dear Iver,


In order to get a little background, I read two opposing articles that
I have on this question.** I wouldn't say that I've got it all sorted out
yet, but here are a few of my thoughts.


I agree with your suspicion about the lexicons on this one. At the
very least, sense #3 for GRHGOREW is questionable, and sense
#3 for KAQEUDW doesn't find support in the GNT (apart from this
possibility).


In my opinion, the near context supports sense #2 for both verbs,
since v. 6 uses the verbs in that way. To broaden the context to
Pauline usage, GRHGOREW is used in four places(1 Cor. 16:13;
Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:6, 10), of which the other three clearly refer to
spiritual alertness. KAQEUDW is found in four places (Eph. 5:14;
1 Thess. 5:6, 7, 10). In Eph. 5:14 I would say we're dealing with
sense #2, definitely sense #2 in 1 Thess. 5:6, and probably sense
#1 in 1 Thess. 5:7 (although it does seem to have some ethical
connotations since it's used in conjunction with NUX). At any rate,
the "spiritually alert" and "spiritually dull" options seem to get the
most support from Pauline usage.


Now to answer a few objections to this understanding:

gfsomsel wrote:

<<<<Putting aside any theological issue, it would be

inconceiveable to speak of being "children of light" and therefore
"awake"

(by which I would understand "spiritually alive") and yet be able to
speak

of

the possibility of being either awake or asleep.>>


I would not understand GRHGOREW to mean "spiritually alive," but
rather "spiritually alert." The exhortation in v. 6 implies that it is
possible for hUIOI FWTOS to "sleep," i.e. to be spiritually dull.
Hence Paul's exhortation GRHGORWMEN KAI NHFWMEN.

   

Iver wrote:

<<<<I think option 2 is ruled out, because it would mean

a contradiction between v. 6 and v. 10. V. 6 urges the believers to
be watchful, spiritually awake, and not be spiritually asleep. In v. 10
it looks like it doesn't matter. Whether they are awake or sleeping,
they will in any case come to live together with the Lord.>>


I would say that vv. 9-10 emphasize what God has done for
believers. Saying that hAMA SUN AUTWi ZHSWMEN is
dependent on God's activity, rather than that of believers, does not
negate the ethical imperatives of the passage.


Thanks for the discussion,

Jonathan Boyd

Huxley, IA


**Thomas R. Edgar, "The Meaning of 'Sleep' in 1 Thessalonians
5:10," JETS 22/4 (Dec 1979): 345-349.


**Tracy L. Howard, "The Meaning of 'Sleep' in 1 Thessalonians 5:10-
-A Reappraisal--Grace Theological Journal--(Fall 1985), V6 #2:337-
348.



<nofill>

---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com]
To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu
To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu




This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:37:17 EDT