[b-greek] RE: acts 13:48, ordained?

From: Paul O. Wendland (wendlanp@wls.wels.net)
Date: Sat Feb 02 2002 - 12:24:09 EST


Ross--

Without claiming to be an expert I would say that any perfect participle in
a periphrastic construction could be taken as middle or passive. Accidence
doesn't help us.

BDAG (p. 991 entry TASSW) declares it to be passive on the analogy of the
active idiom "TASSEIN TINA EIS" =to assign someone to something, an
expression for which he cites two instances in Plato. This would seem to
argue for a passive voice cloaking the subject, i.e. the verb is used with
EIS and has the same meaning(appointed/assigned).

BDAG goes on to point out that the middle of this verb is sometimes used
with an active force. For this, Matthew 28:19 and Acts 28:23 are cited. In
both those cases, there is a object complement stated or implied [POREUESQAI
or hHMERAN respectively]. It seems unlikely, however that the passage in
question has this meaning since--again--it's being used with EIS to form one
unit of meaning.

Immediate context would also argue for God being the cloaked subject of the
passive verb. In verse 47 Paul quotes Isaiah 49:6 NATHATHICHA Le)OR GOYIM
(Hebr)=TEQEIKA SE EIS FWS EQNWN (LXX) as his justification for turning to
the Gentiles. Israel (personified) had always been intended to serve as a
light for the Gentiles. God promised Israel that he would fulfill the
purpose he had in mind for him. He had appointed him, made him to be this.
Paul is therefore justified in carrying out this purpose by turning to the
Gentiles. I would therefore see the TEQEIKA SE EIS FWS EQNWN TOU EINAI SE
SWTHRIAN as being a thematic parallel to the expression in verse 48
TETAGMENOI EIS ZWHN AIWNION. God purposed, and the result was those who had
been assigned to eternal life believed.

I have tried to keep theological considerations out of this, but of course
one's point of view will kick in ahead of time (pluperfect) to determine
whether such grammatical constructs are possible (aorist). I would
nevertheless argue that the least strained reading among the two possible
readings would be to see it as a passive.

Paul

PS next time you visit us or our library, stop in and share a cup of coffee.


-----Original Message-----
From: ross purdy [mailto:rossjpurdy@hotmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 10:20 AM
To: Biblical Greek
Subject: [b-greek] RE: acts 13:48, ordained?


Paul,

I have patronized and enjoyed your library on occassion there at WLS. It has
been a while though since I have been there.

Regarding your statement:
>First the assignment, then the believing. Passive no doubt out of respect
>to the Divine doer of the action of assigning.

Can anyone tell me if there is something in the Greek that demands parsing
this as passive rather than middle? Either God ordained that the light
should be sent to the nations (passive), or Paul's preaching disposed them
to eternal life just as it was opposed by the Jews (middle). The latter
seems to be more plausible with respect to the context. What say ye experts?

In Christ,
Ross Purdy

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